Carolyn Tillie

It kills me that I recorded YEARS worth of this show in Los Angeles when it was being shown before subtitles or any American bastardization. Then I got rid of the tapes 'cuz I never watched 'em and DVDs became to prevalent... <sob>

Back in the saddle of San Francisco dining after several weeks in Central America. While we made some better-than-average sushi with freshly caught Red Snapper in Belize, the first thing I wanted when I got home was Japanese food... After unpacking and settling, we promptly walked over to Japantown for a quick nosh at Sanppo [1702 Post Street]. On the upside, they use HUGE hunks of fish for their rolls. On the downside, their fish is not very fresh and their gyoza too gummy. But with a bento box full of other pickled treats and a bowl of miso, it still tasted good -- I just won't bother going back there... A day after our return was a BDay celebration for someone special and the gift I gave was a helicopter flight over San Francisco (highly recommend). We took off from SFO but landed in Sausalito. While the tour company offers to drive you back into the city, we opted to stay there for lunch and ferry back. Feeling uninspired to wander the streets of Sausalito reading menus, we went in the first place we saw, The Spinnaker. It is on a pier, jutting out into the ocean with very impressive views of Alcatraz and the city. On a Thursday afternoon, it was filled with mostly septegenarians and we did feel a tad young. The service, setting, and menu is relatively standard for "upscale seafood" without being daring or cutting edge. We started with half-a-dozen oysters which were oddly served with horseradish, ketchup, and soy sauce (I'm sure they thought it was a mignonette sauce!). Kevin ordered an angel hair pasta with shrimp, scallops, sun dried tomatoes, and a decent cream sauce. I had their special of the day, fresh halibut with four different types of fresh wild mushrooms served with a side of steamed vegetables and orzo. Everything tasted good but was hardly inspired. It simply seemed as though the restaurant, the service, and the clientele has not changed in 20 or 30 years -- a throwback to 1978 in the classically elegant form. Lastly, several consecutive nights have been spent playing pool at my favorite Irish pub, the Abbey, on 5th Avenue and Geary. But last evening upon exiting, the smell of roasted meat was in the air and I insisted on investigating. This is a neighborhood for Korean BBQ and just two doors down from The Abbey, I line stood out the door for Brother's Restaurant [4128 Geary]. I've had a handful of Korean barbecues in my neighborhood, but never have I experienced the full-on spectacle where fresh racks of smoldering charcoal is placed in the hole in the center of the table. In a restaurant that seats about 50 people, we were the only ones who were not Korean which attests to its authenticity. I ran the gambit from the menu and ordered ribs and tripe for the charcoal, a rice dish, and an oxtail soup. Before the dishes themselves arrived, FOURTEEN (yep, I counted them!) individual side dishes were scattered around our table; kimchees, nori, bean sprouts, lettuce, various pickles, sauces, and more. While the BBQ'd ribs and tripe were fun enough, it was the rice dish that most intrigued me and I'm sorry I didn't write down the Korean name for it -- served with a raw egg, the waitress poured a red sauce into the rice and vegetable combination and stirred it together with the egg. The oxtail soup was the least impressive but only because the rest of the food was so flavorful and spicy; the oxtail meat itself was incredibly tender, but the broth quite limpid. Having eyes considerably bigger than our stomachs, the waitstaff added insult to injury by providing an additional course we hadn't ordered -- micro-thin noodles tossed with a sauce and vegetables. I think they thought we were funny to have ordered so much food and saw how much we were enjoying ourselves. In all, we brought home more than six pounds of leftovers and had a great time. Must go back with LOTS of other people! It is good to be home...

Another place to persue for journalism jobs of all kinds (including food-related) is Media Bistro. There is a membership fee of $50.00 for "insider information" that has proven slightly more helpful to me, but may not be required.

Unkle Fritz!!!! How cool that you are lurking here... Let's not see if we can't find a fabulous Chili Relleno for you when you visit later this month! I can't wait to see your knees....

Kevin ordered a blended version for me from a street vendor that was made with bread fruit. Mostly, because of the amount of rum drinks we were consuming, I was having a bit of a sugar overload and really shied away consuming a lot of fruit. I really wanted to try a Tres Leches cake but my sweet tooth seemed to fail me.

Not having tasted the 23-year old, I picked up two bottles of the 25 in a duty-free shop en route home from Panama and couldn't be happier. The 25-year old is rich and elegant, with notes of molasses, dark caramel, and coffee. Personally, I'm thrilled and now knowing that I may be travelling through this particular shop again in the future, won't hesitate to acquire more bottles (@ $85 a pop!)

Carolyn! You've just provided me with a way to get my husband back to Belize! Your trips sounds like big fun. We did a charter in the BVI a couple of times and loved it; a few people we met on our trip were on a boat up near San Pedro prior to coming to Placencia. ← Caye Chapel is a quite a fabulous stop -- we met a number of folks who were staying there. The island has both over-the-top villas which can be shared by two or three couples, or smaller casitas. Some folks had been there an entire week while others were there for a long weekend. Kevin went several years ago when use of the golf course required the renting of accomodations. We just sailed up and because it was off-season (quite rainy), they let us moor-up and stay to use the facilities. The funny part was that we met a couple of teachers on a trip with students at St. George. When we described Caye Chappel, both said something like you; "now we know how to get our husbands down here!" It is stunningly beautiful but I know there are folks who can't vacation anywhere without some form of golf. For one of the wives of the golfers on the island, she said she spent her time going to the other islands, having a massage, etc. Then everyone would meet for dinner. On our particular night with these folks, we did bring in some of our own wine (a Copain Roussanne) which was much enjoyed. Their list is okay, but hardly remarkable. Most people are drinking rum cocktails anyway.

Finally a chance to breathe and catch up after getting back home... The last few days in Panama were spent in a few more upscale restaurants than had previously been visited. Kevin took me to Casca Viejo which is the charming, old-town area with great architecture and limited crowds. It appears to be the area where more hoity-toity restaurants exist as well. We spent a lovely afternoon watching World Cup at a bistro called Casablanca. They served an elegant ceviche in a martini glass that was the best I had on the trip. We also ordered their short-rib appetizer which was served with a great cole slaw and roasted potato. While wandering around Casca Viejo, we stumbled on a restaurant only open for dinner, Los Bovedas, which I insisted on returning to that evening. Los Bovedas sits inside two arched brick bunkers which were built in 1688. By all accounts, this is apparently the fanciest restaurant in Panama. We started with escargot which was perfectly prepared in the classic French style. On the waiter's recommendation, we had another starter of a gratin of hearts of palm. This was an odd dish for me as I am used to hearts of palm coming from cans as an additive for pasta salads. This was obviously fresh and the melted cheese complemented the crisp, fresh vegetable. Dinner for Kevin was a mixed seafood plating of shrimp and crab with mushrooms and very rich sherried cheese sauce. I was given this monstrous crab with the body of the crab opened clean and all the meat placed inside with herbs and garlic. On an American scale, this restaurant would be within a 3-star class except for the presentation of simple side dishes of steamed vegetables and plain white rice. The thought given to the slicing and presentation of the vegetables are obviously there, but little thought is given to bringing them to the next level. Stunning locale and the rest of the food preparation was quite good. We had moved from the Calidonia district for our few final nights and was staying at the El Panama near the business district. The cocktails and room service at this hotel is quite worthwhile (as are the expansive rooms), but their ceviche was the worst I had during my trip; laden with green cocktail olives and miniature bay shrimp with the corvino. On our last night in Panama, Kevin took me to a Columbian restaurant a block or so away from the El Panama. This was quite an eye-opener as he specifically requested they serve me traditional Columbian cuisine not found on their menu. The waitress immediately brought over a bottle of Aguardiente and poured us three shots -- a clean, anise-flavored liquor, a half-bottle was easily consumed before we realized we had better not try and finish it... What first arrived were savory pork short-ribs glazed in a heady BBQ sauce that was darker and richer than I had tried before. These were served with sliced, fried patagonias which were light and the perfect compliment to the ribs. The next dish that arrived is something I never got the name to but enjoyed more than the previous evening's Los Bovedas extravaganza; a layering of fresh corn, dried, sliced beef tongue, fresh queso blanco, and deep-fried, shredded crunchy yucca. All this was topped with a criss-cross of a sauce similar to a 1,000 Island dressing, only darker in color and flavor. The preparation was such that one had to scoop from the bottom to get the fresh corn but that the fried crunchy bits were not so hot as to make the cheese melt -- it was basically all at room temperature and the combination of flavors and textures quite intriguing. Sadly, no dessert was available as the back room we had been inhabiting by ourselves was suddenly filled with Colombian "businessmen of questional repute" to whom we left our remainder Aguardiente for a speedy departure. Of additional note for the trip -- several days worth of layovers provided some great eats in Nicaragua and El Salvador; a chili relleno in their airport of El Salvador was better than any Mexican version I've had in either California or Baja California, and a Cuban sandwich in Nicaragua was easily served on the best bread I ate in Central America. As business continues to blossom in Panama, I'll continue to report back -- looks as though I'll be heading back in the next few months...

I just returned from a week in Belize as well... We were on a chartered sailboat and brought some provisions with us for cooking on board (nori, rice, wasabi, soy...) Ironically, it was not until day three or four that we actually started to do our own cooking. Arriving in San Pedro to pick up the boat, I had a great fish taco at a bar that is right next to the Mayo/TropicAir airport while the boat was being provisioned with ice. We sailed immediately to Caye Caulker and tried to have dinner at Caribe. Getting less than bad service on a cevice starter, we took it to go and found a converted front yard of someone's house; Wet Willie's was barbecuing chicken, lobster, and barracuda and we settled in there for a great meal. Willie came out to our boat the next day and we arranged to trade some of his fresh fish for some of our fresh wasabi. Consequently, we returned to Willie's that evening. Seems they aren't used to eating raw fish in any fashion other than ceviche and loved the Red Snapper rolls we prepared. We did have lunch at one other place at the end of the island (sorry, don't recall the name) which was -- yes, more lobster -- most of which came back to the boat for left-overs. The next two days were spent on Caye Chapel. This is an island that is wholly and entirely a golf course with a fabulous club house. They let us moor our boat for an attempted 18-holes. We got through the first five before the lightning started and it was quite surreal to be the only ones in the two-story, elegant clubhouse eating lunch (very good club sandwich and their version of a Philly cheesesteak). After that rain stopped, we tried to finish the first nine but were literally run off the putting green with torrential rains and lightening. Dinner in the clubhouse with other staying guests who were not as stalwart to play in the rain provided very good surf-and-turf (more lobster), a very decent mushroom soup, and a great German chocolate cake (fresh coconut!). We then sailed down to St. George and Belize city, mostly eating leftovers on the boat from the previous few days. Our last day in Belize was waiting (in the rain) for a flight to Panama and eating VERY standard grill food at the local Radisson.

Same question -- does it have to be Carlsbad specifically? Just south in Encinitas there is a great outdoor, upscale mall that has a restaurant called Meritage which is quite excellent with a great wine list. I'm sorry you aren't interested in Mexican; just north in Oceanside is Anita's which has been making amazing Mexican food for almost 40 years. Both Meritage and Anitas are on PCH. In Carlsbad, consider Fish House Veracruz -- I used to eat at their original restaurant in San Marcos. I have to admit that when I'm in Carlsbad, I go to the fish-and-chips joint on the water, across the street from Neimans (which has a decent bar, but I wouldn't bother eating there). Walk around Carlsbad Village -- the restaurants change a bit too frequently for me to keep up with them; I used to love Brennan's, but I don't think they are open any more. Best advise -- serendipity. Drive slowly down PCH through Solana Beach, Encinitas, Leucadia, etc and stumble on something that appeals to you. That is how I found Meritage...

Ate something bad yesterday and was up most of the night suffering for it. Kevin thought it would happen to him and I don't know if it was the salad from Jimmy's, the water from one of the local billar spots, or the late-night fried chicken or fried rice that we took back to the hotel (sorry, never knew the name of that place). I'm sure I'll be fine for dinner tonight... Note to Jaymes: Sitting here now at the Balboa Yacht Club -- it is not what it used to be (the two-story building that burned down) but a cluster of free-standing overhangs and a cart or two for food and beverages. But the atmosphere is jubillant as two-dozen folks are sitting watching the Argentine/Germany World Cup game, sipping cervezas.

A quick check-in from Panama. Staying in the Caledonia neighborhood, I had my first "official" Panamanian meal at Dos Mares, dining on a whole fried Corvino served with a side of fried patagonias (plantains). Four rum-a-cokes, a pork sandwich (akin to a Cuban sandwich) and the fish came to a whopping $15.00. Breakfast has been street food empanadas for .35 cents. We have been having various business meetings at some of the swankier restaurants; Hotel El Panama and Pencas none of which really impressed me (okay, the ceviche at Pencas was okay). A pizza from Manollas near the business district was the first to deliberately charge a 10% propena and one can see why - the service is horrible, although the pizza was reasonbly decent. I'm enjoying the potential of street food more than anything else, including something I had seen in Mexico but forgot about; a giant machine that grinds up sugar cane. It is somewhat filtered over ice and served in a styrofoam cup for .25 cents. A tad grassy like alfalfa, it is cold and refreshing. A bit on the sweet side, it was better brought back to the hotel room and mixed with mango juice and rum. More as the adventure continues...

I did learn something very interesting about Belizean food -- the chicken is often coated with recodo a red paste made from a local seed. I purchased a small tube of it and it had the smell and consistency of fresh masa, although it was very, very dark red. About a tablespoon of the paste is mixed with water and used as a paste on the chicken. I used some in a fish stew we made while sailing and found it quite rich and unusual.

Gourmet used to sell the years' issues bound into a hardback -- I have both 1946 and 1950 in that fashion and have cooked out of them often. I love scottie's comments and much of it seems common sense. When I work the recipes, I didn't realize at the time, but I was altering them to modern sensibilities and techniques!

Another celebration dinner and a desperate need for foie gras brought us to one of the few restaurants in walking distance that could satisfy my liver craving... Bushi-Tei is a restaurant in the heart of Japantown that I had walked by often enough with a sense of intrigue. From the front window, one sees only two four-tops and then a giant, family-style banquet table already elegantly set for 14. A combination of dark wood, natural rock, and abstract textiles provide a sense of austere luxury. Besides the large table, there is a smaller alcove which seats six and a semi-private area that can be separated or joined for parties from two to 10. Seated upstairs, behind an etched glass barrier, a sweeping view of the restaurant as well as passers-by on the street is afforded. It is worth noting that from that angle, I could see that the banquet table (probably 14 feet in length), was constructed from a several planks of a single tree. Not being terribly hungry but still wanting to try a number of dishes, we opted for a handful of appetizers. The obligatory foie gras was seared and served with pumpkin pot de crème, pistachio, and a red onion marmalade. I'm not exactly sure where they got pumpkin this time of year, but it was creamy, satisfying, and intense. We countered this with miso-marinated Kobe beef served with peppercress, camembert, sesame brioche, and lemon-pepper oil. While an appetizer course, either of us would have been happy with an entrée-sized portion of this, surprised that the camembert worked so well with the miso flavors. Wanting a tad more, the waiter suggested the lobster appetizer but sandwiched between our adventures of having Too Much Seafood and heading to Belize for lobster season next week, we were steering away from anything oceanic. We opted for sharing a starter of confit of quail with jamon Serrano, quail egg, almond and aged balsamic vinegar and an entrée course of pan-roasted Sonoma duck breast with spinach, mascarpone-mustard and dried chutney. The quail was served in a mini Staub cocotte which adds to the "cute factor" and keeps the flavors meshed together. Of the two, the quail was the preferred dish as the duck breast had a large vein of grizzle running through it, although the accompaniment was decent enough. For a change, I was not allowed to peruse the wine list but we shared a nice Burgundy that suffered only by being too young. Of interesting note, one has to wonder about a restaurant that has installed $500 toilet seats with controls mounted in the wall. (They are astonishing, I must admit). The waitstaff were beyond attentive and accomodating and we are pleased to have stumbled upon an upscale restaurant where we can both conduct high-end business meetings and have celebratorial meals -- all within a 2-minute walk.

For delivery, I've been quite pleased with Extreme Pizza. We order a half-and-half of the YARD SALE (Everything in the house!) Sausage, pepperoni, salami, fresh mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, red onions, tomatoes, fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella and the PANDORA'S BOX Baby Spinach, marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, fresh garlic, fresh basil, oregano and mozzarella -- but I always add mushrooms to both sides.

Maybe they used roasted tahini which can add a smoky flavor? Crepes AND decent Middle Eastern food? I am getting quite jealous. Need a roomie? ← It was weirder than that -- I've used roasted tahini myself and this was far smokier. I'm wondering if the chickpeas were near a hookah or something!

One never knows when a gem will be discovered. Happenstance brought me to Hayes Valley for an early morning DMV time-suck. A beautiful morning it was and having given the gods their due with standing in line for far too long, a stroll home via Divisadero a gnawing hunger for breakfast grew. Within a block or two of my jaunt, the Bean Bag Cafe [601 Divisadero @ Hayes] presented itself as a viable solution and produced a far more satisfying adventure. A full array of sweet and savory crepes, omelets, scrambles, and smoothies was on the menu as I opted for The Vienna, a crepe filled with mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomato pesto, roasted garlic, almonds, and provolone cheese. Served with a side of roasted potato, one bite convinced me to get the entire amount packaged up so I could take it home and share it; the bloody thing was that good! Walking home, I advised Kevin I had some breakfast to share and he was pretty apathetic -- until I got home and he tasted this crepe. This is one bad-ass mother of a crepe and for $6.95, a great deal. Not quite in our neighborhood for daily dining (sadly so), but worth an occasional walk up the hill, most definitely.

I was just thinking about hunting for this thread as I head the pleasure of tasting Wolfert's version last year and feeling as though I missed the boat. Since I am in the throws of brewing my own beer, making my own cheese, and stuffing my own sausage, why not get into some wine making? Time to start hunting for fresh walnuts.

Perspective is beginning to have new meaning for me in this city; I look at maps and think, "heck, it is only 6 blocks - I can walk that!" Six blocks is easy and turns into eight, then ten, and twelve. It was last Friday afternoon when a much-needed trip to Staples, the bank, and the cel-phone store necessitated an outing a bit further beyond my usual parameters, in an area known as the Polk Gulch of Nob Hill. Hungry from the trek, Kevin and I stopped in to Casablanca Cafe [1609 Polk @ Sacramento]. From the outside, when one glances in, there is initially only a view of a large wooden bar structure. Once inside, there is a charming array of hookahs set on tables within two cozy pillow-lined bench areas. While enjoying the World Cup, Kevin ordered a Gyro and I, a sampler appetizer platter. His Gyro was quite good -- not the standard hyper-ground conglomeration of dry meat, but nicely seared chunks of lamb in a thinner than-expected pita (almost tortilla-like). My sampler platter included tabouli which was made from curly parsley instead of flat, making it somewhat strident and bitter. There was also dolmas, falafel, baba ghanoush, hummus, pita, cacek, and a Greek salad, topped with fresh avocado. I liked the flavor of the falafel, but wish they had a more crunchy exterior. The baba ghanoush was exceptional as was the cacek. The hummus, however, was extremely odd. For some reason that I could not determine, it had a smoked flavor which gave it the sensation of tobacco. The menu was quite extensive including crepes, breakfast served until 2:00, and a myriad of sandwiches. My sampler platter was an affordable $9.95 and was more food than I could eat. The gyro was $8.95 and was more than Kevin could eat. The afternoon was a delight and wish such a cafe were closer to me (even though I'm not a tremendous hookah fan).

Ten years ago was about when Kevin worked there! Too funny... I tried to extract the recipe from him and was promptly shooed out of the kitchen. Sorry... I can say the cakes were redolent with a moist relish that included capers, pimentos, and leeks (I know this because of what I have in the kitchen!). He had to open a bottle of French Tourraine as well and I saw him beating egg whites which I think made them quite light. Maybe that will help... I checked Bella Luna's website which has not been updated since immediately after the hurricane so it does not look like it has re-opened yet.

Also, check eBay -- there are always some available and while still pricey, one never knows the deals that will show up...

I am currently working on ghost-writing a cookbook for a Napa winery owner. It was decided earlier this week that simply editing her existing recipes is not sufficient -- she wants me to test and improve upon them as well. Working with Osprey seafood, it was arranged that I would receive a delivery yesterday morning for the two or three seafood recipes needing to be tested this week. I typed up the list, indicating that I would need approximately 12 mussels, 12 clams, a pint of oysters, etc.. Used to working with the wholesale trade, promptly at 8:00 a.m. yesterday morning, a knock on my door produced a young deliveryman with 12 pounds of mussels and 12 pounds of clams and a gallons of pre-shucked oysters. Also included in the order were two giant slabs of ling cod, giant fresh shrimp, and a container of crabmeat. Fortunately, the deliveryman seemed to understand the predicament and was able to take back some of the mussels and clams (they were packaged in 4-pound and 6-pound bags, respectively). Regardless, we are still left with far more mussels and clams than the testing recipes call for. We have frozen up much of the ling cod and Kevin has promised some crab cakes from a recipe he acquired while working with Horst Pfeifer at Bella Luna in New Orleans. We made cioppino last night, will be having steamers for lunch today, am planning on bouillabaise for 6 this evening, but will still be overwhelmed, I'm afraid... I have a feeling that by the middle of the weekend, I'm going to be screaming for a steak!

A bon voyage dinner for Wolfert with hubby, Bill, brought us to Zarzuela's [2000 Hyde @ Union; 415-346-0800] on Tuesday evening for tapas. Being slightly indecisive and not wanting to interrupt the erudite conversation, we instructed the kitchen to simply provide a steady flow until all were sated. Silly me that I didn't take notes so I'm sure that I'm missing something... Besides fresh bread with oil for dipping and marinated olives, I recall starting with Salpicon de Marisco which showcased fresh seafood including miniature shrimp, octopus, and calamari. Gambas al Ajillo served in a small cast-iron skillet were perfectly sauteed and piping hot. Bill did specify a desire to taste their Fideos con Almejas y Mejillones but also included shrimp. A serving of Pulpo a la Gallega was the only minor disappointment; while the octopus was perfect and not at all rubbery, the starchiness of the pototo seemed to conflict instead of complement the seafood. With so much seafood, we finished up with a trio of vegetable dishes including Repollo con Pasas y Pinones, Champinones al Ajillo, and Pimientos Asados. All this was washed down with decanters of sangria. Instead of opting for whatever was on Zarzuela's dessert menu, Turkish coffee ice cream from the Swensen's (the very first one!) across the street finished up a lovely evening.

I believe that was the April(?) issue of Food & Wine which showcased California's wine country... the picture was of Keller and the manager of the Napa In-N-Out sitting at a booth together.