Holy Crepe! What’s Up with the Line at Sophie’s Crepes?

Awhile back I was walking around San Francisco’s Japantown when I noticed a big crowd outside Sophie’s Crepes, located on the second floor of the indoor mall (on the side closest to the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas). I’d seen the tiny crepe shop in the past, but never with this crowd. So you know what that meant? That’s right. Taste test.

I got in line and looked over the menu. Sophie’s sells both savory and sweet crepes, but of course the sweet crepes are the most popular (think Nutella and Strawberries vs. Turkey and Cheese). I ordered one of the Japanese specials, which looking over my notes I’ve realized I forgot what they called it. They should have named it “Sophie’s Choice” and I totally would have remembered that, but instead it was called something else.

Anywho, it had green tea gelato and red bean paste (azuki beans) and a special matcha (green tea) sauce. This sold for $4.70.

While I waited for my crepe, I would have taken pictures of the workers making the paper-thin crepes in the front, except Sophie’s had a very big “no cameras” sign posted outside. So all you get is this photo of my Japanese-special-I-forgot-what-it-was-called crepe.

The tiny shop doesn’t have many seats so most people get their crepe to go. It’s delivered to you like a cone. I didn’t know how I was supposed to eat it, so I got a spoon and started to scoop the gelato. Oh. My. Gaawd. It was like spooning cement. I couldn’t cut through the thick green tea gelato, and my plastic spoon literally bent to the point I was worried it’d flick into two and go flying into the crowd like some ninja star.

So I gave up and instead flattened my cone and started to bite into the crepe like an ice cream sandwich. Mmmm, this method worked out great because I got to taste the slightly crunchy crepe and the thick gelato acted like glue to keep all the ingredients in place instead of oozing off the sides. I don’t know if it was designed to be eaten this way, but it was the only way I could finish this.

Overall, I thought the crepe was just OK and I really liked the red bean paste. But I didn’t like the green tea gelato. I have a feeling the lines at Sophie’s may be an indication that there are so few sweet options in Japantown when you’re looking for something cold like ice cream or gelato. Time to mosey on along. Nothing to see here.

Sophie’s Crepes, 1581 Webster St. (at Post on second floor of the indoor mall in Japantown), San Francisco. PH: 415.929.7732

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Test Kitchen: Cabbage, Kielbasa and Rice Soup

You might be surprised to hear that I only subscribe to one food magazine. And it’s not because I think it’s the greatest. It’s just I have little time to read various magazines every month, so I limit my subscription to just the consumer standard Food and Wine.

I admit I like to flip through Food and Wine mostly for the pretty pictures. Their overall design is contemporary and easy-to-read. And over the years, I’ve clipped out many interesting-looking recipes but rarely do I ever try them. Until now.

I’m going to start this new monthly feature called “Test Kitchen” where I’m going to pick a recipe from my Food and Wine magazine and make it, then give you my thoughts on how easy it was to make and more importantly, how it tasted.

From my current April edition of the magazine, I’m actually kicking off with a fairly easy recipe. In fact, it’s from the Tasting and Testing section of the magazine. This Cabbage, Kielbasa and Rice Soup sounded interesting because I like soup with grains in them but never really made them myself since I’ve mostly made pureed soups.

You can find the complete recipe here at the Food and Wine site. And here’s how it turned out. How do you think my soup below compares to the Food and Wine photo above?

My tips and warnings about the recipe:

1. The recipe doesn’t clearly state it, but you should buy pre-cooked kielbasa sausage. It makes a difference in cooking time. (The recipe had a short cooking time so I knew it probably called for the pre-cooked version.)
2. The recipe makes four servings. If you don’t plan to eat it all in one sitting, I would recommend keeping the rice separate and adding it in to the portion size you plan on eating right before serving. If left sitting in the soup, the rice will absorb the broth and get really mushy.
3. I cheated and used my rice cooker to make my basmati rice. I’m sure that’s allowed.

Ease of cooking: This is a really simple soup to make, and can be a quick last-minute dish to make for a weeknight dinner, served with a small salad or some toasted bread. I like these types of recipes that don’t call for any unusual ingredients or very many of them.

Taste: This seemed like a healthy approach to eating as well because the recipe called for low-sodium chicken broth. But I have to say, it really lacked flavor and body, even when adding the sausage. I felt like it would have been better and more substantive if I added some white beans, for example.

Overall Grade: B-

If you’re also a Food and Wine subscriber, email me your vote on which recipes I should try each month. You can start with the May edition when you get it at home soon.

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Dish on Dining: Great China

Feasting with Family in Berkeley
2115 Kittredge St. (between Shattuck and Fulton), Berkeley
Downtown Berkeley
PH: 510.843.7996
Lunch daily (except Sunday) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner daily from 5 p.m.
Major credit cards accepted, reservations for large groups only
www.greatchinainberkeley.com

My nephew Chris was in town last week for spring break, so that gave me an excuse to go out for Chinese food. Typically, I find it hard to get Chinese food as a solo diner, especially for dinner, because you can’t get to try as many dishes. So I met Chris and his girlfriend, Mary, and the three of us feasted at the Great China restaurant not too far from the University of California-Berkeley campus.

Great China is a tiny restaurant just a few steps from the California Theater. From the outside, it looks like a small, family-owned Chinese restaurant—the kind you’d see on the road to Modesto or somewhere outside the city. But inside it’s pretty spiffy with upscale dining sets and a banquet-hall décor.

The place is still tiny, though, with only a few tables in the front and more in the back in what seems like a mezzanine? (It didn’t seem like enough stairs to make it a “second floor.”) We got there early on Friday night because the word has been out for awhile that Great China is one of the best Chinese restaurants in Berkeley, if not the entire East Bay.

The restaurant even has several house specialties that have added to its reputation. Some of them I heard from friends, such as the classic Peking duck—a whole roasted duck that needs to be ordered at least a day in advance. Also a starter called “Double Skin,” which is primarily a cold salad made up of mung bean noodles tossed with various vegetables, seafood and pork.

I didn’t order either.

That’s because the Peking duck is the dish where the crispy roasted duck skin is carved off and served with a bun, hoisin sauce and green onions. Then you eat the meat separately. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten duck skin, and I felt a whole duck with accompanying buns would be too much for three people.

As for the “Double Skin,” it sounded interesting but I wasn’t in the mood for a cold starter.

So enough about what I didn’t order. This is what we ended up eating.

We started with the Sizzling Rice Soup ($6.25 for a small order), which is a clear broth soup with chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, water chestnuts and peas. It’s a clean, refreshing soup, and it gets its name from the puffed rice (just think of Rice Crispies) that’s added to the soup at the last minute. When the rice hits the soup, it creates a crackling sensation, or sizzle. Thus the name, Sizzling Rice Soup.

Chris said he didn’t remember eating this soup growing up, but I’ve had it a few times and enjoyed it as a child for the sizzling action. The soup didn’t disappoint when the waitress poured the plate of puffed rice into the soup at our table. It sizzled and let off some steam, too.

The soup tasted just as I remembered—clean and simple. But it’s accentuated at Great China by the fresh ingredients in large portions. My only gripe is that they put too much rice in the soup, crowding our bowls with the toasted starch.

Even though we skipped the Peking duck, Chris had a hankering for duck, so we got the Tea-Smoked Duck ($11.95), which is more manageable at half a portion instead of a whole duck. The duck arrived with a nice color to it and when I bit into the pieces, there was a nice smoky flavor.

But because it’s a smoked duck, the meat was more like preserved meats so it was tougher to chew into. This isn’t the kind of dish one would describe as “fall off the bone” because it didn’t. A lot of the duck fat also wasn’t rendered off, so you could see the fatty goo in every piece just right under the skin. I found this course really difficult and unhealthy to eat, but naturally Chris loved it because he’s still young enough where he doesn’t worry about his cholesterol.

The duck also came with steamed buns, which I thought was unusual because it didn’t have a slit to allow you to stuff it with some duck meat. I guess the bland buns are the chef’s way of helping your body absorb all the duck fat.

Another house specialty is the Walnut Prawns ($13.95), which is sometimes listed at other Chinese restaurants as Shrimp with Honey-roasted Walnuts. This is another one of my favorite dish growing up, despite the fact that in making the shrimp the chef has to quickly deep-fry the shrimp to make it crispy and then coat it in a sauce that contains mayonnaise. Yes, you read right.

Great China’s version was presented nicely, and Mary and I both really enjoyed the prawns, which were quite huge. The walnuts, on the other hand, seemed small in comparison and tasted a bit stale. It lacked a real crunch.

Next up was the Wok-braised Lamb ($10.50), which is a dish made up of pieces of leg of lamb that are marinated, steamed and then braised before they’re fired up in the wok for some color. The dish is served with a light soy-based dipping sauce.

I really enjoyed the lamb because it had a nice flavor that was not super gamey (which turns some people off) but still had enough of its distinct lamb flavor to make it intense and hearty compared to generically raised cattle. And it was super tender, the kind of dish one would describe as “fall off the bone” if it actually were served with the bone still in. The accompanying dipping sauce, however, was a throwaway. I didn’t feel it added to the flavor when I dipped my piece of lamb in it.

A big gripe I have with Chinese menus are that they’re heavy on the meats, so I try to off-set that by at least ordering a side of greens. For our dinner we got a simple order of stir-fried Black Mushrooms and Chinese Vegetables ($7.95). Great China typically serves bok choy in this dish, but I asked the waitress to substitute it with baby Chinese broccoli or choy sum, which is a greener vegetable. The dish was simple and nicely prepared—nothing fancy—but served the purposes of bringing some balance to our meal.

I don’t think Great China has any specialty desserts because near the end of our meal the server brought our check with some slices of oranges and fortune cookies without us even asking for it. So a moment about the service: It’s kind of what you would expect at a Chinese restaurant—efficient but gruff at times. Most of the servers speak English but seem more comfortable with Mandarin. They get their job done, but don’t expect a lot of friendly suggestions or help.

I wasn’t too concerned about dessert because we did have a big feast and there are a couple of frozen yogurt and gelato shops nearby.

It was nice having a family dinner, and Great China offers an interesting menu to help create a nice assortment of dishes. The quality of the ingredients and cooking style is nicer than most Chinese restaurants, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best. Maybe in Berkeley, but not the entire East Bay.

Single guy rating: 3.25 stars (Better than average but not the best)

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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What's This at the Temescal Farmers Market?

Anyone know what this is? It's a vegetable, I give you that. But isn't it unusual looking? I spotted it at the Temescal Sunday Farmers Market in Oakland awhile back, and then I bought a bunch just out of curiosity.

OK, some of you might know that this is called a Kohlrabi. I know, you're still saying "what is that?" Me too. The guy at the market says it's super sweet when roasted, but when I got home and did a quick Googling job, it says it's more like a radish. A common recipe is to make it into a cole slaw because it has less bite than a radish. So I just shaved them into slices and made a crunchy salad.

It was interesting and definitely like the texture of a radish, but without that sting. If any of you grew up with this (I think it's popular in Germany), tell us how you prepare it and what's your favorite dish with this unusual veggie.

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Mini Dish: Amanda’s Feel Good Fresh Food

Slow Food Principles in this Fast Food Joint
2122 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Downtown
PH: 510.548.2122
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Major credit cards accepted, no reservations
www.amandas.com

Quality quick-and-convenient food is hard to come by. That’s probably why fast foods have gotten such a bad rap because they often mean low prices but unhealthy options. And places that have quality food often mean higher prices and a bit of a wait.

Amanda’s Feel Good Fresh Food in downtown Berkeley may be on to something. The new fast-food-like eatery promotes good eating with fresh salads and organic, sustainable products like their 100 percent natural beef hamburgers and baked potato sticks ala French fries.

I discovered Amanda’s recently after visiting the Berkeley Saturday farmers’ market. Opened since summer 2008, the place is clean and friendly, offering an Earth-friendly motif of frosted glass with bamboo and a huge communal table that the owners promote as a “picnic table” for people to gather.

The restaurant was opened by Amanda West, who is not a chef but worked in the tech industry until she got a job at Niman Ranch. There she learned about high standards for sustainable foods, and she was inspired to come up with this healthy fast-food eatery after watching that “Supersize Me” documentary a few years back.

The menu consists of several burgers (beef, grilled chicken and veggie) and huge salads. Everything is served in compostable packaging, and every detail supports Amanda’s health and environmental mission—from the organic Heinz ketchup served to the tap water pitchers.

On one visit, I ordered the Grilled Citrus Chicken Salad ($6.45), which was a nice-size salad made with naturally-raised chicken, radicchio, red onion, jicama, orange segments and white beans. It’s served with a very light citrus vinaigrette.

I was amazed at the freshness of the ingredients, which was more restaurant quality. In fact, the jicama was so fresh that it made me a convert for this crunchy white vegetable that I generally avoid because I thought it was bland. But I realized that when fresh, jicama can be slightly sweet and fun to eat.

This isn’t a salad that will win for flavor because it tastes very light and healthy. But I felt it gained points for freshness and the nice portion size.

On a subsequent visit, I checked out the 100 percent naturally raised beef used in the hamburger ($3.75). I topped off my burger by adding avocado for 75 cents.

The burgers are served ala carte (unless you got the combo deal), so I ordered a side of the regular baked fries ($1.50). (Amanda’s also offers baked fries made of sweet potatoes for $1.75.)

The hamburger was a bit tiny, but it was piled on with avocado, tomatoes, lettuce and pickles (I asked it be made without onions). While the beef patty wasn’t necessarily cooked like at a restaurant (translation: a bit dry), it was still enjoyable, especially when I lathered it with ketchup. And I liked the warm, slightly toasted bun.

The fries were nicely thin, resembling real French fries. But of course, they weren’t as crisp as deep-fried fries. Still, they gave me the feel of eating French fries because of the texture and feel in my hands. To some, it might just seem like a somewhat soggy French fry. Given the health benefits of having them baked, I didn’t mind the slight sogginess since I have an aversion to deep-fried foods.

While the food might lack a bit of flavor, Amanda’s is a real refreshing find and priced to compete with any of the major fast-food chains. If you want something fast and convenient but don’t want to feel guilty about it, make Amanda’s your next stop.

I’m not giving this my regular rating system since Amanda’s isn’t a full-fledged restaurant, but I would definitely go back.

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Rustic Bread Rising at Mayfield Bakery

PALO ALTO
After my lunch with Food Gal last weekend at Calafia Café, I visited the also new Mayfield Bakery.

The bakery is attached to the Mayfield Bakery and Café at the Town & Country Village shopping mall. The restaurant actually seems busier than Calafia, and also a bit pricier. But next door in the tiny bakery, you can purchase sandwiches to go, pastries, desserts, hand-made candy and loaves of rustic bread.

Mayfield is the latest operation from the Bacchus Management Group (Spruce, Woodside Pub and Pizza Antica) and the bakery is overseen by pastry chef Nancy Pitta, formerly of Boulevard in San Francisco.

I definitely got myself a loaf of the ciabatta bread, which Food Gal highly recommended. It was really airy and light with a nice crust, and I ate it over several days making a grilled chicken sandwich with spinach and Caesar dressing. It was delicious with the ciabatta, which I lightly grilled.

The display case had a lot of tempting desserts, but I was concerned about keeping anything I got refrigerated as I traveled back by Caltrains to the East Bay. But Food Gal was a bad influence (or, I guess, a good influence depending on how you look at it) and convinced me to buy something to eat on the train ride home. So I got the lemon drop because I was just mesmerized by how it looked so perfectly round, seeming to give off a yellow glow under the counter’s fluorescent lights.

I thought it was smart how they placed the lemon drop (shaped like a char siu bau!) on a little disposable tray with a tiny handle so you could lift it without touching it. Inside, the lemon drop was a light cake with a custard filling. While the cake was light and fluffy, it didn’t have a strong lemony flavor—and I love my lemony flavor. So I have to say that it was subtle in flavor and not very bold for a lemon drop.

Mayfield Bakery seems like a fun place to shop for fancy bread and those special treats. Looks like another nice option for the foodies on the Peninsula, helping them save gas by not having to drive into San Francisco.

Mayfield Bakery, Town & Country Village, 855 El Camino Road, Palo Alto. PH: 650.853.9201. www.mayfieldbakery.com

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Movie Premiere and Free Grub

Even when I try to take a break from my food blog, I still stumble upon some kind of food event. That happened to me a couple of nights ago when I went to the world premiere of the independent film “White on Rice” as part of the 27th San Francisco Asian American Film Festival.

Despite the name, the film has nothing to do with rice. So it was just going to be a night out to watch a new film by director Dave Boyle (not to be confused with Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle). But prior to the screening, the film’s sponsor, Iyemon Cha, hosted a reception for the cast and invited guests. (Basically, anyone who signed up for an invitation on its site was invited.) So I got myself an invitation and packed up my handy pocketsize digital camera and the result was yet another food post.

The reception took place at the Bar Bistro at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the main venue for the film festival. I’m guessing the food came from the restaurant operations, which I blogged about when the Kabuki re-opened under the Sundance name in 2007.

Here’s my plate of free grubs. From the left there are a couple of crab balls (nice crab meat, OK flavor), a honking big chunk of braised short ribs (I wished they served it in smaller pieces and in a bun) and smoked salmon on a tortilla chip (the smoked salmon had an incredibly intense flavor that I liked). I called this dinner.

The most popular guy at the event was this server who kept bringing out trays of chocolate truffles. I didn’t know who made them, but they were soooo good because all the different flavors of truffles were topped off with a sprinkling of sea salt. (I know, chocolate and salt is so 2007 but I still love the combination.)

Since the sponsor of the event was Iyemon Cha, that was the only beverage served. I had never heard of Iyemon Cha, which produces bottled tea drinks. This night they served their original green tea and roasted green tea flavors. I tried both and I have to say they were kind of flavorless, almost like water. There wasn’t a strong tea flavor and it wasn’t really sweetened. (I heard many people say the tea was like water.) Thanks for the free grub though!

Here’s the star of the film, Hiroshi Watanabe, talking to a couple of guests. The film is a quirky comedy about Watanabe’s character, “Jimmy,” who is a 40-year-old divorcee and a bit of a child trying to find love. It has flavors of “Little Miss Sunshine” and also stars (in a supporting role) James Kyson Lee of “Heroes.” It was an entertaining film, and like all quirky comedies there’s a child star who’s adorable, and that comes in the form of newbie Justin Kwong.

Here’s the official site where you can check out the trailer and see where the film will be playing next. (If you’re in San Jose, you can get rush seating when the film plays as part of the festival Friday night, 3/20, at 7 p.m. Get details here.) The San Francisco Asian American Film Festival wraps up this weekend, so rush out to catch a film, and maybe some free grub!

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Dish on Dining: Calafia Café

Eat Like Google Employees
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Town & Country Village
PH: 650.322.9200
Open Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; weekends, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch only
Major credit cards accepted
No reservations, except for parties of six or more at the communal table
www.calafiapaloalto.com

PALO ALTO
I rarely make a trip down to Silicon Valley because BART doesn’t extend that far, but last weekend I hopped on the train down to Palo Alto because I had lunch plans with the Food Gal.

The Food Gal and the Single Guy used to work together at the San Jose Mercury News, when we were just known as Carolyn and Ben. (She in the Food Section, ’natch, and me in Business when I used to care about all this stock market mess.) We got together to catch up and compare notes about our fledgling food blogging experiences.

Our lunch spot was the newly opened Calafia Café by Charlie Ayers, the chef known mostly as the guy who fed the masses at Google’s free employee cafeteria. The idea was that the poor Google employees worked such long hours they needed a place for gourmet lunches and dinners to keep them happy (the top salaries and stock options didn’t hurt either).

Calafia is located at the Town & Country Village shopping mall, which for years have been eclipsed by the nearby Stanford Shopping Center but has been undergoing a rejuvenation of late with the arrival of such foodie spots as Kara’s Cupcakes and the Mayfield Bakery and Café.

When we arrived for lunch at 1 p.m., we didn’t have a problem getting a table in Calafia’s large space. It’s a casual, family-oriented dining spot with several interesting eating areas created to fit your mood. There’s a huge communal table at the front, a dining area with small tables in the center and a long counter facing the open kitchen. Food Gal, who came for a preview when the café first open, pointed out the interesting reclaimed wood used for the décor and the amber-glowing chandelier made of recycled milk bottles.

Off to the side is the recently opened Market A-Go-Go, where you can purchase take out items and local, sustainable food products.

When I looked over the menu, I have to say I was disappointed to find out that Calafia serves only brunch on the weekends. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big brunch person, but I had my heart set on trying some of the interesting appetizers and entrées I saw listed for lunch and dinner on Calafia’s Web site.

The brunch menu offered some of the typical eggs and breakfast dishes like omelettes, French toast and “fluffy” pancakes. But it also included some entrées that reflects Chef Ayers’ tendency to fuse global flavors in dishes using fresh, healthy ingredients.

Food Gal ordered the daily omelette ($9), which on this day was made with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and served with hash browns. When her plate arrived, it looked pretty straightforward. Food Gal said she really enjoyed the taste of the smoked salmon inside.

I decided to order something different and got the Five-Spice Chicken Fideo ($9). Fideo (as explained later by Chef Ayers who happened to spot Food Gal and came over to our table after lunch) is a Mexican short noodle that’s toasted first. The noodles are as thin as vermicelli or capellini.

My chicken fideo came in a bowl dressed in a simple light sauce made up of juices from the ingredients, which included tomatoes, mushrooms, mint, cilantro and basil. The bowl was topped off with a heap of pea shoots. The chunks of chicken in the dish had a nice five-spice flavor that wasn’t overpowering but pleasing. Still, I felt the sauce was a bit too wet making it difficult to eat the fideo without worrying about making a splash with every bite. It did seem like a very healthy, light lunch, however.

Since it was a light lunch, I decided to order dessert. I got the Meyer Lemon Tart ($8) with a citrus sauce. The slice of tart looked very yellow and tasted very lemony, and I enjoyed the slices of fresh grapefruit and citrus sauce. But the crust was too soft for my taste, blending into the lemon custard instead of providing a nice contrasting texture.

Side note: While I thought the service was efficient, I did sense a lag between the time we order things and how long it took to get to our tables.

Calafia Café is a beautiful space that smartly reflects the fresh environment of California—in look and taste. And at its price point, it definitely has the feel of a fancy cafeteria rather than a destination restaurant.

I’m not giving my usual ratings for this review since we didn’t really eat that much to get a sense of the menu, and I don’t really have the opportunity to come back often. It does seem to be a nice casual option among the offerings at the Town & Country Village.

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Delicious: The Art of Food

Can it be? People going crazy over a painting of asparagus or a few simple lemons? That’s what it was like yesterday when I checked out the new “Delicious” exhibit at STUDIO Gallery in San Francisco's Polk Gulch neighborhood.

STUDIO started in 2003 on Polk Street and recently moved to a larger space across the street. But even the larger space could barely fit the crowds gathered for the opening reception of the Delicious exhibit. The place was packed when I arrived in the afternoon.

It probably didn't hurt that they were serving free drinks and a healthy spread of gallery munchies.

In the back busy describing his cheese spreads to art-loving foodies was Ray Bair of Cheese Plus, which is a few blocks away from the gallery. Ray offered up three types of cheese spreads that he normally sells at his stores. I loved them all, including one with ale.

Here are a few shots of some of the interesting works of art on display. (All of the original art are for sale as well.)



You can view more images of the artwork from the exhibit here. Or you can just get yourself to STUDIO and catch the exhibit, which runs until April 12.

STUDIO Gallery, 1815 Polk St. (between Washington and Jackson), San Francisco. PH: 415.931.3130. www.studiogallerysf.com

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Food Gallery

Here's my tribute to perfection. Sometimes you see a fruit that is so smooth and perfectly round, it just draws you to it. Well, me maybe since I am the fruit whisperer. Wandering the farmers' market recently, I spotted this Shinko Asian pear and its smooth skin, perfectly round shape and golden color just made me have to take it home and make it my next model.

And it was pretty darn tasty after I was done. ;-)

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Single Guy's Planner

I promised to give you all a heads up about food events that I’m planning to show up at, so here’s my new feature, Single Guy Planner. I’ll list upcoming events I’m planning to attend, and a few others that I wish I could attend but can’t because I’m only one man. (When I work out the cloning process, I’ll get back to you.) So here’s what I found interesting for the next couple of weeks:

March 15 (Sunday)—There are two events that I’m thinking of going to. First up is “Delicious,” a new gallery exhibit with art inspired by food. Sounds different huh? The gallery, STUDIO, will be hosting an opening reception from 2 to 6 p.m. at 1815 Polk St. (between Washington and Jackson) in San Francisco.

Or I’m wondering whether I should make the trek out to the city’s Dogpatch neighborhood to check out the latest Hog Island Oyster Day at Piccino café and pizzeria. This event was rained out last month, but the weather should be beautiful this weekend for some sidewalk oyster shucking by the Hog Island people partnered up with thin crusted pizzas from Piccino. I read about these events from Foodhoe’s Foraging so I’ve been dying to check it out. Event runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Piccino, 801 22nd St., San Francisco. PH: 415.824.4224

And here are some future food events that conflict with my schedule so I won’t be able to go, but that doesn’t mean you guys shouldn’t check them out!

March 18 (Wednesday)—Thentic.com Tasting at Axis Café. Thentic.com is a new Web site that’s scheduled to launch later this year, focused on teaching people about artisan food and who makes them. They’re doing a tasting with various local producers such as Frog Hollow Farms, Prather Ranch, Cheese Plus and Rustic Bakery. Tickets are on sale for $25. (The space is small so you should sign up early if interested.) These are the types of small, intimate and affordable food events that I like to check out because you can talk to the producers without a mad rush of people. Click here to purchase tickets.

March 21 (Saturday)—Top Chef alert! Absinthe’s Jamie Lauren from Top Chef Season 5 will be doing the weekly cooking demonstration at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Saturday farmers’ market. The demo begins at 11 a.m. on the north end of the Ferry Building outdoor area facing the street.

And if you can’t get enough of Jamie, you might consider dining on her Top Scallop-inspired menu at Absinthe from March 18 to 20. (Fellow cheftestant Fabio made the famous comment about the show not being “Top Scallop” after Jamie made yet another scallop dish during a challenge.) You can check out Jamie’s scallop menu here.

March 26 (Thursday)—Toast of the Town. Wine Enthusiast Magazine is the sponsor of this huge wine tasting (more than 500 wines offered) at the San Francisco Opera House. Along with the various wine tables, there will be little bites from some of the Bay Area’s top restaurants, including Chez Papa Resto, Postrio, Go Fish, Slanted Door, The Girl and The Fig, Zinnia, Trattoria Corso and Mustards Grill. The Grand Tasting runs from 7 to 10 p.m. and cost a pretty penny at $95 per ticket (that’s actually the real reason why I passed). If you want to beat the crowd, you can buy a VIP ticket for $175 and you’ll get in earlier at 5 p.m. For more information and tickets, click here.

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Dish on Dining: Sidebar

Having a Grand Time Near Grand Lake
542 Grand Ave., Oakland
Grand Lake neighborhood
PH: 510.452.9500
Open Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (until 10:30 p.m. on Friday) and 4 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday
Major credit cards, reservations accepted
www.sidebar-oakland.com

After working out, I get lazy and don’t want to think about making dinner. So when Sidebar opened a few doors down from my gym, I was excited about a new option for a post workout dinner to refuel my aching muscles.

Just barely a month old, Sidebar is from the same people behind the former Zax in San Francisco and Zax Tavern in Berkeley. In Oakland, they’ve created a comfy gastro pub serving up a mix of California and Mediterranean cuisine, just across from Lake Merritt and a couple of blocks from the Grand Theatre.

But really, for me, it’s the close proximity to my gym that makes me happy. So one recent Friday night after a workout, I strolled over to Sidebar to re-energize.

The refurbished space has evolved into four distinct seating areas. When you walk in, you can’t miss the huge bar in the center of the room, where most people gather early in the evening. (Note: The restaurant is serving wine and beer for now while they wait for their full liquor license.)

To the left is a lounge area with a small communal table and comfy chairs against the wall. (The restaurant’s name comes from the idea of having side conversations with friends, which explains why all the seating seems to be pushed against the walls.) This area with its orange-bronze walls and neon-accented photos had the feel of a fancy pool room.

On the right side is the dining area with booths and small tables along the side. The lighter lime-gold wall with black-and-white photos changes the tone of the place to a more sophisticated but still casual environment.

I ended up sitting at a small five-seat counter in the lounge area that faces the open kitchen. I’ve decided that these kitchen counters are the ideal spot for solo diners because you get to watch and sometimes interact with the chefs making your dinner.

I started by ordering a glass of red wine from Spain, the 2007 Masia Bielsa Campo de Borja. (I know, I really shouldn’t be drinking after working out, but it was Friday night.) I have to say here that my waiter was fantastic. I was torn between two Spanish wine, and his detailed description of both helped me decide on the Campo de Borja, which turned out to be exactly the smooth wetness that I wanted in my red that evening. (My waiter was also great about checking in with me and letting me know when my food would be arriving.)

First up was the Grilled Calamari Salad ($9), which was a huge plate of baby spinach dressed in bacon vinaigrette. The photo doesn’t really show much of the calamari pieces, which are hidden by the spinach. Overall, the salad was just OK and the grilled calamari was nice and tender. But it was dominated by the spinach and I didn’t really get as much of the watercress, if any, that was listed on the menu.

As I watched the kitchen deliver up plates (supervised by co-owner and chef Barbara Mulas), I noticed that some of the really popular dishes were the Steamed P.E.I. Mussels ($7.50) and Smoked Paprika Fries ($5) served up in a cone. Another popular dish that night seemed to be what I ordered for my entrée—the Oven Roast Poussin ($18).

The poussin (a very young chicken) was seared in a pan and then roasted in the oven. It was served over what the menu described as German butterball potato hash, but what I saw the kitchen do was basically cook a tray of potatoes and then mash them up a bit with a big spoon. The poussin was drizzled with a little bit of whole-grain mustard jus.

The poussin was perfectly cooked, with a nice golden color and thin crispy skin. The flavor was simply the goodness of the tender chicken meat, with what seemed light a slight essence of Szechuan peppercorns. This was along the lines of Sidebar’s comfort food offerings, and the potato hash was a hearty compliment although I thought they could have cut back on some of the hash and offered a bit of greens. (I was glad I already had a salad.)

After dinner, I checked out the dessert menu by co-owner and pastry chef Mark Drazek (who’s married to Mulas). I was pleased to find that he had some original offerings, even though some of the descriptions bordered on some of the crazy things you’d expect to find at TGIFriday’s.

For example, something that caught my eye was the “Almond Joy” ($6.50), which is a chocolate pavé cake topped with candied almonds, caramel and whipped cream. While this sounds like something that might be served up at TGIFriday’s, it was way more sophisticated and better. The cake was light and airy, and the crunch of the nuts mixed with the cooling cream was sinful. I’m generally not a sweet dessert person, but I would order this “Almond Joy” every time I visit Sidebar.

The restaurant filled up as the evening progressed, and you could tell some of the servers were still trying to work out the “opening restaurant” kinks as they figure out where things went. But through it all, most everyone I interacted with was friendly and ready to please. The food is casual comfort fare in an environment that really plays up the neighborhood restaurant feel. And that’s exactly what the Grand Lake area deserves and needs.

Single guy rating: 3.5 stars (Working out the comfort)

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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Scoop on Dining: Ice Cream for Adults at Humphry Slocombe

For the last few months, I’ve been getting emails or tips from friends and readers asking: “Have you tried that new ice cream place in the Mission?” No, I haven’t, but yes, I’ve heard many times about the arrival of Humphry Slocombe.

This unique ice cream store opened in the dead of winter (in late December 2008), with hand-made ice cream created by owner Jake Godby, a former pastry chef at Coi. I was intrigued by the idea of another premium ice cream maker (I’m a big fan of Ici, also opened by a former pastry chef), but I’m a wimp when it comes to eating ice cream. I can only eat it on warm days, so the winter wasn’t necessarily my prime ice cream-tasting period.

So when the recent rains came to a stop and a sunny weekend was predicted, I made plans to finally check out Humphry Slocombe this past Saturday.

The store is on the outskirts of the Mission District off 24th Street. When I arrived in the afternoon, there were luckily no lines. Chef Godby has experimented with all sorts of interesting flavors and several of them are written on the chalkboard along the side wall. But on most days, the frozen counter only has room for maybe a dozen flavors.

I ordered the classic combination. (It says a lot that a store opened less than four months already has a reputation for a classic combo.) That combination is the Secret Breakfast and the Blue Bottle Vietnamese coffee. I paid $3.25 for my two scoops and sat in one of the retro red spinning stools along the counter.

The Vietnamese coffee was on top so I ate that first. First, the texture of Humphry Slocombe’s ice cream is amazingly thick and rich with very little air. This really made the ice cream taste more substantial than others. Its freshness is always appreciated because you know how I hate icy bits in my ice creams and frozen yogurts. The coffee flavor was subtle but distinctive, so I really enjoyed it.

Here’s a photo of my cup after I’ve eaten most of the coffee ice cream and started eating the Secret Breakfast. And let me say that when I hit my first bite, it was more like a Surprise Breakfast because every spoonful was so incredibly tasty and fun. See, the “secret” (probably one of the worst kept in town) is the bourbon that gives this flavor an adult slant and the bits of cereal that gives it a unique texture. I even bit into a big chunk of something that was almost like a piece of cookie or candy. I wasn’t sure what it was because I swallowed it too fast, but it was like finding a prize in your cereal box.

This experience has really tempted me to come back again and try some of the other unusual flavors like Valrhona fudgesicle or pistachio-bacon. It’s a bit out there for me to visit from Oakland (where I’m actually closer to Ici), but Humphry Slocombe is worth the travel. It’s a real ice cream eating adventure.

Humphry Slocombe, 2790 Harrison St., San Francisco. Opened Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. PH: 415.550.6971. www.humphryslocombe.com

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Macarons Part Deux

In my recent post about Paulette's macarons in Hayes Valley, one of you commented about how it compares to the macarons at La Boulange right across the street and how several Yelpers have done a face-off between the two macaron makers.

Well, I didn't head all the way back to Hayes Valley to check out the macarons at La Boulange (which actually is one of my favorite places to hangout), but I did check out the macarons at their Market Street outpost near downtown when I was running errands recently.

The macarons at La Boulange are about the same size as Paulette's, but they're a dime cheaper at $1.50 each (compared to $1.60 at Paulette's). There were a variety of flavors but I decided to just pick up a couple to take home: the Mango-Passion Fruit and the Pistachio.

I tried the Mango-Passion Fruit first and it was super sweet, with the gooey center almost tasting like candy because of the sugar level. The Pistachio was oddly hard to eat, almost like it was stale. It was really hard to chew into it, and I barely got any nutty taste to it.

In the end, I decided because of the apparent inconsistency in flavor and texture of La Boulange's macarons, Paulette seems to be a better option. I'm still thinking of its yummy chocolate macaron.

La Boulange at Market, 685 Market St., San Francisco. PH: 415.512.7610. www.baybread.com

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The Colors of Swiss Chard

Don't these Swiss chard bunches look beautiful? It's not just the color that makes them pretty, but I loved how this farmer displayed them so perfectly at their stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco. This is the Marin Roots Farm stand. This weekend looks like we're going to have beautiful spring weather so get out and support your neighborhood farmers' market.

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Dish on Dining: Corso Trattoria

A Taste of Florence in Berkeley
1788 Shattuck Ave. (at Delaware), Berkeley
Edge of Gourmet Ghetto
PH: 510.704.8004
Open dinner nightly from 5 to 10 p.m.; weekday lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; weekend brunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Reservations, major credit cards accepted
http://www.trattoriacorso.com/

Rustic Italian is a sure-fire hit for restaurateurs these days with popular spots such as A16 and SPQR in San Francisco. Across the bay in Berkeley, you can count Corso among the latest.

From the same people behind the refine Rivoli (not too far away on Solano Avenue), Corso is the casual new offspring that comes off like the big brother because of its bold personality.

I got together with my friend Laurie to check it out, and we didn’t have a problem getting a table since the restaurant started taking reservations on OpenTable. (When they opened last year, it was walk-in only.) I arrived early and the host kindly seated me at our table even though Laurie hadn’t arrived yet.

The restaurant is oddly split into two sections like two little restaurants abutting each other. On the left there was a flat screen TV near the bar, giving it a sports bar feel, while on the right you could see into the kitchen, giving that side a feel of a small family restaurant.

When Laurie arrived, we looked over the menu that was broken into sections very traditional to Italian dining: start with an antipasti, then a primi (first course) and secondi (second course). There was also a pizza section and sides.

Laurie doesn’t have a big appetite, so she ended up just ordering the Barbabietola con Mozzarella (roasted beets with arugula and fresh mozzarella, $13) and a side order of Verdure Arrostite (butternut squash, parsnips, and turnips, $6).

I ordered the Tagliatelle al Sugo (braised beef and pork pasta, $14), which the waitress said was the house specialty and something everyone should always try on their first visit to Corso. I totally agree. While I was tempted to order the braised duck pasta, I’m glad I went with the sugo because it was just so perfectly done and comforting. The tagliatelle had just the right “give” and the sugo clung perfectly to each strand.

I also ordered the Hoffman Farms pan-fried chicken breast ($10), which was just one of the four offerings in the secondi section. The breast, which comes out in a small copper fry pan, was golden brown and glistened in the brown butter sauce made of plugra butter. The meat was tender and the skin was crisp, what more do you want in a chicken breast?

I should note that I would have appreciated a reminder from the waitress that the secondi dishes were ala carte because my chicken breast looked lonely and it would have been nice to have some greens with my meal. Overall, I was disappointed at the service. While efficient, our waitress lacked any charm or friendliness. Her demeanor would fit well in a fine-dining establishment, not a casual trattoria where the flavor of the people plays as much a part of the meal as the food and wine.

We ended our evening by splitting a dessert. Laurie and I settled on the Pera Arrosto (Passito-poached pear with whipped cream, $7). It was nicely done with an interesting flavor and small scoop of cream, but I wished they had peeled the pear before poaching it instead of serving it all naturale. It just gave the dish that weird paper feel and made it tougher to cut into the pear with your fork.

The menu by Chef Rodrigo de Silva is straight-forward and simple, using locally sourced ingredients as one would expect in Berkeley. The execution of the pastas and meats are done so well that I can see why people keep returning despite the limited offerings. On nights when it’s not so packed, I can see how it could be fun to order a pizza and antipasti with a glass of chianti and just hangout.

Single guy rating: 3.5 stars (Hearty Italian)

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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Top Chef: New York, Bonus Post

I guess I had one more Top Chef post in me. So just for fun, here's a look back at what they called Season 5. New York, baaaaby! Enjoy!













And don't forget to tune in for the Top Chef: New York Reunion Show Wednesday night, 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central, on BRAVO.

Photos courtesy of BRAVO TV.

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Cooking Like a Japanese Grandmother

I was reading one of the many food blogs that I peruse every day and someone mentioned the words miso and stew together in a sentence. And it struck me: wow, what a cool idea! I love miso and I know how to make stew, so how wonderful to combine the two. It’s something I bet a lot of Japanese families grew up with. I’m surprised I’ve never noticed it on menus at Japanese restaurants because I would definitely order it.

In doing research for recipes, I found that most people made miso stew similar to miso soup, just maybe thicker. I decided to use pork as a base for my stew because I feel the flavors of pork and miso go well together. Then I threw in some other Japanese ingredients like daikon and shiitake mushrooms, among other things, to give it more a Japanese flavor. With the current rainy weather we’re experiencing right now, this stew is definitely comforting for these last moments of winter. Enjoy!

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Pork Miso Stew

Copyright 2009 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into cubes
1 small onion, finely diced
2 to 3 celery stalks (about 1/2 cup), finely diced
2 to 3 carrots, chopped
1 large daikon (Japanese radish) or 2 small ones, peeled and chopped
8 to 10 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
14 oz. tofu, firm
handful of bonito flakes (optional) or a dash of dashi
4 cups water
2 to 3 T miso paste (preferably white)
1 t grated ginger
1 T soy sauce
2 T cornstarch
2 to 3 T extra virgin olive oil

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot and add bonito flakes (or dashi) and mushrooms. Boil until the mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon and let cool. Don’t throw out the water. Instead, reserve it for use with your stew.

Season pork cubes with salt and pepper. Warm about 2 T of olive oil in a heavy bottom pot and then add pork to brown over high heat, about 2 to 3 minutes for each side. Remove meat from the pot and then warm more olive oil and then add onion and celery over medium high heat until onion is translucent. Pour mushroom stock into pot through a strainer such as a splatter screen (this is to prevent any of the leftover bonito flakes from getting into your stew; if you used dashi then this won't be an issue) and then add pork back to pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1.5 hours.

About 20 minutes into the cooking, add the daikon chunks (they take awhile to soften). After the pork has been cooking for about an hour, add the chopped carrots.

When the carrots and daikon are fork tender, your stew is ready to finish with the rest of the ingredients. Add mushrooms and ginger. Then in a separate bowl, place miso paste and ladle out some of your stew stock. Whisk until miso paste is dissolved, then add back to your stew. Taste your stew and flavor with soy sauce as needed.

Just right before you’re almost ready to serve your stew, add the tofu and napa cabbage and let cook for just a minute. These ingredients don’t need to cook that long.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a little bit of water to create a slurry. Bring stew pot temperature to high and when stew is bubbling add the cornstarch slurry a little at a time until stew thickens to the consistency that you like.

Ladle stew over rice and garnish with slivers of green onions.

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Pair with a glass of Zinfandel.

TIP: Whenever you add ingredients to your stew pot (such as the daikon chunks and carrots), you bring the temperature of your stew down. So you may need to turn up the heat for a few minutes to bring the stew back to a regular simmer. Then reduce the heat to allow the simmering to continue.

STEW FOR THE ECONOMY: This recipe is a bit larger in servings than I usually make because whenever I make stew that takes some time, why not make more for all that effort? In this economy, it helps to make a lot of servings that you can stretch over several dinners. If you don’t want to eat stew every night, then freeze some for later. If you plan to freeze some stew, then don’t add the Napa cabbage and tofu to the ones you freeze. It’s better to add those ingredients right before you’re planning to eat the stew to maintain the integrity of those two ingredients.

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