Classy Eats

Cupcake Felicity's special birthday delivery, DC.

2010-12-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Buzz Maslov

Since I couldn't be there to celebrate with him, I thought I'd send NB some vegan cupcakes for his birthday! I researched DC vegan baked goods high and low and finally decided on Felicity's! I'm so glad I did, too, because she was a pleasure to work with and, although I didn't get to try one, I heard they were delicious!

The flavors I chose were Chai Tea and Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry. They both look fantastic! And her prices were so reasonable, too!

Thank you SO much, Felicity! And happy birthday, NB! :)

Website

Yelp

Second time at Tsunami Sushi, Western Addition, SF.

2010-12-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

Edamame.

I'm not a die-hard edamame girl, but J ordered some and it was nice.

Also, please, excuse the blurry photo! I've been forgetting my camera an obnoxious amount lately and have been borrowing iPhones left and right! :)

Yellowtail collar.

This was, unfortunately, overcooked. Yellowtail collar is always one of my favorite Japanese dishes, but this was very dry.

I can't remember the names of these rolls, but the one on the right has cream cheese while the one on the right has sweet potato.

The sweet potato roll is my favorite at Tsunami. The roll with cream cheese was the most unpleasant roll I've ever had. I've had cream cheese on rolls before and it has been fine, but they put on way too much and it was "pepper cream cheese" which was not an enjoyable combination.

Overall, I still enjoy Tsunami because it's a fun spot and reasonably priced. I'll just have to keep trying new things!

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Burma Superstar, Inner Richmond, SF.

2010-12-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Chili Lamb

Not available mild. Stir fried lamb with dried and fresh chili, onion and basil, comes medium spicy, or spicier!

I LOVED this! The lamb was super tender and the dish was packed with spice! It was definitely intense, spice wise, but I like some heat. ;)

Website

Yelp

My first Indian style veggie curry.

2010-12-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

Greek yogurt, vegetable stock, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, garlic, curry powder, spices.

This actually turned out really well. I liked the lighter flavor, although I didn't use a recipe and think it should be a little thicker. Not bad for a first curry though! ;)

Eggplant and sun dried tomato penne with italian herbs sauce

2010-12-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

Eggplant, sundried tomatoes, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and grated parmesan cheese with penne.

Mmm! This was delicious! I love eggplant, but have never cooked pasta with it--definitely a great fit.

Greek yogurt, bacon, parm baked Brussels sprouts.

2010-12-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

Blanched Brussels sprouts.

Greek yogurt, bacon, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I mixed the Brussels Sprouts into the sauce mixture and put everything into a casserole dish. I stuck it in the oven for about 10 minutes. I must have forgotten to take a photo after, but it looked really nice, most of the yogurt and cheese baked into the sprouts so although they didn't look very saucy, they were quite flavorful!

Apple crumb cake.

2010-12-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon cake batter with diced apples.

Cinnamon streusel.

Batter in pan, topped heavily with streusel mixture.

Baked! Mmmm! The cake wasn't as moist as I was hoping it would be, but had great flavors.

Glide's Annual Bringing Down The House, The Warfield, Downtown, SF.

2010-12-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

Little goodie bags at Glide's Bringing Down The House! I was promoting this event this week on the SF Station Arts page, but didn't put in a request to go.. Then my friend Edric asked if I wanted to go so it all worked out!

That's Robin Williams in the middle! The whole show was a lot of singing and comedy and was good fun, but it was particularly cook to see Robin Williams in SF! He had a pretty funny set and his style is so old-school now for comedy so that was cool to experience, too.

I have to say, Glide really knows how to put on an event! The show was about an hour, which is the perfect length, and then it was food, food, food!

There were so many different stations and the place was absolutely packed so I didn't get to take any food photos, but there were so many yummy dishes! Here is Edric getting his guacamole! Thanks so much for taking me, E! :)

Mid-week brunch at The Blue Fig, Mission, SF.

2010-12-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to find the site for Teaze, but their tea infuser is amazing! I was blown away! You really have to see one in action to get the full effect--it's a bit difficult to explain, but if you can, try one! I want to buy one and managed to find one on eBay!

Jesse's sweet waffle. Mmmmm.

Savory waffle. MMMMM! I loved this! It's essentially a salad on top of a waffle. It kind of reminded of this amazing pizetta I had at Fly Bar awhile back. It was a pizza topped with salad, which I love! I actually preferred this to the sweet waffle, which says a lot. ;)

I had been wanting to try The Blue Fig for a long time and it finally worked out. It's a cute little cafe--nothing fancy, but good people and great prices. It's strange though because they don't have hours. They stay open until the last person leaves! It's an interesting idea for a place and I feel like they could be a nice late-night dining option, but I guess only if people stay that late!

Thanks for brunch, J!

Yelp

MB's going away party at the Presidio Bowling Alley, Presidio, SF.

2010-11-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

Post Thanksgiving Brunch with CB at Epic.

2010-11-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

Tsunami Sushi Bar, Western Addition, SF.

2010-11-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

Drinks at Madrone Art Bar, Western Addition, SF.

2010-11-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

Andre's first jjajangmyum, San Tung, Inner Sunset, SF.

2010-11-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

A very Korean American Thanksgiving, Spokane.

2010-11-25T17:25:00.000-08:00

Jessica's Raisin Bread Stuffing.

2010-11-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

Dad's special gochujang.

2010-11-24T23:54:00.000-08:00

New Olive Garden, Northside Y, Spokane.

2010-11-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

Korean style bibim fried rice.

2010-11-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Canada Dry's Green tea ginger ale.

2010-11-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

Fabulous feat at Ethan Stowell's Staple & Fancy, Ballard, Seattle.

2010-11-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

The new beer and wine bar at Starbucks, Capitol Hill, Seattle.

2010-11-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

A trip to Melrose Market, Capitol Hill, Seattle.

2010-11-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

Brunch with my besties at Vios Cafe in Third Place Books, Ravenna, Seattle.

2010-11-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

Seattle Style Hot Dogs outside The Comet, Capitol Hill, Seattle.

2010-11-21T01:48:00.000-08:00

Octo Sushi, Capitol Hill, Seattle.

2010-11-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Studio 1520, Capitol Hill, Seattle.

2010-11-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

15th Ave Coffee and Tea, Capitol Hill, Seattle.

2010-11-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

The Chocolate Box, Downtown, Seattle.

2010-11-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

KuKuRuZa, Downtown, Seattle.

2010-11-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Brunch at Le Pichet, Belltown, Seattle.

2010-11-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

Mistral Kitchen, Belltown, Seattle.

2010-11-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

Dahlia Bakery, Belltown, Seattle.

2010-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Tom Douglass brunch at Lola, Belltown, Seattle.

2010-11-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

Why hello, Seattle. I've missed you.

Chinese in Cupertino, CA.

2010-11-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

Alan's birthday brunch at ZeroZero, SoMa, SF.

2010-11-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

Hog & Rocks, Mission, SF.

2010-11-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

Teatro Zinzanni, Embarcadero, SF.

2010-11-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Dessert and drinks at Seasons, The Four Seasons, Downtown, SF.

2010-11-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

A pre-Thanksgiving feast at Gitane, Downtown, SF.

2010-11-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Late night oysters at Mayes, Polk, SF.

2010-11-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

Cotogna, Jackson Square, SF.

2010-11-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Ginger carrot soup with simple goat cheese crostini.

2010-11-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Broccoli goat cheese soup.

2010-11-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Sunday brunch at Nopa, NoPa, SF.

2010-11-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Hot Cookie, Castro, SF.

2010-11-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

Mozzarella and goat cheese pizza with red peppers.

2010-11-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Dinner at Beretta, Mission, SF.

2010-11-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

British dinner: chicken, potatoes and broccoli with gravy.

2010-11-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Broccoli with pancetta.

Fingerling potatoes.

Aah! Bisto! British gravy mix!

Gravy mix with herbs! Just add boiling water! :)

Rotisserie chicken with gravy, broccoli and pancetta and fingerling potatoes.

Paul's pizza making birthday party.

2010-11-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Friday night cooking: Roasted red pepper soup with ricotta and cilantro oil, and lemon honey ricotta crostini.

2010-11-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Heirloom tomatoes and red peppers tossed in olive oil. Into the oven for 1 hour.

Roasted!

Peeled!

Blended!

Corn and onion.

Roasted heirloom tomato and red pepper puree with corn, onion, chicken stock and shrimp, salt, pepper. Bring to boil. Simmer. The lighting over my stove isn't great--this is actually a lot more red in color.

Topped with ricotta, almond nibs and cilantro oil. SO yummy!

Zest of one lemon.

French crostini with garlic, ricotta, honey drizzle, lemon zest, pinch of paprika.

Toast with ricotta, apple slice and cinnamon sugar.

2010-11-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Emporio Rulli

2010-11-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

Arang.

2010-11-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ricotta, heirloom tomato, onion, caper sandwich.

2010-11-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

Post concert pizza at Beretta.

2010-11-03T23:40:00.000-07:00

Loaded cookies.

2010-11-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

Pasta with ricotta, roasted red peppers.

2010-11-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Smoked salmon breaky.

2010-11-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

25 Lusk.

2010-11-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sushi Boom bento box.

2010-11-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Asian brunch at Thai Noodle Jump, Inner Richmond, SF.

2010-10-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

Deep Fried Chicken Fried Rice?!! Whaaaat?! Out of control!

21. Tom Yum Gai Soup Hot and sour soup with chicken, shrimp, lemon grass, galangal, tomato, and mushrooms.

Mmmmmm. We ordered it with the flat vermicelli noodles.

63. Thai Hot Basil Choice of chicken, pork, or beef with bamboo strips and basil.

Yummy.

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Yelp

Halloween party at Lana's, Richmond, SF.

2010-10-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

I loved these little shots! I'm not sure what exactly went in them, but I know there was some jalapeno and sliced green grapes! I loved the grapes in this drink! Very refreshing.

Yummy chips and cheeses and dips!

A guy dressed as a "Burger-lar" brought these In-N-Out double burgers! Too great!

I was a Mad Men-esque 50's housewife! Lana has this great updated vintage stove that went so perfectly with my outfit! :) Note: the cigarette is only a prop, of course!

Thanks for hosting one amazing party, Lana!

Vietnamese sandwiches from Dinosaurs, Castro, SF.

2010-10-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hah! I love that the guy at Dinosaurs was dressed as a dino and was able to make our sandwiches in costume! ;)

1/3 meatball and 1/3 chicken. I didn't like these that much. The fillings were okay, but weren't exactly Vietnamese style. Also, the bread was too hard. Not a disgusting sandwich or anything, but I really prefer the Vietnamese sandwich shops in the Tenderloin.

Yelp

Cooking with Arielle: Ricotta Lemon Bruschetta and Moroccan Carrot Soup.

2010-10-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

Arielle Ring, one of the most genuinely beautiful people I know, an amazing friend and one heckuva cook! Her kitchen is tiny, but she does a great job and I was super excited to help her cook dinner! :)

Food52's Bruschetta with Ricotta, Honey and Lemon Zest.

Bon Appetit's Moroccan Carrot Soup.

SF Station Halloween Party, SOMA, SF.

2010-10-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

SF Station knows how to party! Costco style! Haha. We LOVE Costco, but we love it even more at SF Station because it's one block from our office! :)

I was sad because I was running out of cookies! Hah!

Cookies for my costume.

2010-10-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Chocolate, butterscotch, coconut flake cookies with cinnamon sugar.

I'm being a 50's housewife for Halloween and I thought I'd play the part by carrying around homemade cookies in some tupperware! SO excited! I have three parties to head to so I made a bunch of these--hopefully they last! :)

Special Michael Mina tasting menu at Bourbon Steak in the Westin St. Francis, Union Square, SF.

2010-10-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Wesbite

Yelp

Breakfast of Champions: Toast, Fruit, Tea.

2010-10-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon toast from Whole Foods, Aveda Tea and fruit salad of honey dew, cantaloupe and pomegranate seeds. Perfect way to start the day. :)

Luella and West Side Story, Russian Hill, SF.

2010-10-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Gyros with the SF Station crew.

2010-10-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Whole Foods dinner: mixed salad, crab cakes and seared scallops.

2010-10-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

The amazing Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker. This thing is out of control! I love it! I only wish there was a better way to open and pour from it after you create your dressing, etc.

I made a super simple balsamic vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and cracked black pepper. The Flavour Shaker really does work ! It creates a really nice emulsion. I'm kind of obsessed! ;)

Cheese and bread to nibble on while cooking.

Dungeness crab cakes from Whole Foods. Pan fried and then into the oven while we sear the scallops.

Mixed green and rocket salad, almonds, goat cheese and sliced pear, tossed with the vinaigrette. Scallops seared in butter with a little salt and pepper. Dungeness crab cake. I must say, the salad was amazing. I'd never had a dungeness crab cake, but it was very good. You can really taste a difference with the dungeness crab. Also, the scallops had a nice sear.

Excellent dinner. Thanks and kudos, A! :)

Amazing evening at The Summit, Mission, SF.

2010-10-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

Indian delivery from Little Dehli, Tenderloin, SF.

2010-10-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Eep! This is my first non-pizza delivery in the US (had delivery while I was living in Korea)! And my first delivery I've had by myself, but of course, I ordered like I was eating for 10! Hah. I feel like such a city girl now. Haha. ;)

I ordered through Eat24Hours.com, which worked great. The food came in about 15 minutes!

Here's what I ordered: Little Delhi Special Bread; Bengan Bharta; Okra Vegetable; Vegetable Malai Kofta.

I didn't care for the bread, but everything else was quite nice. I had tried everything except for the Vegetable Malai Kofta in other Indian restaurants. I'm so glad I tried the Kofta though--it was my favorite part of this meal and was really a delight.

This was a ridiculous amount of food for $30! I only had about 1/4 of it, froze some and will have some as leftovers this week. :)

Website

Yelp

Yummy drinks & apps and the Cary.Lane 2 Year Anniversary Party, Hayes Valley, SF.

2010-10-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

My man Cary knows how to do it with style! For the 2 Year Anniversary Party of his new location in Hayes Valley, Cary.Lane went all out! We started with some free drinks in this amazing basement side space.

Then moved along to some yummy treats from a few Hayes Valley neighbors: La Boulange, Paxti's Pizza and Dolic Bar.

Rad party, Cary! Happy Birthday! :)

Website

Yelp

Carrot cake whoopie pies with orange cinnamon cream cheese filling.

2010-10-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Use your favorite cake recipe (I used carrot, but upped the cinnamon), but instead of the wet ingredients, use 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 3 eggs.

Mini muffin pan, baby, I like using muffin pans for my whoopie pie haves because A). the batter is still pretty runny so I feel strange dropping it onto a cookie sheet and B). it makes even, perfectly circular rounds!

This was such a trip though because you use a minimal amount of batter. I used 1 teaspoon of batter for each cookie! Basically, whether you're using a mini or regular sized cupcake pan, you want to just cover the bottom of each cup. Needless to say, this makes an large amount of cookies/whoppie halves.

Whoopie cookie halves.

Basic cream cheese frosting recipe with added cinnamon sugar, coconut and orange extract.

Filled and put together! So cute. I hear it's actually good to refrigerate these, which isn't the case with cookies or cake.

Whoopie pies originated from the New English Amish! They are still relatively new to the West Coast, I guess, and I always find some people who know what they are and others who don't, but everyone seems to love them so I thought I'd make them from my friend's birthday party tonight. I have SO many of them though so I'll also be sharing them with friends and bringing some to the office on Monday! :)

Kimchi fried rice with a fried egg.

2010-10-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Kimchi.

Sauteed with sesame oil. Next I sauteed onions and pork, and added rice.

Everything, looking lovely together in the pan.

Fried egg, sunny side up.

Mmmmmmm. This is pretty great.

Chef's Crab Fest at Bistro Boudin, Fisherman's Wharf, SF.

2010-10-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

Bistro Boudin and Glodow Nead were kind enough to invite me to a special media dinner previewing crab season at Boudin.

We started off the evening with a little tour of the vast Bistro Boudin space (upstairs) at Fisherman's Wharf. Among other attractions, they have a neat Boudin museum and private banquet room. You can schedule to tour the museum and bakery here.

The Boudin bakers must have so much fun with these creations.

The main dining room. I love all of the dark beams and openness.

We were seated in a cozy private table in the Buena Vista Carneros Tasting Room, which was perfect for our event.

Chef Misael Reyes with Casey Shaughnessy-Gray of Glodow Nead. Chef Reyes, who is originally from El Salvador, was once Francis Ford Coppola's personal chef. He is also the only non-family keeper of Francis Ford Coppola's mother's recipe book--very cool.

Chef Reyes and prepared a lovely, crab-centric menu for us that was nicely paired by Sam, the Buena Vista Carneros Tasting Room manager.

Dungeness Crab Louis - Fresh Picked DUngeness Crab with Deviled Eggs, Avocado, Bibb Lettuce, Asparagus, RIpe Tomatoes & Louis Dressing.

Paired with 2008 Condes de Albarei Albarino

The crab was fresh, light and delicious. It went perfectly with the slightly tangy Louis (Thousand Island) dressing and mix of vegetables.

Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese - Aged Vermont Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Cream & Freshly Picked Dungeness Crab with Buttered Soughdough Breadcrumbs

Paired with 2007 Buena Vista Carneros Chardonnay

Light, creamy and delicious. The crab wasn't overwhelming, but was present and, most importantly, the mac & cheese wasn't too salty or greasy. I happen to particularly love mac & cheese with shell pasta, too.

Soughdough Tortilla Taco - Fresh Dungeness Crab with Avocado, Red & Green Cabbage, Cilantro, Crema Fresca, Pico de Gallo & Roasted Tomato Salsa

Paired with 2008 Sagelands Riesling

Boudin's twist on fish tacos? A soughdough tortilla, of course! What a fantastic and fantastically Boudin idea! The tortillas were great, especially since I'm not typically a huge fan of corn tortillas. The crab was, of course, wonderful although they also offer fish tacos on their menu. The Roasted Tomato Salsa could have used a little more kick though--it was a little bland for my taste. The wine was my favorite wine of the evening though, and, more than the others, really enhanced the flavors in this dish.

Here is a photo of the full-sized portion of the Sourdough Tortilla Tacos. Thank goodness they cut down the portions for our dinner--even with our portions I walked out absolutely stuffed!

Cioppino - Dungeness Crab, Shrimp, Calamari, Mussels & Fish Simmered in a Spicy Saffron-Tomato Broth

Paired with 2007 XYZIN Zinfandel

What a beautiful dish. The calamari and mussels were just divine. They were cooked perfectly. My shrimp was a bit overcooked, but other than that, I really loved this dish. The crab was fresh and succulent and the broth--oh goodness, the broth! I loved the broth, especially with the toasty sourdough garlic bread.

The full-sized portion. Again, such beautiful presentation.

Left to right: Casey of Glodow Nead; Jason and Lizzie of ABC 7Live; Scott of Bistro Boudin; Susannah of YumSugar; Alison of Glodow Nead; Steven of the Nob Hill Gazette and myself.

I had to get a shot of all of us with our crab bibs on! What a fabulous group of people to enjoy a wonderful evening of food and wine with. It was lovely meeting you all.

Trio of Creme Brulee - Double Vanilla with Wafer Cookies; Peanut Butter with Ginger Snaps; Bittersweet Chocolate with Manjari Wafer.

Paired with 2007 King Estates Pinot Gris Vin Glace

What can I say.. I love dessert and I love modern creme brulees! I was already completely stuffed, but couldn't help myself! The peanut butter and dark chocolate were my favorite--so lovely.

A nice little cappuccino to finish off the evening. I only wish I wasn't too full to finish it!

Scott Shuttleworth, a managing partner at Bistro Boudin, and fabulous co-host this evening. Scott was a generous to provide each of us with a Boudin tote filled with all sorts of goodies--very classy.

I really love this tote. I'm going to cary it everywhere.

This limited Boudin baseball cap isn't even available in the gift shop!

Buena Vista Carneros 2007 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

A crab, of course! This is surprisingly soft, too. And as much as I love dungeness crab, I think I'm really going to enjoy this soughdough crab, too!

Bistro Boudin, Glodow Nead, Buena Vista, Casey, Alison, Scott, Chef Reyes and Sam, thank you all so much for such a lovely evening. Cheers to crab season!

Website

Yelp

Pat's awesome mapo tofu.

2010-10-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

Mmmm! Yummy cubes of tofu with ground pork. Good job, Pat. Seriously way yummy. :)

The perfect lunch at Split Pea Seduction, SoMa, SF.

2010-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Split Pea has some great new artwork on the walls! A customer/artist who teaches classes at 1:AM Gallery did these ballpoint pen drawings--so fun.

Love it. This was perfect for people watching while enjoying my lunch. :)

Everything on their daily menu always sounds amazing. I opted for the vegetarian option (last one listed) with bacon! Their bacon is so good so I really had to. ;)

I was so hungry and this really hit the spot. It was heaven between bread.

The Split Pea is always amazing and I'm stunned with how they keep their soup the exact right, edible temperature. I went for the Sugar Pie Pumpkin Veg.

Ridiculous. I love soups with bread/croutons in them. So so yummy and hearty.

A special little dessert for me! Everyone should try one of their ice cream sandwiches. They're not only adorable, but absolutely delicious!

Now THIS is what lunch should be. :)

Chefs Christian and Sam--you guys rock my taste buds! Thank you both for everything! SO fabulous!

I just have to ad a quick note--Split Pea Seduction is the must-try lunch joint, but Christian also has an amazing catering company, Jersey Tomatoes, that you will not be disappointed with!

Website

Yelp

Great cooking tips on NPR.

2010-10-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Flat Zucchini Break? Stuck Chicken? Get Advice.

I just heard this on All Things Considered. The lady gives a few simple, but must-know cooking tips.

Apple goat cheese salad.

2010-10-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Romaine, apples, goat cheese, candied pecans, honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing, ground black pepper.

Really nice.

Korean bento boxes at Arang, Japantown, SF.

2010-10-17T02:15:00.000-07:00

These are amazing! I've been to Arang a few times before and never knew they had these bento boxes! With each box you get rice, salad, two mandoo potstickers, a potato banchan, japchae, and a meat of your choice--all for about $10.

This is an awesome deal for a nice meal that you can get late at night! I got the spicy pork, which was a bit fatty, but was yummy. The mandoo was fine, and the potato banchan was actually really nice! The japchae was interesting. I actually liked it, but it kind of had a glaze or sauce, or something on it that isn't normally found on japchae. I enjoyed all of it though.

Edric got the bulgogi combination, which also comes with tempura.

I love that we rolled from Michael Mina to Arang and got these bento boxes! Thanks so much, Edric! ;)

Yelp

Michael Mina Opening Party, Financial District, SF.

2010-10-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

The history of the space is pretty amazing and it seems to be fate that Michael Mina is back and re-opening his restaurant in the old Aqua space, while Bourbon Steak takes over the old space at the Westin. Very exciting and a big congrats to Michael Mina!

I didn't take my photos, but here is a partial view of the space! It's lovely, although this was more of a cocktail/dance party, which was pretty nuts. Both Edric and I thought it was pretty amusing to see this going down at Michael Mina! I'm still curious to see what it looks like during service. ;)

Website

Yelp

My take on a lox bagel.

2010-10-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Capers, red onions, tomatoes, spices, lemon juice.

Alaskan sockeye salmon; half a jalapeno roll with melted goat cheese; caper red onion relish.

LOVE! I liked the goat cheese, but still prefer cream cheese. The relish was lovely and makes it a lot easier to eat--I hate when you bite into a sandwich and you pull out a whole tomato or onion slice! I loved the jalapeno roll, too--it added a nice little spice to the dish.

Cheesesteak at The Grove, Pacific Heights, SF.

2010-10-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

Cheesesteak sandwich with side salad. This was recommended to me by the guy behind the counter. It wasn't great. The bread was nice and they really give you a lot, but there was too much cheese and the steak was overcooked.

Yelp

Fantastic catering from Balance Catering at the Audyssey loft party, SoMa, SF.

2010-10-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to get photos of the food, but the servers were wonderful and the food was even better! Good mix of tartare on chips, sushi, sliders and other yummy treats! I hate to say it, but these hors d'oeuvres were better than the ones we had earlier in the evening at 25 Lusk.

Website

25 Lusk pre-opening party, South Beach, SF.

2010-10-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

The kitchen, upstairs.

The lounge, downstairs.

A glimpse into the private dining room, downstairs.

Cozy little cocktail nooks.

Cheese platters. The far one was a nice blue cheese with honeycomb.

The other hors d'oeuvres were going around so I didn't get to photograph them, but they were just alright. I wouldn't write the restaurant off on them, but wasn't super impressed either. Service was great though and the restaurant is lovely.

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Gettin' my French on at Garcon, Mission, SF.

2010-10-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

french onion soup, gruyere, croutons 9

Yummy and a good size--one that you can finish! I find that a lot of times with French onion soup, it's too large and is a lot to finish.

“pate de campagne”, pork & duck liver pate, hazelnuts, green peppercorns, rosemary dijon 9

Not my favorite, but it was fine. I'm pretty picky when it comes to pate, but I'd heard so many good things about Garcon as a French restaurant so I thought it might be great here. And again, it wasn't bad, but I probably wouldn't order it again.

skillet blackened pork chop, potato-onion hash, green beans, grilled peaches, natural jus 26

The porkchop. This looked AMAZING! It was dark for a porkchop and looked more like a steak--so beautiful. :)

After our meal, we moved to the bar for some wine. The kind barman, Ryan, gave our party free shots! I'm not sure what all was in this, but it was a yummy little dessert drink. :)

After service we got to chatting with Chef Arthur Wall, who's a very cool guy. He was telling us about how the group of restaurants (mainly the Belden Place restaurants) are sort of re-branding. They've brought on Fortune PR, so I'm sure we'll see some exciting stuff soon. Chef Wall is helping by menu consulting for the various restaurants. His current sous chef at Garcon will be moving to Chouchou.

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Spinach and Feta pastry from Philz Coffee, Civic Center, SF.

2010-10-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Toasted, of course. This is the first food I've had out of the case at Philz, other than the Mission Minis cupcakes. The spinach and feta were perfect in this pastry--a little greasy, but soo yummy. And quite filling for $3!

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Vietnamese cold noodle salad from Turtle Tower, Tenderloin, SF.

2010-10-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Vietnamese cold noodle salad. The meat--pork and meatballs--was very good, but the sauce was only okay. I've only ever had this dish in a bowl, usually with some imperial rolls as well, but Turtle Tower serves it on a plate. I definitely prefer the bowl, as it is easier to eat, but the meat in this dish was really nice.

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Wonderful dinner at Live Sushi, Potrero Hill, SF.

2010-10-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Very nice restaurant with good decor.

The wasabi was too mild, but the ginger was shockingly spicy! I'd never had such spicy ginger.

The soy sauce was in these little bottles, making it look like balsamic vinegar! What a trip! Haha.

Island Poki

cucumber, avocado, and tuna

8.95

Andre and Richard had never had poki before so we got this. There wasn't enough tuna, of course, and the cubes were a bit small, but other than that, this was a nice dish.

Double Hamachi Roll

hamachi topped with hamachi, tobiko, and scallions outside

12.95

Nice fresh fish. Lovely.

This isn't on the online menu and I'm can't remember what it's called, but it started with an S. Hmmm. It was so yummy though! I like the varied size and thin slices for the deep fried roll. So often I find that deep fried rolls are just a bit silly, but this time, the lovely, light tempura ring really added to the roll.

49er Roll

shiso, avocado, and tobiko topped with sake and lemon

11.50

Those are very thin slices of lemon rind on top of the salmon--delicious!

Live was excellent. The restaurant is relaxed, service is friendly, prices are reasonable and the food was delicious! Would definitely go again. :)

Thanks for the fun evening, Andre, Rich and Jess!

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Pinot at Andre's.

2010-10-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Savannah Chanelle Vinyards, 2007 Pinot Noir, from the Russian River Valley.

Post game Bi-rite and Dolores Park stop, Mission, SF.

2010-10-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Giants won! And what better way to celebrate than with ice cream?! I love Bi-rite soft serve, and I was so excited to see that they added their salted caramel flavor to the soft serve! The flavor needs to be a bit stronger though.. it's bland compared to the scoops. The vanilla soft serve is still my favorite.

Today, I went for two scoops! :) Burnt banana and salted caramel with house-made toffee. Oh my word! The banana flavor is my new favorite! SO good.

We got our ice creams and took a little stroll around Dolores Park. Here's a tight roper in the park--there were actually multiple groups of them around the park--must be a new hipster thing! :)

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Sports filled $5 BBQ Sundays at Elixir, Mission, SF.

2010-10-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

My cheeseburger with a side of potato salad. The patty was over cooked, but I'm not complaining! It's more about the burger, beer and the game experience, right? :)

Giants win!

So the Elixir does $5 all you can eat BBQ during football season...I'm not sure if it's Saturdays and Sundays, or only on Sundays, but it's a great deal at a fun bar. They also do 2 for 1 pitchers of beer, if I'm remembering correctly. ;) Here's their sports schedule page.

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Dishcrawl & Jersey Tomatoes' Chef Battle: Jewtalian tonight at the Cova Hotel, Tenderloin, SF.

2010-10-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

I get to go to this tonight and I'm SO excited! A HUGE thank you to Christian and Jersey Tomatoes/Split Pea Seduction and to Dishcrawl! It's going to be an epic culinary evening!

Here's a sneak peek look at the menu:

-Round 1-
Gagutz
House Cured Baccalà Salad with Hand-Shucked Ceci Beans, Roast Gypsy Peppers, Shaved Celery, Lemon and Arugula

BBC Elite pouring: The Harvest Negroni-
Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, and Crushed Grapes...

vs.

Big Blue
Cured Sockeye Salmon and House-Smoked Whitefish Salad w/ Heirloom Tomato, Half Sours, Caper Relish and Pumpernickel

-Round 2-
Gagutz
Escarole and Baby Meatball Soup with Shaved Parmesan and a Poached Farm Egg

vs.

Big Blue
Free-Range Chicken and Fall Vegetable Soup with Kreplach

BBC Elite pouring: Dvash Frizzante, (a true blending of Italian and Jewish) - Fresh pear, honey, sage and lemon with sparkling wine

-Round 3-
Gagutz
Cherrystone Clams with Herbs, Crusty Bread and Mlinzi

BBC Elite pouring: 2009 Ruffino Orvieto Classico

vs.

Big Blue
Matzah Brei w/ Carmelized Onion, Leek, Chantrelle Mushroom, Micro Greens, House Ketchup and a Six Minute Egg

BBC Elite pouring: 2008 Francis Ford Coppola, Sonoma Chardonnay, "Directors Cut"

-Round 4-
Gagutz
Manicotti with Hand-Rolled Braciole and Pork Ragu

BBC Elite pouring: 2008 Bolla Chianti, Tuscany

vs.

Big Blue
Vidalia Onion Braised Brisket with Fingerling Potatoes and Chantenay Carrot Tzimis

BBC Elite pouring: 2004 Semler, Saddlerock Malibu Estate Grown, Cabernet Sauvignon

-Dessert-
Fennel, Gravenstien Apples and Toasted Nuts

Japanese curry with chicken.

2010-10-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

Curry, it's been awhile. ;)

I used Japanese curry mix with assorted veggies and chicken.. with a little Tapatio because I'm, oh, you know, obsessed! ;) This makes SO much curry! Looks like it'll be curry for a week and I'll definitely freeze some of it... ;)

Delicious!

Ending Girls Night at Osha Thai, Tenderloin, SF.

2010-10-09T02:17:00.000-07:00

Spring rolls with tofu.

Like!
Pad see ew with tofu.

Like!

Pumpkin curry with chicken.

Dislike and like! I dislike this because it wasn't pumpkin curry--it was red curry with a few bits of pumpkin... definitely not what I was expecting. It was a nice, mild red curry though.

The girls and I went for a little pub crawl along Polk and, after debating between thai and pizza, we ended up getting a late night bite at Osha--of course! It's apparently the spot I go for late night bites!

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Starting Girls Night with dinner at EAT in 111 Minna, SoMa, SF.

2010-10-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

Minna continues to be one of my favorite spots. It's so great for art openings, concerts, karaoke, dance parties, and pop-up restaurants! LOVE. I went out for a much needed girls night and we decided to head here first for the last EAT--so fun!

Funny enough, I actually went to the very first EAT supperclub, and I ended up going to the last one, too, thanks to my friend Maddy! The menu, food and crowd definitely improved since the first.

The very open kitchen.

Salad with beets.

Yummy.

Lamb over pearl couscous polenta.

Didn't love it. The lamb was a bit tough and not very flavorful. The pearl couscous texture was off with the polenta. I realize polenta can be a bit creamy, but the creamy large pearls were throwing me off.

Pork belly over polenta with green apple slaw.

This was AMAZING. I was seriously blown away. It was coked perfectly, melted in your mouth and was super flavorful--the sour crispness in the green apple helped cut the fat and played SO nicely off the fattiness of the pork belly. The polenta was excellent, too.

White chocolate mousse with wild blueberries.

Amazing. I really like white chocolate mousse. I actually remember having an amazing white chocolate mousse for dessert at the last Junior League's Fashion Show and I've been craving one every since! This definitely satisfied that craving. :)

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Lemon garlic herb salmon with a side salad.

2010-10-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Salmon filet with Lemon juice, garlic and Trader Joe's Everyday Spices on both sides. I put this under the broiler for 4 minutes on each side. I didn't use any olive oil on the filet and was a bit worried at first, but actually really like how it turned out.

I topped the salmon with another squeeze of lemon juice and had a side salad of Romaine lettuce, candied pecans, tomatoes, red onion and an Italian dressing of sorts.

This meal was awesome. I only had half of the salmon and saved the rest. I have to say though--I could have scarfed it all down! This was one of the best salmon filets I've ever had and SO easy to make!