Carolyn Tillie

Here are some of my top favorites and places I would be happy to go if someone else was paying: Aziza Piperade Bix Quince and Kiss Sushi (no website)

Besides wine, milk is my beverage of choice as I have never purchased sodas in any form. I alone can go through a gallon-and-a-half each week. There are some dishes where even if the bottle of wine is open and being sipped, I prefer a big glass of milk to accompany the meal; pot pies, grilled cheese sandwiches with soup, etc. (Basically, comfort food items.) And any chocolate dessert. On that note, I will occasionally order a glass of milk in a restaurant if the dessert warrants -- did so at Gary Danko and got an odd look, especially after numerous bottles of wine through the dinner. I was a firm 2% girl for a long time and have gone back to whole milk. It just tastes so much better.

Vegetarian Stroganoff with tons of dill and sour cream over butter noodles with a touch of tamari for depth. Also, mushroom tarts -- you can make your own Pate Brisee or, if cheating is in order, roll out some store-bought puff pastry. Edited to add: Cream of Mushroom soup with a splash of Sherry.

Inside the W Hotel [181 Third Street·San Francisco, 94103, 415.777.5300] is their restaurant XYZ. The menu at XYZ is fairly limited; half-a-dozen appetizers and an equal amount of entrees. However, for entrees, half of those are fish courses and the remainder include one each chicken, beef, and lamb. Interesting considering the bulk of their 600-count wine list are Cabs which barely accompany the bulk of their menu. Also showcased was their "Citrus Menu" - a prix fixe of four courses for $55 with wine pairings for an extra $28. Since most of the menu included heavy fruit components anyway, having the tasting menu was an easy way to get the bad wine taste out of my mouth, having just come from a mediocre wine tasting. The meal started with an amuse of seared cold scallop served atop brioche, Picholine olive tapenade, and a sliver of fresh crab. Not a bad start as the olive tapenade was not too overwhelming and there was just enough crab to push that taste through. I think, however, I would have preferred the scallop freshly seared and warm instead of cold. The first course was ahi tartare served with grilled toasts, and "tangerine with yogurt citrus frisee." Well, for a "citrus" menu, this was not starting off well. The ahi tartare was decent enough -- if not on a bit on the spicy side, but the tangerine component was nothing more than two sections served on the frisee; hardly an integral flavor to the ahi but a mere garnish. This dish was served with 2006 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand and was quite nice. While dining on the whole meal, I noticed another appetizer which would have seemingly been a better choice for such a tasting menu, oysters on the half-shell served with cara cara orange and citrus mignonette. Very surprised THAT was not part of the tasting menu as this ahi dish just didn't work. Next was foie gras with kumquat marmalade, brioche, and duck jus served with a 1999 Welshriesling Weissburgunder, Heidi Schrock, Beerenauslese from Austria. The initial reaction to a bite of all this was "way too sweet." The duck jus was just too syrupy with sweetness. The kumquat marmalade was actually slices of kumquats so I'm not sure where the marmalade came in except maybe as a sweetener in the duck jus. The foie gras was adequately prepared and worked well with the wine, once the sweet factor settled down. It is really hard to ruin foie gras... The third course, entree really, was lamb t-bone with gnocchi, broccoli rabe, topped with a Meyer lemon gremolata all served with a 2005 Brick House Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. This dish, again, had an initial flavor of too much sweetness but tamed down considerably into the second bite. The 2"-round lamb t-bones were perfectly prepared and I like the greens and sauce they were served with. The gnocchi addition seemed to be added only as a carb and to carry the sauce. The dessert course served was poppy seed-crusted crepes topped with blood orange segments and a scoop of yogurt sorbet accompanied with a 2005 La Spinetta "Bricco Quaglia" Moscato d'Asti from Italy. This was a rather nice finish in that it was not too sweet and not too heavy (considering how sweet the rest of the dinner was). The crepe itself had obviously been made several hours before and the existence of poppy seeds seemed pointless, but the yogurt sorbet was a pleasant bitter taste against the sweetness of the blood orange sauce. So I am essentially glad I went to the restaurant, but will definitely stick with the bar menu which I have found to be far superior. The downside of the restaurant -- besides the limited menu -- is the barage of industrial house music that is far too reminiscent of that which I have been subjected to in Panamanian strip clubs with a steady thump-thump-thump pervading one's senses. The waiters are extremely attentive and pleasant and the setting is quite nice. It just misses the mark on too many points. Bauer gives this place three stars but I'm hard pressed to give them much more than two.

From the out-of-print Pates & Terrines, An Unparalleled Presentation of One of the Most Versatile of the Culinary Arts by Friedrich W. Ehlert, Edouard Lonque, Michael Rafael, and Frank Wesel, page 129: A Truffled Trophy - Wild Boar Terrine ... without re-typing the entire recipe, the gist of this Wild Boar Terrine is that one starts with the whole head of a young boar. It goes on to explain how the forcemeat is placed in the snout of the boar, after over three hours of cooking the head is covered in a dark chaudfroid or brown aspic and served whole. The snout itself is cut into rounds for serving and the suggested accompaniments include a rose-hip sauce with apples, mushrooms, or glazed chestnuts braised in white wine. I've always wanted to make it but A) couldn't find a whole boar's head and B) couldn't find any friends willing to either help with the procedure or help eat it afterwards.

I have to add that my boyfriend is quite similar to you except that instead of being too picky, he simply is never that hungry or prefers to eat at very odd hours (2:00 a.m. and the like). At first it pissed me off that he was never hungry when we would go out to restaurants with friends, and now we simply have an agreement that he orders something that I might like as a leftover, pushes it around his plate to appear as though he is participating, and then we have it wrapped up to go for dining later. It never goes to waste and we are never shown as looking odd for him sitting there without a plate of something in front on him.

A dozen years ago or so I worked in office of 20-some people. After one particularly bad fish day, a memo was sent around to everyone that they were not allowed to eat fish in the office. I was really taken aback -- who the hell were they to tell me what I could and could not eat? A week or so later, a new employee came on board who had not seen the menu. She had heated up some left-over fish in the microwave and the office just reeked for days and days. Okay, I relented... I can leave my fish-eating to evenings and while MY fish was always tasty and not smelly, I would not subject my co-workers to smelling my fishy left-overs.

Some recent visits around town: Chez Nous [1911 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, 94115 - 415.441.8044] I have been making a concerted effort to eat at all the restaurants within walking distance of my dwelling (no small feat considering Japantown alone presents 20+ Japanese restaurants). On a busy, warm Sunday afternoon, seeing many other Fillmore brunch-serving restaurants quite packed, I was pleased to see two seats available at the back bar of the restaurant, overlooking the small cooking area. Immediately served was a miniature wreath of kalamata olive bread which we paired with some Kir Royales. Craving sushi, I ordered a tuna tartare which was studded with Meyer lemon rind and elegantly topped with a flower of avocado. Drizzled on the side was a spicy, creamy wasabi sauce, fried won ton crisps, and a handful of endamame. Another starter was a bruschetta of prosciutto. Not very inventive, but tasting good; two slices of sourdough bread spread with cream cheese, topped with ample slivers of prosciutto and served with balsamic-tossed greens. Borek is the Turkish name for phyllo triangles of spinach and cheese. Two or these were large, well-stuffed, and quite fabulous. The surprise dish on the menu was a tagine of pork (yes, rather unorthodox) - classic tagine flavors with dates, olives, and freshly sliced orange segments with fork-tender pork. This was my favorite. So enamored with the dishes, we ordered a few to go for dinner that night; winter roasted vegetables with pecan gremolata that was a little too laden with brussels sprouts for my enjoyment and lavender-roasted lamb chops served with a dozen or so garbanzo beans. While waiting for our to-go orders, I sampled a rich chocolate pot de creme served with an almond cookie and paired with a 20-year tawny port. What I saw coming out of the kitchen that I am anxious to go back and try include mussels, a weekend-only souffle, frittes served with a harissa aioli, and a handful of other things. Surprisingly, they also have cannele as a dessert but it looked decidedly undercooked (not that dark, beautiful burnt exterior) which they serve with creme anglaise and caramel. Also on the weekend was an ample French toast with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of honey, the plating of which was quite inviting. Can't believe it took me over a year to stop here... I think there are only three restaurants left on Fillmore itself I have yet to try but when I'm dining solo, this will be an easy choice for the quality and small plate offering. It also thrills me that there is somewhere within walking distance that I can get decent Middle Eastern flavors; the one thing I thought my neighborhood lacked. (Now I am just missing a decent Indian restaurant!) Memphis Minnie's[576 Haight Street, San Francisco, 94117 - 415.865.PORK] Stumbled on this place en route to the Under One Roof sale several weeks ago. We ordered two sandwiches; beef brisket and pulled pork. Both are served dry with their variety of sauces available for self-dressing on the table. The offering included a vinegar sauce, a "Stupid Hot" habanero sauce, a mustard sauce, and a classic sweet BBQ sauce. On the whole, while the meat was decent enough (although slightly dry), I was not Wowed by any of the sauces, finding the classic BBQ almost Oriental for some reason. The sides, on the other hand, were pretty fabulous; collard greens that were hefty and vinegary, chunked yams, and an interesting cole slaw with large slices of bell pepper and more. The restaurant itself is part of the attraction with a long banquet of tables and chairs with red checkered cloths, ample paper towels, fun t-shirts on the walls from competitors, and tons of pig paraphernalia. They also played great music. Doubtful I'll go back based on the sauce alone, but they do seem to have other things going for them including a fried catfish dish and several weekly specials so who knows... Juyusa [1560 Fillmore St @ Geary, San Francisco, 94115] This is a new Korean restaurant that has opened in the old location of A Taste of Thai. They have only been open two weeks and I think it will take time for them to get any sort of a following (if they ever do). We ordered a handful of appetizers the Korean names for which I did not get; fried chicken with a side of dressed salad, small fried yam balls served with the same lemony salad dressing, and very odd platter of grilled sausages. This is not a classic Korean BBQ and I believe they are trying for the more "upscale" appeal but are not quite getting there. The owner's wife is often the hostess/waitress but speaks little English. The clientelle is mostly Korean as this neighborhood (including "Japantown") is getting more Korean restaurants than Japanese ones. Not necessarily a bad thing, but nothing that is knocking my socks off. Sushi Ino I've been here before and many have complained about the excessive use of wasabi. A quick stop in on Saturday evening showed for some restraint in that area which surprised me. I am trying to narrow down which is the best sushi restaurant within walking distance and Ino might be it. Kiss is fabulous but since I can't always get a seat there for last-minute ventures, it is now a toss-up between Ino and Fuku. Ino has the advantage of consistently offering Ankimo. On Saturday, some additions to the menu included a Japanese bottle-nose fish (Japanese name unknown) and a shrimp-like fish I should have asked the name of. I say shrimp-like as it looked and was shaped somewhat like a shrimp, except that it was less "flared" and the tail was entirely edible. Very odd and quite good. Lastly, a return visit to Neiman Marcus' Rotunda [150 Stockton Street, San Francisco, 94108 - 415.362.4777] restaurant for lunch is still proving to be one of the nicer, albeit expensive, Union Square spots. They provided a cauliflower soup that was exceptional. My companion ordered some frittes which were served in in the classic wrought-iron cone with butcher paper which we both enjoyed. I also ordered a duck salad with arugula, roasted beets, and lentils. It would have been 100% perfect had the duck been slightly rare. As it was, grey-colored cold duck ends up being rather unappetizing so only the vegetables were really enjoyed. Of course just going for a popover is always an option for me.

Ah, Beto... you are killing me! Here I thought the Hotel deVille was our little secret and now the Washington Post is telling everyone!!! I've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 pictures from my last trip and when I have the fortitude to get through and edit them, I'll post some highlights of from Ten Bistro and Beirut. Hopefully before the end of the week!

I'll third the J recommendation but throw in Mayo which has the BEST deal in town for food and wine tastings; for $20 you get a sit-down experience with seven bites of food and seven tastes. It honestly makes for a complete lunch or light dinner as it includes a sweet bite at the end.

I've owned it for years and way back in 1999 (before there were blogs and I had to PAY someone to build a website for me), I cooked a 12 course meal from the book. Thought you might enjoy looking through what I did...

Ludja, I'm curious -- did you have to make reservations for both nights or was going back last night just a spur-of-the-moment decision? I have yet to go but this is really high on my list...

You are welcome. I hope you will visit them and give them some business one day Carolyn. They might need it! ← Sadly, it is unlikely. The furthest east I get is Napa/Fairfield. When the gambling bug hits, I fly straight to Reno (or lately, Panama). It looks really stunning though!

Huh, distilling and liqueurs seem to be the new trend in the wine country. Was the base spirit distilled from their wines? Did they distill it or grow the pears? ← From the ones I have tasted, most of the wineries are using a neutral spirit that is being purchased versus distilling it themselves. One of the stories I was investigating some time ago was the fact that several years ago, Remy Martin had an Alembic distillery in Carneros. When they shut down, a lot of the barrels of not-quite-ready alembic were sold to local wineries. Every now and then I would stumble on some amazing late-harvest Zin or fortified wine and when asked which what the fortifying spirit was, I was often told it was the left-over Remy Martin stock...

I've got at least a half dozen rather old bottles of this in the house right now. Would you say it would be best with dark chocolate, or would it be compatible with milk and white as well? ← I'm with this one as well -- along with the Banyuls and Port suggestions. I would tend to stay away from "dry" reds like Cabs, Pinots, or Sangiovese IF you are having some sweet wines as well; you will end up with too many conflicting flavors. I have done some Cab/Chocolate tastings for various wineries and those work okay, but when you start to introduce a sweet wine into the mix, it just makes for a very complicated palate for the tongue. I think Muscat is too sweet for most chocolates. Also, I am surprised no one has suggested Champagne. With all the sweets you will be ingesting, a good brut or sec would not only compliment the chocolate but also give a palate cleanser as well.

Thanks for that report! I am really bad about following the blogs every week but this link has brought me back to yours' and proved very interesting!

So glad to know this worked out for you! When I worked there, I was the one who suggested they implement the lunch thing. Up until then, we just did the wine tasting and let people go on their merry way but with the great picnic location under that 100-year old chestnut tree, it seemed a natural and the Dean & Deluca thing is so easy and great to provide. I am pleased they are finally doing it. Ladera's winemaker is Karen Culler and she is a MASTER of syrah! If you ever see her own label, Culler Syrah, on a wine list, buy it - no questions asked - you will not be disappointed. The Ladera owners realized they should utilize her talents and their syrah is a new one in their offering (I bought a case and it is stunning).

Stay away from the Henckel shears. I have had mine about five years and the BF somehow caused a crack on the inside plastic of the handle. It now broke through and while they are still slightly functional, I can't get a great grip on them for hefty shearing jobs. I've just been too lazy to buy new shears...

Become friends with a Mason. I've mentioned this in a number of different threads, but many of the Masonic halls have licensed kitchens which are only used one or two nights a week, occasional weekends, and rarely on weekdays. When I lived in SoCal, I was able to run a catering company out of a Masonic kitchen. Similar fraternal clubs probably have similar kitchens that could be available. It will probably mean lots of cold calls but you never know what will come up - especially if said club needs "donations" or income. This came up because I saw a sign on a local Swedish/American club building advertising their hall for rental -- there is a kitchen that is quite possibly available for rent.

Michael Bauer blogged about it earlier this week.

It happens all the time and yes, it offends me... On the Peruvian liquor, you can see "made" it in the Werner Herzog film Burden of Dreams which is about the making of the film Fitzcaraldo with Klaus Kinski. One of the biggest problems on the set is the extras' wives would follow the encampment and make this drink, causing all the extras to be often intoxicated. There was even a fight (if memory serves) between two women over a man. Fascinating...

As a note on Rules (on Maiden Lane - come down from Covent Garden) they do (or did) a pre-theatre menu that was a pretty good deal. Their pheasant was great. ← When I went (geez, 1999 or 2000?), it was the pre-theatre deal I could afford. I brought two old friends and yes, the pheasant was fabulous. As was the rabbit and mushroom ravioli (dining with a vegetarian). Very fond memories of that place...

Admittedly, I haven't been to London in several years (but will be there this fall). I always loved Rules, one of the oldest restaurants IN THE WORLD (opened in 1772, I believe) and specializes in game. Also, Tayyabs is probably the best Indian restaurant in the world - period - end of sentence.

Similarly, Hungry Hunter's Steakhouse on the westcoast started with a beautiful turren of soup, then a salad that came a stunning lazy-susan of accountrement; grated cheese, diced scallions, cubed ham, chopped hard-boiled egg, etc... Then came the large junks of meat (usually prime rib for our family). This was 30 years ago and I loved it -- especially the soup tureen!

#4. Tootsie