Food Gallery: Crate of Crabapple-ness

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Dish on Dining: Caffè Museo

This is the fourth and final post in my special series looking at the cafés at major San Francisco museums.

A space for art, more than food, at this SOMA café
151 Third St., San Francisco
SOMA district in front of the SFMOMA
Café hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., daily except Wednesdays; open till 9 p.m. Thursdays.
Access: Separate entrance right off street, no need to enter museum.
Major credit cards accepted
www.caffemuseo.com

Of all the museum cafés I’ve been visiting this summer, Caffè Museo at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art comes the closest to resembling a true sidewalk café. Anyone who’s walked by the SFMOMA building across from the Yerba Buena Gardens in the South of Market area of the city can attest to the crowds generally found sipping coffee or tea in the café’s outdoor seating.

Not surprisingly, the café has a strong Italian influence but serves up dishes with seasonal California ingredients. The space is operated by Real Restaurants, whose other eateries include Betelnut on Union Street and Caffè Verbena in Downtown Oakland.

I liked how the front counter is organized so that there are clear lines and more than one cashier to help you, which probably is nice at crowded times. The menu includes a variety of panini sandwiches ($9.50), pizza of the day ($8.50), salads ($10.95), pastas and other entrees ($11 to $14). They also serve wine, coffee and cappuccino.

The décor inside is nicely suited to the museum’s modern tones, with contemporary art accenting the blond wood walls. My only gripe was that some of the tables weren’t as clean, which seems to be a problem among museum cafés.

I visited Caffè Museo one day after work, so I got an early dinner. I started with the special soup of the day, Potato Leek ($6), and ordered the Pan-fried Crab Cake on Flat Bread ($12.95).

The soup was served with this huge cornbread stick and was drizzled with truffle oil. I thought the soup was average, maybe slightly bland. I barely made out the added leek or truffle oil flavorings. It seemed to be mostly a potato puree.

The crab cakes came on this large plate of flat bread topped with a green salad with radishes and cherry tomatoes. The crab cakes were nicely done, but again, nothing spectacular. It was filling and had a straight-forward vinaigrette dressing. Although, I did find it hard to eat the crab cake plus salad on top of the flat bread.

Caffè Museo offers a decent selection of food that’s efficiently prepared, but I wouldn’t go as far as describing it as restaurant food like how it does on its own Web site. The space is a nice environment with the jazz music flowing, but the food, while decent, doesn’t match the same sophistication as the art on the walls.

Single Guy’s Museum Food Rating: 3 stars
(note this rating system different than my regular Dish on Dining reviews)

Explanation of this special museum rating:
1 star: Exhibition should be closed
2 star: Stuck in the permanent collection
3 star: Satisfying like Monet
4 star: Fresh like a special exhibit
5 star: Unique like the Mona Lisa

Special tips when visiting:
Admission is free on the first Tuesday of the month and is half-priced after 6 p.m. on Thursday nights.

Now on view:
"Matisse: Painter as Sculptor"—I love the paintings of Matisse, with his whimsical colors and aggressive strokes. So I was surprised to see that he also did many mini sculptures of his work that translated into paintings. The SFMOMA currently has an exhibition exploring this connection between sculptures and paintings in this look at the two sides of Matisse. Exhibit closes on Sept. 16.

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Dish on Dining: Café Asia

This is the third in a series of special posts all this week looking at the cafes at some of San Francisco's major museums.
Ambitious menu in a serene setting
200 Larkin St., San Francisco
Ground floor of the Asian Art Museum, Civic Center neighborhood
Café hours: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Tue.–Sun.; 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m., Thu.
Access: Enter through museum main entrance where you’ll receive a special café sticker that allows you to dine without paying admission.
Major credit cards accepted
http://www.asianart.org/

Housed in the former public library building, the Asian Art Museum is huge. In 2001, it opened its doors at the current Civic Center location after years at Golden Gate Park. The collection of ancient and contemporary art is showcased in an open-air design by Italian architect Gae Aulenti—known for repurposing old buildings into art spaces, such as my favorite Paris museum, the Musée d’Orsay (a former train station).

In almost an attempt to live up to the grand scale of the new Asian, the museum’s Café Asia seems to try really hard to offer a diverse and just as huge menu for visitors.

Under Executive Chef Melinda Quirino, who has worked in the kitchen of the Hotel Nikko, the café menu is one of the more creative and heavy menus I’ve seen among museum cafés in town. During my recent visit, the menu listed offerings such as Japanese pork, Chinese Chicken barbeque sandwich, Vietnamese Pho Bo, Chicken Tikka Masala Curry, Prawns Stir-Fry and a Thai Coconut Chicken soup.

It was a bit overwhelming for lunch.

The café is a beautifully decorated space with about 60 seats. It has additional seating outside, which is especially nice when the weather is beautiful in the city. As you line up at the counter, there are several prepackaged salads, sushi and dessert. When you order at the counter, the line cooks start working on your meal so it’s made fresh.
At Café Asia, you don’t get a number. So you wait at the counter until your meal is prepared—cafeteria style. This was fine on my day when there were fairly few people dining for lunch, but I wonder what this means for the line on days when there are a few more people waiting to order.

Not wanting to eat dinner for lunch, I bypassed the heavy entrees and ordered the Miso Crushed Salmon Sandwich. And I know this may sound like an odd pairing, but I also ordered the Chicago-style hot dog. (That’s because a co-worker always raves about the hot dog at the Asian Art Museum so I thought I’d give it a try.)

Because I wasn’t paying attention, I didn’t realize that the Miso Salmon Sandwich came with a big side of garlic fries. (Dang those deep-frying gods!) In the photo, you can barely make out the sandwich, which seems dwarfed by the huge pile of fries. Luckily, it also came with a nicely pickled Asian-style cole slaw.

The salmon was underwhelming, and it was placed in a bun that was a bit tough to eat. The salmon was basically shredded, like it came from a can, and I barely tasted any trace of miso. It came with watercress and Roma tomatoes, and I was so disappointed that I resorted to just eating the fries.

The hot dog was nice, but it wasn’t as amazing as my co-worker built it up to be. I wouldn’t travel all the way to the museum just to get this hot dog, although it was smoky and full-flavored. The bun, again, was a bit stale and tough to eat.

The only really memorable part of the dishes I ordered was the pickled cole slaw, and only because I really like pickled vegetables. I could eat a whole plate of the slaw, but then I’d probably get a tummy ache.

Café Asia has a tempting menu, which is probably more appropriate if you’re really hungry or eating an early dinner. The execution is inconsistent, and with so many great Vietnamese food nearby in the Tenderloin, it might be smarter to eat in the neighborhood.

Single Guy’s Museum Food Rating: 2.5 stars
(note this rating system different than my regular Dish on Dining reviews)

Explanation of this special museum rating:
1 star: Exhibition should be closed
2 star: Stuck in the permanent collection
3 star: Satisfying like Monet
4 star: Fresh like a special exhibit
5 star: Unique like the Mona Lisa




Special tips when visiting:
The museum is open late on Thursday nights, and admission is half-off when you enter after 5 p.m. (Just $5 for adults.) On the first Thursday night of the month, the museum’s young and hip MATCHA group puts on an evening of live music and demonstrations. Check the calendar for upcoming MATCHA events.

Now on view:
Among the various special exhibitions this summer at the Asian Art Museum is this collection of Japanese woodblock prints. I love Japanese woodblock prints for its bold graphic design. Many of the prints often relate to Japanese folklore or ghost stories. For example, the current exhibition entitled “Yoshitoshi’s Strange Tales: Woodblock Prints from Edo to Meiji” deals with the subject of the supernatural during the westernization of Japan during the Edo and Meiji eras. If you love block prints as much as I, you have to hurry and go this weekend because this special exhibit ends on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2007.

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Dish on Dining: Legion of Honor Café

This is the second in a series of special posts this week looking at cafés at some of San Francisco’s major museums.


Food is No Match for the Picturesque Settings
Lincoln Park near 34th Avenue and Clement Street, San Francisco
Café hours: Tue.–Sun., 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Access: Enter main museum entrance and pay $10 deposit (same price as an adult admission) and you get 40 minutes to eat in the café downstairs. Then return to the front to get your $10 back.
Major credit cards accepted
www.thinker.org/legion/

When I went to the Legion of Honor’s Web site to find out more about its café, the page said to come to the café and enjoy “a coffee break, lunch, or afternoon tea” with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The idea of afternoon tea on a beautiful weekend day was enough to convince me to catch the BART and transfer to two MUNI buses to get to the Legion—one of my favorite and probably most photographed museum in the city.

After paying my admission (you can also just leave a deposit if you’re only going to the café), I headed downstairs to the café. Ironically, I noticed that the menu was printed on the same paper as the menu I found at the de Young café at Golden Gate Park. And as I read the menu, it was very similar if not identical to what the de Young served. So basically, whatever I said yesterday about the food at the de Young will probably apply to the Legion.

Turns out the Legion of Honor is in the same family of museums as the de Young. (The group is called the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.) So it’s probably no surprise that the group hired the same catering company to operate its museum cafés, the Bon Appétit Management Co.

As I tried to decide what I was going to order, I was really disappointed to see that there weren’t any special items for “afternoon tea.” I was expecting a nice assortment of teas and maybe some scones or tea sandwiches. Instead, it was the typical salads, soups, sandwiches and entrees like the de Young and a box of tea bags from Peet’s Coffee and Tea.

While I was standing in line, the person in front of me ordered a Caprese salad, which is made at the counter as you wait. I wasn’t in the mood for salad, but I have to say the heirloom tomatoes looked so brilliantly red that I had to sneak a photo of it.

For myself, I ended up ordering the Summer Pasta entrée, which wasn’t on the de Young café menu. I got a cup of hot water for my peppermint tea from Peet’s, took my number and found a seat by the window. (It was too cold to sit outside, and I wasn’t the only one who avoided the garden terrace with a very minimal view of the Golden Gate Bridge past the wall and tall trees.)

The café itself is tastefully decorated with a contemporary vibe. But it had this tired feel to it, like the bus boys weren’t really wiping down the tables very well. To top it off, I realized my cup was surrounded with grime after I had already dunked my tea bag into the hot water. (It wasn’t just one lipstick mark; it was several spots all over the cup!)

After getting another cup of tea, I waited for my pasta. When it arrived, it came in the same tilting bowl as my soup at the de Young. The Summer Pasta was linguine topped with toybox squash, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn and some herbs in a light extra virgin olive oil sauce. It came with three slices of French baguette that had very slight smudges of what looked like cheddar cheese.

The pasta was conflicted—the linguine was overcooked to the point of being plump and soggy while the vegetable blend was a refreshing taste of summer. I was so angry that they couldn’t cook the pasta right in order for me to enjoy the freshness of the vegetables, which provided a natural juice as the sauce for the dish. I envied the guy who was smart to just order the Caprese salad. I mean, how wrong can you go with brilliantly red heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella and basil with just a drizzle of olive oil?

The Legion of Honor café, obviously, offers the same menu as the de Young. How it differs, IMHO, is in the execution and the overall tired feeling of the room, which unfortunately could be a sign of the times for this older museum. The museum itself is still one of my favorites for its art collection and beautiful surroundings, but the café can only be counted on for its salads or sandwiches. That’s unfortunate since the museum is up a hill and you’re far from any other alternatives for food.

You’d think I would give the Legion the same rating as the de Young since it’s run by the same catering company. But I’m dinging it a notch because of the overall lack in execution. If you’re looking for a Fine Arts Museum café, just stick with the de Young.

Single Guy’s Museum Food Rating: 2.5 stars
(note this rating system different than my regular Dish on Dining reviews)

Explanation of this special museum rating:
1 star: Exhibition should be closed
2 star: Stuck in the permanent collection
3 star: Satisfying like Monet
4 star: Fresh like a special exhibit
5 star: Unique like the Mona Lisa

Special tips when visiting:
For the summer, the Legion of Honor is offering “Summer Sunday Brunch” and the month of September will feature live jazz performances from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s a prix fixe menu for a steep $48 for nonmembers (but that includes admission to the galleries after brunch). After my experience, I can’t say I would recommend it. But if Sunday brunch with jazz at a museum sounds fun to you, check out the calendar.


Now on view:
“Rembrandt to Thiebaud: A Decade of Collecting Works on Paper” is a special exhibition of the museum’s vast graphics collection that’s part of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts. The exhibit is currently running until Oct. 7. My favorite piece of the collection is this one by pop artist Wayne Thiebaud called “Watermelon Slice and Knife.” Isn’t it perfect for foodies?

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Dish on Dining: de Young Café

This is the first in a series of reviews all this week looking at cafes inside San Francisco’s major museums.

Fresh Ingredients on Display
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco
On the grounds of Golden Gate Park
Café hours: Tue.–Sun., 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Access: Side entrance outside of museum allows for easy entry without admission (be prepared to have your bags checked).
Major credit cards accepted
Web site

I’m a big believer of living in the now, instead of the past. That’s why when I decided to visit the many museums in San Francisco and test out their culinary exhibitions, I decided to start with the youngest museum with the richest history.

The de Young museum was founded in 1895 in Golden Gate Park, but it went through a major rebuilding and renovation and two years ago reopened with a lavish party and a bold new look designed by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron of Basel, Switzerland. While the bronze shell reminds me of some rusting ship, the new de Young has firmly retaken its claim as one of the most innovative modern museums in the country, if not the world.

Serving the many visitors is a bright café on the ground floor with enormous outdoor seating. Operated by locally based Bon Appétit Management, the café features a daily menu of salads, sandwiches, soups, entrée dishes and a children’s menu. It also prides itself as being part of a “farm to fork” program where all ingredients served come within 150 miles of San Francisco.

I visited the de Young café on a Sunday morning and was pleased to see the café wasn’t packed with the huge lines that engulfed it when the museum opened back in October 2005. Still, the café layout is ready for large crowds with cashier counters on opposite sides of the room and bottled drinks and refrigerated pre-packaged options readily accessible as you go through the line.
But here’s my best advice for you: Never buy a pre-packaged food item no matter how long the wait may be for a made-to-order dish. The café charges you the same price for the pre-packaged salads and sandwiches as they do for ones you order at the counter. So you basically end up paying the same amount for something that’s been sitting for awhile as opposed to getting something freshly made for you. I learned that lesson once with a wilted pre-packaged Caesar salad that I paid $10 for.

During this visit, I quickly skipped the refrigerated section and went straight to the counter to order my lunch. The menu features a large selection of salads, including a flank steak salad and a roasted shrimp salad with cherry tomatoes and beans. For the entrees they offered a salmon dish and a Roma pasta selection. For the kids, you get your basic peanut butter-jam sandwich, spaghetti, grilled cheese and chicken skewers. I ordered a smoked Diestel turkey sandwich and the soup of the day.
I got my number and found a spot outside. On a sunny day, the outdoor seating is a perfect setting to recall the art you just saw inside the museum and enjoy the natural art outside in the finely manicured garden filled with modern sculptures. (Your lunch, however, will be constantly interrupted by security guards warning kids to get off the sculptures.)

When my food arrived, my soup was in one of those tilted looking bowls that was very artsy in itself but made me nervous about spilling. The soup of the day was a split pea with vegetable. I actually imagined a beautiful green soup puree but I got a hearty clear broth soup that reminded me of lentil soup. Although it wasn’t what I imagined, it was tasty and enjoyable.

My turkey sandwich was made with Muenster cheese, leafy lettuce and a simple Dijon-mayonnaise sauce. I didn’t know what kind of bread it was served on, but it was piled on high with turkey almost like a deli sandwich. (I say almost because a real deli sandwich would be much taller.) I didn’t find the turkey sandwich to be anything remarkable, but I did like the freshness of the meat. The turkey was tender and tasty—a clear sign that the café was serving quality ingredients.

The café prices are similar to what you would find at other museums: salads ($10–$14.50), sandwiches ($9.50–$10), soup ($4), and entrees and burgers ($9.50–$15).

While the menu isn’t innovative like the museum’s cutting-edge design, it offers fresh, quality ingredients in a calming environment that will be a nice cap to any museum visit.

Single Guy’s Museum Food Rating: 3.5 stars
(note this rating system different than my regular Dish on Dining reviews)

Explanation of this special museum rating:
1 star: Exhibition should be closed
2 star: Stuck in the permanent collection
3 star: Satisfying like Monet
4 star: Fresh like a special exhibit
5 star: Unique like the Mona Lisa

Special tips when visiting:
Now until November 23, the de Young is open late on Fridays for special “Friday Nights at the de Young” events featuring live music, poetry, lectures, movies and food. Check the museum’s Web site for schedule of events.

Now on view:
Peter Max and the Summer of Love, Aug. 31–Oct. 28, 2007. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love at Golden Gate Park, the de Young is putting on this special exhibit of the pop poster art of Peter Max. Park festivities commemorating the anniversary are set for Sept. 2.

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Hungry For Art?

COMING UP THIS WEEK: Starting Monday, I'll be doing a special series of posts on museum cafes in San Francisco. With the exception of New York and most European cities, San Francisco has some of the best museums to explore. But do the museum food match the reputation of this city's culinary brilliance? Well, check back tomorrow and see.

MY COMCAST AND MAC AREN'T SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER: I think we take technology for granted because things general work so well. Until they don't. Last week my 3-year-old Mac stopped talking to my Comcast high-speed cable modem, so I couldn't connect to the Internet. What? So how am I posting? I'm actually connecting to my cable modem with my old PC laptop from Dell. (Good thing I didn't sell it or donate it.) I'm telling you all this because the frustrating calls to Apple support and dealing with what is apparently a corrupted ethernet has distracted me from cooking and creating new recipes. So my apologies for not posting more recipes than I normally do. But I have been cooking with the season's sweet corn (mmm, made a corn chowder last week) and brilliant red tomatoes. I promise to post new recipes soon! For now, just check out the 93 recipes I have in my archives!

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Scoop on Dining: Gelateria Naia

The (Too) Sweet Taste of Gelato

The other weekend when I was in the Castro neighborhood checking out chocolates, it was warm enough to also get gelato. Yum. (I’m not the type to eat ice cream or gelato in cold weather, and the Castro sometimes get blanketed with fog from Twin Peaks. But not this weekend.)

The place I typically go for gelato is Naia, an Ikea-looking gelateria founded only a few years ago by some Bay Area folks who felt they couldn’t find good gelato to match the ones they ate on their travels. (I like those type of people. Bringing world food back home to the Bay Area.) Naia has been featured by several local news programs for its fresh, seasonal flavors made primarily of local ingredients.

It’s been a few years since I’ve dropped by Naia for a cup of gelato. When I entered during this recent visit, I thought Carmen Miranda had exploded behind the counter. On every bucket of gelato flavor were the actual fruit or food product that inspired the flavor. I don’t remember this display when I was here a few years ago, and I felt it just raised the cheese-factor up a notch.

Getting over my aghast over the counter display, I started to zero-in on my choices. I first tried the Black Mission Fig. I thought: Seasonal and I love figs. I don’t love it as gelato. It had an odd meaty taste. I was tempted by the watermelon, but I was pretty sure I had that flavor the last time I was here and I had just made a whole tub of watermelon granita a few days before.

I asked the guy behind the counter for help. He said Nutella was his favorite. I tried it and it tasted nutty and not too sweet, but nothing spectacular. I thought I’d go a different route and went past the fruits and looked at the Italian-inspired flavors, trying the Canoli. It didn’t have the sweet taste of dessert, but instead tasted like simple vanilla ice cream.

I’m not the type to stand there trying one flavor after another at an ice cream store. (I’m usually the guy stuck behind that person.) Luckily I was the only one at the store at the time. Still, I thought this wasn’t a good sign that I couldn’t find a flavor after all these tries. I ended up taking a leap of faith and selected the Mojito (because I’m on a mint kick right now) and the Plum (because it had such a pretty color, almost like the Flavor King!). I got two scoops in a medium cup ($4.50).

The Mojito turned out to be quite tart, almost like lime. It was definitely minty, but I could barely finish it because of the tartness. The Plum was sweet and refreshing, but it was too sweet. If you’re the type who like to mainline sugar, you’d probably enjoy it. I didn’t. Also, the overall texture of Naia’s gelato is more liquid than creamy, and not as rich as gelato I had in Italy.

I can’t decide if the quality of Naia’s gelato has gone down hill since my last visit two years ago, or if there just happens to be better options these days such as Gelato Milano in Berkeley, which serves creamy gelato with well-balanced taste profiles?

Either way, Naia might be my go-to place for a gelato if I just happen to be in the Castro. But it’s not a destination place like Bi-Rite, Ici, or the aforementioned Gelato Milano. Hmm, maybe the Naia owners need to hit the road again and taste some better gelato.

Naia, 451 Castro St., San Francisco. (Four other locations in North Beach, Walnut Creek and Berkeley.) Hours: Sun.–Thu., noon to 11 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., noon to 1 a.m. www.gelaterianaia.com

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Long live the Flavor King

Few food products live up to their names. But when it comes to the pluot variety known as “Flavor King,” it is richly deserved.

This is no prince of pluots, Flavor King rules. In case you’re not familiar with a pluot, it’s the stupid hybrid name for a plum and apricot. But when I eat it, you know what I think of? Plums. What’s even more confusing is there’s a hybrid of an apricot and plum, called an aprium. Really, was that necessary?

Anywho, I’m calling a plum a plum. In Hawaii, we never had the greatest plums because they were shipped in from the mainland unripened, so they were tart. I don’t think I knew anyone who could grow plums in their yards in Hawaii. Living in the Bay Area, summertime mostly meant peaches, strawberries, cherries and grapes. They were enough to fill my fruit appetite. Or so I thought.

Curious about the Flavor King when I saw it recently at the farmers’ market, I tried a sample the people at the stand had cut up for taste testing. It tasted so good, so different than any fruit I’ve had before, that I bought a bag home and have been treating myself to one every night.

What I love about the Flavor King is its subtle sweetness and beautiful color. First, the flavor. It’s sweet, that’s a given. But it’s a disservice to just say it’s sweet. It’s this ethereal sweetness that’s a little like rose water—fragrant and slightly sticky. Yes, it’s like perfume. I would bottle its juices and put some behind my ears if those dang ants would stop biting me.

As you can see in the photos above and below, the flesh of the Flavor King is amazing. It turns from a firm apricot orange (OK, so I guess it is part apricot) to this pinkish-red color that is quite beautiful on the plate. The more red the flesh, the more sweet and soft. You can still eat it firm when it’s more orange, but that would mean it’s less sweet and more firm, if that’s your preference. On the outside, it looks like any other red plums, with just a tad shade of purple.

So keep your eye out for the Flavor King when this variety is in season. It’s a regal treat.

(BTW, doesn’t the photo below look like the rooftop of the Sydney Opera House or Disney Concert Hall in LA? Huh. I think I have too much time on my hands.)

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Watermelon + Prosecco Part Deux

I’m still scraping away at the watermelon granita I made this past weekend, and it doesn’t hurt that we’re still in a warm spell here in the Bay Area. But if you look at the granita recipe, you’ll see that I only used one cup of Prosecco. Of course, I had to buy a whole bottle. (And I still haven’t gotten used to that pop sound.)

So what did I do with the rest of the bottle? Duh, I drank it. Bubbly doesn’t last very long and there’s only so much granita one can eat before one gets a brain freeze. That’s when I used my remaining watermelon puree and a bunch of mint to create a refreshing summer drink. Not feeling creative, I’m just going to call it my “Melonito” because I think it’s similar to a mojito because of the mint but not really. Enjoy!

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Single Guy Chef’s Melonito

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:

1 part watermelon puree

1 part Prosecco

mint leaves

1 T powdered sugar

Create your watermelon puree by chopping up a seedless watermelon and placing the chunks in a blender (or use a hand blender). You can strain your puree if you want it to be smoother.

In a glass, throw in a bunch of mint leaves with the sugar, and then “muddle” the leaves to bruise them and get the mint oil going. (If you don’t have the fancy wooden mortar used in bars, just use a wooden spoon.) Add ice cubes, watermelon puree and top off with Prosecco. Stir a bit to get the sugar dissolving. Garnish with a mint leaf.

TIP: I used Italian Prosecco because it’s one of the cheaper sparkling wines around. But you can substitute with any other sparkling wine. If you want to make this a non-alcoholic drink, then use something bubbly like Ginger Ale or club soda.

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Do Gay Men Eat Chocolate? -- CLOSED

UPDATE (10/03/09): This store has closed. I guess that answers that.

On Sunday I was strolling the Castro district in San Francisco. It had been awhile since I've been in the neighborhood, so I checked out some of the new things such as this chocolate candy store named, appropriately, Chocolate on Castro.

Squeezed between The Body Shop and Harvey's Hamburgers, this is like a haven for chocolate lovers. It sells a variety of chocolates, some homemade, some brand names like Charles Chocolate and Scharffen Berger. What caught me was the store's shabby chic decor. Here's a mini tour of this four-month-old store:

Here's part of the window display that caught my eye. It had all these quaint French country home furnishing with all these funny things about chocolate such as this sign that says: "Forget love ... I'd rather fall in chocolate." (Huh, I'm not a big chocolate lover, so I'd rather go for love. But that's just me.)

It's funny that during the time I was there in this new Castro store, I was the only guy there. All the workers were female and all the browsers were women as well. So do gay men really eat chocolate? Probably, but I always had the theory that women go ga-ga over chocolate more do men, even gay men. Am I right ladies? So we'll see how long this store lasts. Granted, the Castro is changing and it's no longer just a gay neighborhood as more and more straight couples move in. But it's still predominantly men. Above you see the counter that has all the variety of chocolates like truffles, coated candies and fudge.

They sold a lot a chocolate novelty items such as chocolate pasta, chocolate sauces and chocolate-themed T-shirts such as the one shown above.

Here's their home-made fudge. They had all sorts of flavors. I decided to try the mojito fudge, which sold for $2.50. I have to say, I've never eaten a lot of fudge in my life so didn't know what to expect. I thought it might be more like brownies, but it was actually softer and thick, sort of like a chocolate mousse. It definitely had a minty flavor. I liked it although it was a bit too sweet for me. But something tells me that most chocolate lovers probably love the sweet.

Throughout the shop were these huge chandeliers. I kind of liked them in that shabby chic kind of way.

My take on this store is that it's a novelty chocolate candy store, but not all the chocolate have the appearance of premium chocolates like Rechiutti at the Ferry Building, for example. (Of course, you're also not paying the crazy Rechiutti prices either.) The chocolates (with the exception of known brands like Charles Chocolates) had this real homemade look. Also, the service was pleasant but a bit curt. They didn't seem to want to strike up a conversation as much as getting your order and moving on. Not something that will bode well in a neighborhood location.

Anywho, not sure how successful this will be in this neighborhood. The whole look and feel of the store seemed to scream La Jolla mall than the Castro. Why do I have a feeling that most people in this neighborhood would rather pour chocolate on a lover instead of eating it? ;-)

Chocolate on Castro, 504 Castro St. at 18th Street, San Francisco.

BTW, found this great blog about the comings and goings of businesses in the Castro. It's a shame that there is such a high turnover in this neighborhood. It's odd because gay men have a lot of descretionary income but they apparently spend it everywhere BUT the Castro. Go figure. Anywho, this blog is a fun read.

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Hot Enough For You?

We're finally getting some summer weather in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yes, some people have actually stopped wearing their light sweaters in the city. (Although I think I spotted a turtleneck one evening last week. Wimps.)

Whenever I feel the need to refresh myself, I eat watermelon. It's my favorite fruit growing up and it's healthy for you because of the zinc contained in the juice. Below is my recipe for a watermelon granita made with Italian Prosecco. Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine and a lot of chefs recommend it as a cheap substitute for other sparkling wine or Champagne. The combination with the watermelon is great, and just looking at it makes you feel cool, huh? Just remember that Prosecco is alcohol and no heat is used during this prep, so the alcohol doesn't get a chance to burn off. It's all there. So I wouldn't recommend this dessert for a kids party. And remember, don't granita and drive. Enjoy!

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Watermelon Prosecco Granita

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
3 cups watermelon puree
1 cup Prosecco (or your favorite sparkling wine)
1/2 cup sugar
mint for garnish

Chop up a fresh, seedless watermelon into cubes and then create puree by pulsing in a blender or using a hand blender. Strain your puree through a sieve or strainer to remove any chunks or stray seeds. Whisk sugar into your watermelon puree and set aside for a few minutes to allow sugar to dissolve.

Whisk Prosecco into the watermelon puree and then pour the blended ingredients into a 9"x13" glass baking dish or any shallow dish you have available. Place into freezer for four to five hours. Remove and then rake the ice with a fork to create your granita. Serve in martini glasses and garnish with mint.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

TIP: If you have superfine sugar, that's even better because that'll dissolve faster instead of regular sugar. Superfine sugar is often sold in the baking section and is used a lot for mixing in drinks because it can dissolve quicker in the cold.

ICE SCRATCHING: How long your granita takes to form depends on how shallow your dish is. If you don't have a big shallow dish, you can still use a regular deep dish, but it'll help if you periodically check on your ice and stir it with a fork. If you keep your granita past a day, be sure to cover it with an air-tight cover to make sure it doesn't absorb other smells in your freezer.

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Seen At The Market: Kona Coffee

This morning I went to the Grand Lake Farmers' Market. It was my first time at this Saturday morning farmers' market across from the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland. It's not the most picturesque market (it's off to the side of the 580 overpass), but on a sunny summer day when the weather is warming up, it's fun shopping for your produce outdoors.

The market had your basic farmers' stands (I bought a bunch of pluots), but this particular stand caught my eye. Being a local boy from Hawaii, I always notice anything that remind me of the islands. Here, this guy was selling exclusively coffee beans from Hawaii. The islands are known for their rich-tasting coffee, grown almost all in Kona on the Big Island. I, unfortunately, have never tasted Kona coffee because I'm not a coffee drinker. But I had to blog about this coffee stand just to give props to my guys from Hawaii. (Although the guy selling coffee wasn't from Hawaii and is probably a reseller.) Either way, if you're at the Grand Lake farmers' market on Saturdays, look out for the stand with the banner "Hawaiian Regional Coffee." Or just follow your nose. :)

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Dish on Dining: Pizzeria Delfina

A Pie That Shines Day and Night
3611 18th St., San Francisco
Mission District
PH: 415.437.6800
Hours: M, 5:30–10 p.m.; T, W, TH, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; F, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sat., noon–11 p.m.; and Sun., noon–10 p.m.
http://www.pizzeriadelfina.com/

Near my home in Oakland, I have easy access to the Neapolitan-style pizza that seems to be the only kind of pizzas served here these days. It’s a simple 10-minute walk east to Dopo or west to Pizzaiolo. But recently when I was in San Francisco, I visited one of the early Neapolitan pizzaiolos in town—Pizzeria Delfina in the neighborhood between the Mission and Castro districts.

Opened in 2005, Pizzeria Delfina is next door to the popular Delfina restaurant, which I ate with my sister and brother-in-law many years ago. I have to say, my dinner at Delfina the restaurant was a bit underwhelming. The ingredients were fresh and seasonal, but I remember leaving feeling that the serving sizes were too small for the price. It wasn’t a satisfying meal.

But I went to the pizzeria next door with an open mind and a hungry stomach. I met my friend John earlier in the day, and his friend Fritha joined us for lunch on a Saturday. (When John and Fritha get together, it’s a party no matter where you are. John’s my jewelry designer friend and Fritha is actually a party planner. During lunch we talked about her next project planning a party for some tech people at a Dolce & Gabbana club in Milan.)

We arrived around 1 p.m. and were glad to see the restaurant wasn’t totally packed like it usually is. We added our names to the chalkboard list near the entrance, but it was barely dusted when our table was ready about five minutes later.

I love the décor of the place, with its contemporary place settings and a funky mural of San Francisco painted by Mission artist Andre Karpov. I envied the people who had a front-row seat to the kitchen at the bar. We sat at one of the tables, which were typically squeezed together. And facing me was a huge chalkboard wall with the entire menu of the day written by hand.

The menu offers a variety of antipasti, one main plate of the day, several desserts, and, of course, pizza. We decided to start with a plate of the Pecorino Lucano cheese with Mission Figs ($9) (because it was the start of the season and I was dying to taste my first figs of the summer) and the special Fritto Misto ($7).

The cheese plate was a bit disappointing when it arrived. The cheese looked marvelous, but it looked like they ran out of figs because the few slivers of figs I saw looked like it most likely came from just one lonely fig. So it was a good thing we ordered the Fritto Misto, which came piping hot from the kitchen. If you haven’t guessed by now, “fritto” means “fried” in Italian, and I should have thought about it more when I ordered it given the fact that I don’t like to eat fried foods. But it included seasonal ingredients that I loved: Blue Lake beans, okra and squash blossoms.

The fried vegetables were a hit on the table. I especially liked the fried squash blossoms (isn’t that really the only way to serve them?). But I did feel that the plate was overly salted, which is in keeping with the Italian tradition but not my personal preference.

Underwhelmed by the starters, I was nervous about our pizza. We ordered one of the special pizzas of the day: Speck with Braised Escarole, Crescenza cheese and Thyme ($15). (BTW, those are Fritha and John’s “Fossie” hands showing off the pizza.) What can I say? The pizza was perfection.

It was my first time having speck, which is cured pork similar to prosciutto but leaner. The speck was gracefully placed on the pizza that had a warm, chewy thin crust. The braised escarole was perfectly tender so that you could bite into it without having a big flap of dark greens hanging off your pizza. (Always a good thing, no?) But it was the combination of flavors on the perfectly done dough that made me fall in love with Delfina’s pizzas.

Now I see why this place is often packed on the weekends when I walk by. They offer a California flair to Neapolitan-style pizzas while still serving tradition favorites such as the Napoletana and Margherita. It’s a small place, but if you’re there with the right people (and get a friendly server such as ours) then it’s a party!

Side note: Pizzeria Delfina offers a nice wine list with your pizza.

Single guy rating: 3.5 stars (go for the pizza and dolce)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

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Charcuterie at Café Rouge

In the last few years, house-made cured meats have been all the rage. So more and more places have been adding their own “charcuterie” sections to their markets. (Charcuterie is the French term for the salting, smoking and curing of meats.)

I love prosciutto now and then, but rarely do I eat a lot of cured meats such as salumi or pates. Again, it’s the whole issue of fat. I don’t like it fresh. I don’t like it cured. But I will eat it in moderation in cured meats, from time to time.

Cured meats make great antipasti. Last weekend when I was planning a picnic for my friends Stella and Mariusz, I decided to put together an antipasti platter. One of my first stop was the Café Rouge Charcuterie and Meat Market.

Café Rouge is a longtime Berkeley restaurant in the Fourth Street shopping district. It serves great Mediterranean-California cuisine and does a pretty busy lunch business with its outdoor seating. But I never realized that it also has a meat market and charcuterie in the back of the restaurant. You don’t even have to enter the front of the restaurant; there’s easy access directly to the meat market from the adjacent Pasta Shop. (You just have to remember to pay for your items at the Pasta Shop before leaving to enter Café Rouge.)

Here’s a look at my visit to the Café Rouge charcuterie:

One thing nice about the meat market tucked away behind the restaurant is that it’s not very crowded. When I was there, only one person was ahead of me. You don’t have to worry about getting a number like at the deli, and no one’s shouting at you. The market is right in front of the kitchen, so it can seem chaotic. But that’s mostly the frenzy trying to feed the lunch crowds.

My first impression was that there weren’t that many items for sale. I was expecting a variety of sausages and salumi. But there were only a few items, displayed interesting enough like jewels on a wood plank. Here are two types of sausages for sale: garlic and fennel. You can also see below that they sell duck confit and house-smoked pancetta. I like using pancetta instead of bacon in my cooking so I may come back again to try Café Rouge’s version. (They also had chorizo for sale.)

Among the charcuterie items were this Canadian bacon and mortadella. I bought some of the mortadella for the picnic and it was my first time trying it. It’s a pork-based product with a variety of items added to spice it up, such as pistachio and olives. Café Rouge’s mortadella had an interesting sweet and savory taste. I also got some of their house-made salumi, which I didn’t photograph. It was peppery but mild in flavor. They like to cut their salumi in thick slices for a full-tasting snack.

It seemed like there were a lot of pates and terrines, which I can’t get my mind around eating them. I don’t know why, just the thought of all that ground meat mixed together. I know, that’s like sausage. But at least with sausages you cook them up and mix them into your dishes. People just eat pates as is. Pictured above is a pork pate and veal terrine.

I liked looking at the meats available for sale at the bottom of the counter. Here are some Liberty duck legs that look like they would be good for braising or searing.

More meats. These are Berkshire pork chops and one that’s already brined for you.

To me, Café Rouge’s charcuterie and meat market offers quality items for sale, but I felt that the selection was a bit limited. (You probably see more variety at charcuteries like Fatted Calf at the San Francisco Ferry Building.) Still, it’s definitely a place to look for fine, quality ingredients for your special dinners and parties when you’re shopping in the Fourth Street area of Berkeley. The guys behind the counter are friendly and knowledgeable about their meats. And you can always get lunch afterwards. :)

Café Rouge Charcuterie and Meat Market, 1782 4th St., Berkeley. Open daily, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PH: 510.525.1440.

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I Want To Swim In Blue Lake Beans

Photo courtesy Getty Images

In my mind, this is the origins of the Blue Lake bean:

A young man gets lost in a forest, surrounded by trees appearing to scale the heavens. One couldn’t really tell, for sure, how high the trees grew because the misty fog shrouded where the trees began and ended.

Disoriented and aching with hunger, the man discovers an opening among the trees and finds before him an expansive, tranquil lake—the water as blue as cobalt but clear as ice. He strips off his weary clothes and dives into the refreshing water, which soothes his tired muscles.

“Who swims in my lake?” came a voice from the trees.

“Who’s there?” says the young man.

“Who swims in my lake?” repeats the voice.

“Dude, can the Oz trip and come out where I can see you,” says the man, peering through the trees in search of the cameras from a cable reality show.

“I know not this Oz dude. I am the man of the lake, and you are trespassing.”

“Sorry, I’m lost,” says the bewildered young man. “And I’m hungry. I’ll be on my way. You wouldn’t happen to have any truffles in your forest? I’d even go for some black Mission figs?”

“All I have is a bean,” says the man of the lake. “Now be gone.”

The young man got out of the lake and next to his pile of clothes he found one green bean on the ground. He picked it up and examined it, then waved it in the air. “What da … Is this all you’ve got? This ain’t Jack.”

Tired and frustrated, the young man put on his clothes and went on his way, the single green bean tucked in his shirt pocket. When he finally found the main highway, he sat on the edge and waited for a car to pass by. He took out the bean, looked at it and then took a bite. The crunch was deafening, and the watery texture and sweetness of the bean transported him back to the refreshing, expansive blue lake. But this time swimming with him were his childhood friends as they laughed and played in the blue lake on a perfect summer afternoon.

Now wasn’t that more interesting than saying Blue Lake beans were developed in Ukiah, Calif.?

Recently, I started noticing restaurants serving Blue Lake beans on their menu and was curious about why they were so popular. When I was at the Ferry Plaza farmers’ market in San Francisco recently, I saw Blue Lake beans at the Iacopi Farm stand. I bought a bunch and brought it home to try.

They had such a crispy snap to them that I thought it would be a shame to cook the beans to death. That’s when I decided to make spicy green beans. This recipe is served cold, with the green beans quickly blanched, so that you can really enjoy the crunchy, watery sweetness of the Blue Lake bean. This really isn’t your ordinary green bean. I have drunk the water from the Blue Lake and I am a believer.

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Spicy Blue Lake Bean Salad with Tofu

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
2 cups Blue Lake beans
4 oz. fried tofu or regular firm tofu
1 T peanut butter
2-3 t hot chili sauce (or to taste)
1 t sugar
1 T soy sauce
juice from half a lime
2 T sesame oil
1 clove garlic, smashed into a paste

Remove the ends from the beans. (Cut longer beans if needed.) Boil a pot of water and then toss the beans in the boiling water for about a minute to blanch them. (Be sure to salt the water at this time to season your beans.) Quickly remove and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and to retain the nice green color. Drain in colander and let dry.

Cut your tofu into strips and place in large bowl with beans. In a smaller bowl, whisk together peanut butter, hot chili sauce, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, mashed garlic and sesame oil. Then drizzle over beans and tofu and toss. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and serve cold. (You can make this dish a day ahead.) Garnish with either chopped peanuts or toasted sesame seeds.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Pair with a glass of Riesling.

TIP: If you’re not a big fan of tofu, you can simply make a spicy green bean dish and add grated carrots for color and maybe some raisins to cool the mouth from the spicy sauce.

HOW HOT ARE YOU?: For the hot chili sauce, I used the Heavenly Chef's brand of Hunan Red Chili Sauce (made in San Leandro) that I get from my local Asian grocery store. You can use any of your favorite hot sauce, just be sure to add a little at a time to the dressing, tasting all the while to make sure it’s the right level of spicyness.

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Play It Again, Mariage

Of all the tea joints in all the towns, in all the world, she had to walk into mine. She with the dark, seductive canister and the essence of bergamot and mint. I was far from being a beaten-down, cynical nightclub owner when I stepped into the Mariage Freres store in Paris in the late 1990s, but I was transported to another time when I picked up the canister that read simply, “Casablanca.”

Of all my ravings about various teas I’ve tried, this particular tea blend from the Paris institution known as Mariage Freres (which means “The Mariage Brothers”) is one of my all-time favorites. And thanks to the exporting world, I can drink it here in the Bay Area. Mariage Freres has a grand tradition of tea, and if you’re ever in Paris, you have to be sure to go to one of its three tea rooms where you’ll find a soothing and sophisticated décor—accented with a friendly corp of young handsome French men dressed in white formals serving you. (Mariage Freres’ Web site is only in French, but you can find its tea rooms listed in all major tour guides.)

Mariage Freres tea can be found locally at Williams-Sonoma stores, The Pasta Shops at Rockridge’s Market Hall in Oakland and Fourth Street in Berkeley, The Gardener stores and other fine gourmet shops. But I have to say that while these exquisite teas (and accompanying tea-flavored treats) are more readily available in the United States, it’s not as easy to always find the blended tea “Casablanca.” I’m not sure why, because I consider it one of the company’s most unique blends and, of course, most romantic. You’ll pay a high price for them (about $16 a can) but it’s Bogey-licious.

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A San Francisco Summer Picnic

Seems like I've been saying a lot of goodbyes this month. Last weekend it was a farewell brunch to fellow food blogger Passionate Eater, and this weekend it was a goodbye picnic for my friends Stella and Mariusz, who are packing up and leaving the high cost of living Bay Area for Virginia.

Some friends and I planned a picnic at the Marina Green in San Francisco to give Stella one more view of the city that she's scorning. ;-) So today, we packed our foods and crossed the bridge to stake a spot at the Marina. It was a typical San Francisco summer morning--foggy--so it was a cool start to our picnic. No problem, food like this will warm anyone up. Here's a look at some of the dishes we feasted on (and they may give you inspiration to pack a picnic sometime in the near future before summer's over):
Here's my version of an antipasti misto. We've got mortadella and house-made salumi from Cafe Rouge on the left, smoked cheddar and gouda from Whole Foods, Prosciutto Salami from The Pasta Shop and these great cruncy red flame seedless grapes from the downtown Berkeley farmers market.
There's no grilling allowed at the Marina, so we had to rely on a lot of cold food. So that meant salads, and we had a bunch of them. Above is my chicken curry salad with celery, grapes and walnuts.
Here's this cute potato salad from our friend Dale. He calls it a Japanese potato salad because he says the Japanese puts anything in their potato salad. I don't know if that's true, but Dale definitely tested that definition with this fun-looking salad that included apples, olives and even bacon!
Here's a salad from our friend David, who put together this bow-tie pasta with basil, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls and peas--all dressed in a simple vinaigrette. This was light and tasty and very summery.
Since we met a bit early to start our picnic, I thought we needed some brunch food. So I made my hybrid Spanish tortilla-Italian frittata. I called it my "tortata" and you can find the recipe here. Most Spanish coffee bars serve this at room temperature for breakfast, but it's typically just eggs and potato. I got fancy and added the roasted red bellpepper and basil.
This is my new favorite snack to make. It's spicy Blue Lake green beans. (Why the emphasis on Blue Lake? I'll explain later this week when I post the recipe.) I made this salad by just blanching the beans and then adding grated carrots in a peanut butter-based soy dressing with a spoonful of hot chili sauce.
Wait, there's one more salad! Here's a refreshing green salad from Peggy and Oskar. We definitely got our servings of greens.
I cut some mangoes into slices and wanted to dress them up. So I added some chopped fresh basil. The perfume of the basil added a nice touch to the fresh mango and this dish got a lot of comments. I also lightly sprinkled the mangoes with pink sea salt on top.
Stella, despite being the guest of honor, did bring some goodies as well. Stella likes to bake, that's why I'm always trying to get her to post her baking adventures on my blog since I'm not a big baker. Here she made these yummy ginger scones. I loved them because they weren't dense like typical scones but slightly fluffy. Stella said she got the recipe from the Food Network site.
Even though I don't bake, I decided to bring some desserts. So I made easy brownies. But I wanted to experiment. I loved some chocolate bars I tried recently that used fleur de sel (French sea salt) sprinkled on top. The salt opened your taste buds to really enjoy the sweetness of the chocolate. So I thought I'd do the same. However, I felt the fleur de sel melted too quickly during the baking. Next time I might just sprinkle the sea salt on top after the baking is done.
I had to post this funny photo of Stella's 4-year-old son, Lucas, eating one of my brownies. He actually liked it and went to get this second piece. But this particular piece had a big cluster of fleur de sel and I think Lucas just discovered that this brownie is more salty than sweet. He didn't like it that salty.
One of the ideas behind a picnic in San Francisco was to enjoy the beautiful view at the Marina. The sun gradually came out and the day turned out beautiful. And this was our view of the Golden Gate Bridge from our picnic area.
After munching on everything, we all went for a walk along the Marina. There you see Alcatraz Island off to the left. Stella and Mariusz, how can you leave all this?!?! ;-)

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Leave The Salad to The Amateurs

Capping off my week of tomatoes, below is my recipe for a risotto dish that’s inspired by the classic Caprese salad. This salad is all about summer with its fresh tomatoes (I always use heirlooms), mozzarella cheese and basil, simply dressed with good olive oil and sea salt. (A tip for the guys out there, the girls love this combination of tomato and cheese. I think because it’s filling but doesn’t look very heavy, and it’s still called a salad!)

I actually made this Caprese salad-turned-risotto dish after reading a similar recipe in the San Francisco Chronicle last week. So I can’t take credit for inventing this dish. OK, I could. But I have a thing about karma biting me in the butt. As always, my recipe has a few tweaks and it makes fewer servings for the single people out there.

When I made this dish, I used Costaluto Genovese heirloom tomatoes I got at the farmers market and these incredibly cute bocconcini (marble-sized mozzarella balls) I found at the Pasta Shop at Rockridge’s Market Hall. The risotto turned out having this intense tomato flavor, almost like ketchup. So if you’re not a big fan of ketchup, then maybe this isn’t for you. But lucky for me, I love ketchup (I even drizzle it on scrambled eggs or on rice) so this dish hits the spot. Enjoy!

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Risotto Caprese

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
2-3 medium tomatoes (preferably heirloom)
3 oz. mozzarella cheese (preferably buffalo or bocconcini)
½ sweet onion, diced
1 cup Arborio rice
small glass of white wine
½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly chopped or chiffonade
1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T butter
sea salt

In a saucepan, warm butter and olive oil over medium high heat, then add onions. Saute for about 1 minute until translucent. Add risotto rice and cook for another minute to toast. Then add white wine and continue cooking until the wine has nearly evaporated and rice starts to get creamy.

Dice your tomatoes and add them to the pot when the wine is almost cooked off. Then add a ladle of broth a little at a time as you cook the rice for the next 15 minutes. When rice is almost done (it’ll start to give off a creamy texture and look translucent), remove from stove top and add the mozzarella cheese (cut into bite-sized chunks) and basil and stir to completely blend well. Season with salt to taste. Garnish with a couple of basil leaves and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Pair with a glass of pinot gris.

TIP: This recipe only calls for one cup of broth because the tomatoes will give up a lot of moisture that will help to keep your risotto creamy. But if your pan dries out before the risotto is cooked, then add more broth. Just be sure to add a little at a time so you don’t affect the cooking temperature or turn your risotto into soup.

SKIN THEM: I get rustic with this recipe (translation: lazy), so I just chopped up the tomatoes and threw everything in. But if you don’t like seeing bits of tomato skin and seed, then blanch your tomatoes by dipping in a pot of boiling water and then immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water, then peel off the skin. (I actually like keeping the skin because I think that’s where all the nutrients are concentrated.)

DRIZZLE IT: To give your risotto more flavor and a shiny look, you can drizzle each finished plate with good quality extra virgin olive oil. Yum.

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When Food Bloggers Brunch

Blogging is like keeping a diary. You talk about your day and reveal a bit about yourself. The only difference is that there’s no lock and key and everyone’s reading your pages to Mom.

Still, I sometimes wonder if I’m really just talking to myself. Which is fine. I do it anyways. Being single, it’s nice to know that I can hold a conversation with myself. (But it is a bit rough when I argue with myself and then I don’t speak to myself for days.)

So it was nice this past Sunday to actually interact with other people who sometimes feel the same way. A few food bloggers gathered at Maverick in the Mission District (see separate review in the post below) and it was nice to share ideas, see that we all sometimes wonder if anyone’s reading us and, of course, talk about food.

The brunch was organized by Passionate Eater, who was one of the first people to post regular comments on my blog. She’s moving to New Orleans for her career (not in food) and invited some of her favorite food bloggers. (I’m honored PE that you consider me one of your favorite food blogs. ;-) ) Others attending included Chubbypanda and Cat from Southern California, Foodhoe and the husband-and-wife team behind Bunrab.

The common topic of discussion was camera, and which to use. It was like sitting at a table of paparazzi when our food arrived and the parade of cameras popped out. I would say it was a good three minutes of photographing before anyone started to eat. (Although, maybe Passionate Eater’s boyfriend started without us. I couldn’t tell since he was sitting to the left of me on the other side of PE.) I give props to the people at Maverick who were nonchalant about our photographing their food.

Here, Foodhoe’s camera was too quick for me and she snapped her shot and pulled back before I could frame my shot. Foodhoe, you’re a quick draw on the camera!

After finally eating our food (which was great), Passionate Eater passed around a box of manju, courtesy of Chubbypanda who carried it all the way up with him on Caltrain from San Jose. Manju is the mochi-filled delicacy from Japan, and Chubbypanda got an assorted box of manju—from baked to candied to powdered. They all looked good but we left most of them for PE.

We headed out after brunch to explore the Mission. Here, the Bunrabs are shielding their faces while showing off their very branded Bunrab caps. Note: They don’t wear their Bunrab caps at restaurants when they’re doing reviews.

After a pit stop at Bi-Rite Market, we ended up, of course, at Bi-Rite Creamery. This was the third time I was at this ice cream shop in eight days. (I was there just the day before and the weekend prior to that.) I ended up finally getting the nerve to try a test taste of the roasted banana (very banana but not what I was looking for) and ended up with a kid’s scoop of peanut butter with fleur de sel nuggets.

With our ice cream in hand, we did a brief stint standing in line at Tartine Bakery before we all realized that even food bloggers can’t eat that much. So everyone walked back to their cars or BART and back home to our blog diaries.

[Passionate Eater, I’m looking forward to your photo blog on the revitalization of New Orleans! Safe travels!]

Read the spin on brunch from the other food bloggers! Passionate Eater. Foodhoe. Bunrab.

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Dish on Dining: Maverick

Refined American Classics for Brunch and Beyond
3316 17th St. (between Mission and Valencia), San Francisco
Mission District
PH: 415.863.3061
Reservations, major credit cards accepted
http://www.sfmaverick.com/

I feel like I’m at home when I dine at Maverick. Probably because the tiny Mission restaurant is painted in the same shade of chocolate brown as my studio apartment.

The restaurant’s smart color choices aside, what comes out of the kitchen is just as pleasing.

Last Sunday, I had brunch at Maverick with a bunch of fellow food bloggers. We weren’t there necessarily because San Francisco Magazine readers had just voted Maverick as the No. 1 brunch spot in the city. We were there to give a send off to one of the bloggers, Passionate Eater, who is leaving the city for the Big Easy. :(

The tiny restaurant is divided into two rooms—the main dining area with several small tables and the front area with a high communal table adjacent to the servers’ counter (with a cut out looking into the kitchen) where completed orders are picked up. We initially sat at a table in the main dining room, but thanks to the late addition of the husband-and-wife blogging team of Bunrab, we were bumped up to the larger communal table in front! This offered us a bird’s-eye view of the kitchen, our fellow diners and the busy host working the phone up front.

[Speaking of the host, I can’t continue without telling you about this part odd/part interesting incident. While we were all seated looking anxiously at our menus, I was busy sipping my Peach Bellini (sparkling wine with fresh peach puree). Well, at one point I was about to take another sip of my delicious Bellini when the host ordered me to stop. That’s when he pulled out a spoon (why he carries a spoon still perplexes me) and stuck it in my drink and then started to vigorously stir my Bellini to perfectly blend the bits of fresh peaches that had foamed up to the top. “Proceed,” he then directed me. Not wanting to disappoint him, I did. While what had just happened was a bit startling to me, everyone seemed impressed by the proactive service of the host to ensure that my Bellini was blended to perfection.]

Maverick’s menu reflects American cuisine from all around the country, made refined by choice local and seasonal ingredients. For example, on the brunch menu you’ll find things like cornmeal buttermilk pancakes and Po’ Boy (a New Orleans favorite).

One blogger, Foodhoe, went for the Po’ Boy, which looked really yummy but I wasn’t prepared to eat a big plate of fried stuff (the fried oysters inside the Po’ Boy along with a big plate of French fries). A couple of people ordered the cornmeal pancakes and the Texan Migas, which was basically scrambled eggs with black beans and avocado.

I ordered the duck confit hash. Now, some of you may remember that I generally slam anyone eating duck confit because like paté, I just consider it fat, fat and more fat. But something about duck confit mixed into a hash made me decide to forget about my cholesterol. The hash had a nice crispness to it, contrasting nicely with the two huge poached eggs on top and the savory taste of the shredded duck leg meat in a light mushroom cream sauce. It was hearty and refined at the same time.

Side note: In an early San Francisco Chronicle review soon after the restaurant opened two years ago, Michael Bauer placed a big emphasis on the noise factor. (And yes, he felt it was too loud.) The owners apparently took note and they point out on the Open Table Web site that they’ve soundproofed the room and it’s now quieter. It’s definitely easier to hold a normal conversation, but I do have to say their sound-stereo system seemed to be on the fritz because the music playing sounded almost like ringtones from a cell phone.

Overall, everyone seemed to enjoy their dishes, which reflected an expert hand in the kitchen in executing the meals. Judging from the steady crowd of people coming in and out, others seem to like this neighborhood restaurant as well. (Most people seem to have caught on to the idea that they should make reservations ahead because I didn’t see a crowd of people hanging outside waiting for a table.)

Maverick delivers creative American dishes in a big way in a somewhat small room. Judging by its brunch, I can’t wait to come in for dinner.

Single guy rating: 3.5 stars (Foodies come back again and again)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

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Make a difference: Vote for heirloom tomatoes

We’re getting to the peak season for heirloom tomatoes, and as I squeezed and admire the variety of tomatoes at the farmers market recently, it got me thinking: huh, this is the same thing I do when trying to decide the next president. What, you got a better method? Forget the debates. Forget the straw polls. Just give your candidates a squeeze, I say.

So along those lines—and with the frenzy of the Iowa caucus right around the corner—here’s a rundown of some of the varieties of heirloom tomatoes as compared to the Democratic hopefuls:Tangerine—This is my favorite of the heirloom tomatoes I tried. It has a bright, orange exterior and a firm flesh. This is a tomato that dresses well and can stand up to any abuse. It’s the Hilary Clinton of heirloom tomatoes. (BTW, don’t assume that just because this is my favorite that I’m going to vote this way come 2008. It’s just Tangerine is the front-runner for now.)

Lemon Boy—Supposedly low on acidity and sweeter than most tomatoes, I consider this the John Edwards variety. It’s like the heirloom tomato that wants to be the Golden Boy, not the Lemon Boy. While the outside looks bright and lustrous, the inside tasted like every other tomato out there. Hollywood haircut not included.

Costaluto Genovese—Just the name evokes Italy to me. Its crumply exterior with the many ridges also makes me think: old crusty Italian guy. And when I think of old crusty guy, for some reason, I think Joe Biden. Sure, he’s a grandfather so I bet he’s quite loving and tender. But I’m sure there are times when his grandchildren are all like, “Oh gramps, you’re so old school.” That’s the Costaluto Genovese for you, old school tomato rich for sauces.

Pink Brandywine—This is actually one of the more popular heirloom tomatoes, mostly because of its size. They’re huge. Inside, the flesh is meaty and red, sometimes a rich dark red. I have very little to base this on, but I consider this the Bill Richardson of heirloom tomatoes. And I know it’s a cop out, but it’s mostly because Richardson is the largest of all the candidates. Sorry governor, maybe if you lose some weight, then maybe you can be a Costaluto Genovese?

Green Zebra—Now you know if Al Gore were around I’d be calling him the Green Zebra, mostly because green makes me think of the environment. But Gore is not running. He’s too busy lunching with Steven Spielberg or fried chicken. (C’mon, you have to bet it’s because of greasy food that Gore got that way. This is why I don’t eat fried foods.) Back to the Green Zebra, it’s small, firm and a bit tart. It’s the Dennis Kucinich of tomatoes.

Copia—Saving the best for last, the Copia is one of the more beautiful heirloom tomatoes. It has this amazing mix of red and orange colors that creates this amazingly beautiful tomato. When you bite into it, it’s a bit more juicy than the other tomatoes, if you like that in a president. ;-) To me, the Copia is the Barack Obama of tomatoes—two beautiful colors coming together but the end result is still something a bit squishy and wet inside despite the tough exterior. Maybe we can export some to Cuba.

Now I know I left out Christopher Dodd and some of the other non-major varieties on the Democratic side. But the only other heirloom tomato variety I tried that day was Shady Lady, and I didn’t think any candidate would want to be associated with that.

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Welcome to the 'hood Tyler

I was reading the food issue of this month's 7X7 Magazine (one of two San Francisco magazines) and on the cover was new homeboy Tyler Florence, who recently moved to the Bay Area (more specifically the hoity toity--is that still a word?--area of Marin County north of the city). Tyler is one of my early favorites on the Food Network, and I was living in New York and eating at his restaurant Cafeteria in Chelsea when it was at its peak in hipness. This is just another confirmation that the Bay Area is a foodie town. In the article, Tyler calls the Bay Area (and probably more specifically Napa Valley) the American Provence. Maybe I'll spot Florence at the Ferry Building Farmers' Market. Just this past Saturday I saw Chris Cosentino of Incanto doing some of his shopping at that food Mecca. (BTW, Cosentino had a big box of meat from Prather Ranch. You got to know that was a given.) Anyhoo, welcome to the Bay Area, the ultimate food nation. :)

Photo courtesy 7X7 Magazine, a Hartle Media publication.

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Look! Tomatoes from Plummy!

Recently I started thinking about the veal meatballs my friend David guest blogged about when he was describing his trip visiting family and friends in Italy. So I decided to start with his sister-in-law's basic meatball recipe, but then added my own twist to it. I was also inspired by Jamie Oliver's meatballs with pine nuts, so I went and got some nuts. I ended up using lamb because it was the first time I saw ground lamb at my Safeway and decided it'll give my meatballs a heavier, heartier taste.

I also was inspired by Oliver's tomato sauce, so I decided to make a basic tomato sauce to go with my meatballs. So of course I had to try using San Marzano plum tomatoes, which were a point of distinction during "The Next Food Network Star" when contestant Paul during an Iron Chef-like challenge was questioned where a can of tomatoes came from, and he promptly said the plum tomatoes came from the country "Plummy."

Plummy or not, this lamb meatball and tomato sauce combination was so yummy. The meatball really had a nice kick to it because of the fresh mint. And what can be more comforting than a basic tomato sauce? All I needed was some Italian grandmother in the kitchen and an opera singer in my dining room and I would have been in meatball heaven. :)

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Lamb Meatballs with Basic Tomato Sauce

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground lamb
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
flour

Combine lamb, pine nuts, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, mint, bread crumbs, egg, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper (about a teaspoon of each) and blend well with your hands. Shape into meatballs with the palm of both hands in a circular motion (start with about a tablespoon size of meat). Place a thin layer of flour on a plate and then lightly roll each meatball in the flour to create light layer. (You might want to start by rolling on plate of flour, but then pick it up and toss in between both hands to get the flour dusted all over the meatball.)

In a skillet or saute pan, pour enough olive oil to coat the entire bottom of pan. Warm oil over medium high heat and then start pan-frying each meatball. Leave room between meatballs and rotate as they brown. (You'll have to cook your meatballs in batches because not all of them will fit in the pan. Add a bit more oil as you go if needed.) Remove and place in a plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil.

Makes about 2 dozen meatballs, depending on how big you make them. Serve with tomato sauce and pasta.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 can (28 oz.) of San Marzano-style plum tomatoes
1 small onion or half sweet onion, diced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 T dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
1 T sugar
1/4 cup red wine
2 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

In a saucepan, warm olive oil and then add onion and garlic. Saute for about a minute over medium high heat until translucent. Add plum tomatoes, wine, oregano and sugar and bring to boil then simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes until tomatoes breakdown and soften. (Occasionally stir and use a wooden spoon to squeeze the tomatoes to smaller pieces.) Add basil in the last five minutes before sauce is ready. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and more basil.

Makes 2 to 3 servings of sauce. Serve with meatballs and spaghettini.

Pair with a glass of Chianti Classico.

TIP: When making the meatballs, be sure to pack the meat tightly so they don't fall apart when cooking. Also, with the meat, you don't have to worry about overcooking because it'll continue to cook while it's resting after you remove it from the pan. So be careful not to leave it in the pan too long or they may get too dry.

WHERE'S THE BEEF?: I used lamb, but you can easily make these meatballs with ground veal or beef, or a combination of any of the above. Go with the kind of meat you like.

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Food Gallery

I call this "Tomatoes In The Summer Sun."

COMING UP THIS WEEK: I'm feeling Italian this week, so drop by for my recipe for lamb meatballs and see how I make a Caprese risotto. I also do a little photo spread on heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market and see what I think about brunching at Maverick in the Mission. Gosh, I've been hanging out at the Mission a lot recently. ;-)

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Dish on Dining: Levende East

The Club Vibe in Old Oakland
827 Washington St. (at 9th Street), Oakland
Old Downtown District
PH: 510.835.5585
Open for lunch, Mon.–Fri., 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; dinner, Mon.–Sat., 5 –11 p.m.
http://www.levendeeast.com/

Is it a bad sign if a bar serves you a hand-me-down drink? That’s what happened to me while I was waiting for a friend before dinner at the new Levende East restaurant and club in Historic Old Oakland near downtown. Luckily, things can only go up from there.

Levende East is the East Bay offshoot of Levende Lounge in San Francisco. I’ve actually never eaten at the original Levende (although I’ve been in that spot when it was previously the home of Butterfly Lounge and back in the days when I had to dodge homeless people walking from my nearby apartment to the restaurant kitty corner to the Mission Street off-ramp), but apparently it’s successful enough for the owners to branch out into Oakland.

Levende East definitely has that city vibe, from the tall ceilings to the brick walls to the slick, dark tables. But in many ways, it’s grown up a bit from the club scene and seems to have less emphasis on the lounge part and more on the food. On the menu, chef Arren Caccamo has added more large plates to feature his French-California cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian influences.

But first, back to my drink. So I got to the restaurant early, and it was already filling up for a weeknight. I was meeting my friend Laurie, who I’ve known since we were both industrious business reporters for a San Francisco newspaper. Since Laurie hadn't arrived yet, I found the only spot at the large bar area and decided to try one of Levende’s specialty drinks.

I ordered the Barcelona, just because I like to reminisce about my trip to that city more than three years ago. The drink was a simple Ketel One Citreon vodka with cherry liqueur and soda. When I ordered it from the bartender, it magically appeared within a few seconds. I thought, wow, extra points for quick service. Then she fessed up and said she had made the drink just a couple of minutes earlier and the patron decided he didn’t want it. So I can’t give a fair review to the Barcelona. I imagine it could be refreshing and sparkling. But this glass tasted flat and watered down.

Despite the drink, I had a nice chat with a woman next to me visiting from Boston, and then moved on to dinner when Laurie arrived. Oh, I forgot to mention that right next to the bar was the ubiquitous communal table that looked like it could fit quite a few people. It was nearly packed when I was there.

Laurie and I decided to have a light dinner, so we ordered a few dishes to share from the appetizer section. I would describe the dishes as they came out, but they all came out at the same time so here’s the rundown:

Fried Calamari Salad with soy dressing ($11). It looked huge with the calamari rings sitting on top a pile of frissee, radicchio, mizuna and shaved carrots. (I know I’ve said I generally don’t eat fried foods, but seems like deep-frying is the only way Americans know how to prepare calamari. In Spain, they often grill them, which is very nice—and much healthier!) Despite being fried, I loved this dish. The dressing had hints of miso and was creamy to bind all the greens and the calamari. My only tip if you order this is to eat it right away because the calamari will start separating from the fried dough if it sits too long.

Mini Lamb Burgers ($9). Mini burgers are so cute and so hot these days. They’re perfect to share with two people. And I love lamb. The burgers were supposedly Indian spiced, and you could tell it had some spice because the diced onions had a golden hue to them. However, I didn’t get an Indian flavor at all. The lamb was cooked well and it tasted fine, but it didn’t transport me to Delhi with each bite. Just 9th Street Oakland.

Maine Lobster and Shrimp Cakes ($12). The cakes were placed over roasted corn with a jalapeno and lemon vinaigrette. This is where Laurie and I had varying taste reactions. She thought the cakes were a bit salty and spicy while I thought it was just fine and could use a bit more jalapeno. Still, it was enjoyable and filling.

Since Levende East has high ceilings and a club vibe, you can guess that as the evening moved on, the sound level in the restaurant got higher and higher. So it’s very difficult to hold a conversation, and probably impossible to talk later in the evening when the live music and DJ play. Side note: Our server was competent and pleasant but a bit rushed. She seemed overwhelmed. I don’t know if it was because she had to rush to work, or she couldn’t deal with the crowded room.

Still, with the steady flow of people coming in for dinner, it looks like the neighborhood is primed for a hybrid restaurant and club. And with other restaurants in the area (such as B Restaurant and Bar across the way), it looks like Historic Old Downtown Oakland won’t be as ghost quiet at nights anymore. And that can only be a good thing.


Single guy rating: 3 stars (get down with some cool food)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

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Let’s All Squeeze Into Bi-Rite Market

This is the second part of a two-part post about the “Bi-Rite Experience” in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood. Yesterday I featured the Bi-Rite Creamery, and today I shop at the grocery store across the street.Walking into this neighborhood grocery store on 18th Street, you’d think the neighbors are North Beach yuppies or Marina professionals. Everything is so quaintly displayed with a mix of high sticker prices. But this is the Mission, where you can probably get a burrito for less than $5 around the corner.

The Bi-Rite Market, which opened in 1998, has the charm and tight quarters of a corner grocer in New York but the gourmet look and feel of an Andronico’s or Whole Foods. It drops all the right catch words like “organic,” “sustainable,” and “locally produced.” It’s also an expert in creating a brand, with its definite retro “old school” grocery décor. Here’s a look at my visit this past weekend:
When you walk in, you get a burst of color from the small produce section, which is overflowing with richly colored summer tomatoes and fresh fruits across the way. Bi-Rite creates a nice organic charm with its hand-written signage.

Here are more colorful fruits in the produce section. Hey look, they sure have a lot of figs! Yum.

The deli section seems to be the heart of the market. People were clamoring for cuts of meats or an order of soup or sandwiches, probably to munch over at nearby Dolores Park. The store has its own charcuterie section and a whole bunch of prepared foods.

The line to the checkout stands crawled along the tiny store and at times butted up against the people in line at the deli. Despite the line being long, it did seem to move pretty fast.

Bi-Rite is all about branding, which was obvious when I visited the creamery for some ice cream. Throughout the market, there were a lot of Bi-Rite branded products, including pasta sauces and even its own Napa Valley wine. Here are some strawberry shortcakes in the refrigerated section.

Of course, there were tons of Bi-Rite ice cream. The popular flavor is salted caramel. Too bad I live in the East Bay. I don’t think the pint of ice cream would last the BART ride home.

Here’s the wine section of the store, which took up a small wall past the cheese section. They had a variety of wines, and the clerk nearby was very helpful describing to me what wines were good after I told him what I was interested in. I wasn’t planning on buying any wines, but after having such an informative conversation with him, I ended up getting a red wine from Spain and a Pinot Gris from Oregon.
More Bi-Rite branded products. Here’s some dream bars in the “impulse shopping” section right before the checkout.

I loved the fresh flowers on display outside. It was a heavy emphasis on wildflowers as opposed to expensive, chi chi flowers. They looked beautiful in the San Francisco sun.

Bi-Rite seems to be a very popular spot to shop, judging from the line and the shoppers inside. I can’t vouch for the quality of the products but they all looked first-rate, and the clerks are very friendly and helpful. I wouldn’t mind one opening in Oakland. ;-)

Bi-Rite Market, 3639 18th St., San Francisco. Open Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; and Sat.–Sun., 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

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