SobaAddict70's San Francisco Saga

[SobaAddict70]

I call it a "saga" because my partner, let's call him "B" for now, lives in San Francisco.

We see each other every few months and keep in touch with each other via the power of Greyskull the palantír of Isengard the wonders of modern technology.

I'm flying out to San Francisco in a few days, but in reality it will have been my third trip out in the past 12 months.

I figured I'd start this thread so I can update all y'all on my foodie adventures in the City.

Some pix from last time (in January 2014):







A mushroom vendor inside the Ferry Building.





Someone on Facebook said that this was a boring menu. What do you think?

Brenda's
652 Polk Street (Eddy Street)
The Tenderloin


We had brunch at Savor.

Savor
3913 24th Street (Sanchez Street)
Noe Valley

Below: Crab cakes on english muffin with poached eggs topped with spicy cajun hollandaise; home fries; fruit cup.





Grilled pork loin with basil, cilantro, cucumber, tomatoes & jalapeno Dijon aioli on a French roll; beer-battered french fries; mixed green salad.



Chicken breast on sourdough with smoked bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes & mayonnaise.



Never been in one; have to check them out eventually.



Would you pay $32 for a bowl of cioppino even if it had crab in it?
 
There was brunch at Greens -- better known as the restaurant that Deborah Madison opened in 1979 after her stint at Chez Panisse.
 
Greens
204 Bay Street, #A (Powell Street))



Yellow Finn potato griddle cakes with leeks, manchego, parsley and chives; romesco, crème fraiche and herb salad.




Corn tortillas with roasted butternut squash, poblano chilies, peppers, grilled onions, Rancho Gordo beans, cheddar, cilantro, napa cabbage, avocado, tomatillo salsa and crème fraiche.

Quivira Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Dry Creek Valley



Wild mushroom and leek pizza with asiago, grana padano, thyme and arugula




Warm cauliflower salad with crisp capers, pine nuts, mint, tarragon mustard vinaigrette and shaved pecorino fiore sardo.




Orecchiette with Knoll Farm rapini, Juliet tomatoes, spring onions, green garlic, olive oil, pepper flakes, bread crumbs and grana padano




Butterscotch pot de crème, with whipped cream and pecan shortbread cookies.





Flourless chocolate torte, espresso ice cream, cocoa nibs
 
There was also a visit to an izakaya for dinner near the end of my visit.

Oyaji
3123 Clement Street (33rd Avenue)
Outer Richmond



Hijiki



Motsu-ni -- Pork intestine braised in miso, with tofu, daikon and carrot



Grilled salmon onigiri



Grilled pork tongue



Grilled pork belly



Hoshiebi kakiage -- deep fried vegetables and dried shrimp cakes in light tempura batter



Fried smelts

[SobaAddict70]

And some pix from August 2013:

Would you believe that photograph of a bunch of grapes sells for $175?

After I shot that photograph, B took me to Sur La Table. My kind of place.

Looking forward to more...

[Martin Fisher]

Wow!

[SobaAddict70]

And you know, I just couldn't visit San Francisco and not eat at Chez Panisse, which might as well be the castle where the Holy Grail of seasonality is kept.

Chez Panisse

1517 Shattuck Avenue (Vine Street)

Berkeley

We had:

Rocket, with marinated beets, preserved lemon and mint

Perfectly dressed, as expected.

Beet, red cabbage and potato soup, with horseradish cream.

Not exactly your bubbe's borscht.

Grilled chicken breast and leg, with pancetta, rosemary, cannellini bean purée and escarole. B pronounced this excellent.

Provencal fish and shellfish stew, with wild fennel, aioli and saffron.

Someone in the kitchen has a heavy hand with salt with is regrettable, because the salt totally overpowered the delicate flavors in the stew. Beautiful presentation however; sorry for the poor pic quality. There's a reason why I don't do restaurant food photography anymore.

Pink Lady apple and sour cherry galette, with crème fraîche.

[nakji]

A mushroom vendor inside the Ferry Building.

Someone on Facebook said that this was a boring menu. What do you think?

Brenda's

652 Polk Street (Eddy Street)

The Tenderloin

 

I don't find that menu to be particularly boring, but then, my brunch context is rather different. I guess pork belly and pulled pork might not be the height of trendy anymore, but that's no reason not to want them for breakfast   Wait - is that a brunch menu? I just assumed it was, because it starts with pancakes.

[SobaAddict70]

yup, that's a brunch menu

Crispy oyster, bacon and scallion scrambled eggs, with cheddar cheese grits and buttermilk biscuit

Andouille sausage and cheddar omelette, cheese grits and buttermilk biscuit

Beignets.

These had molten Ghirardelli chocolate sauce inside.

Not something I would order again, although they made for mighty fine eating the day after (for breakfast).

I have a new camera now, as you know. The one I was using to take these pix died in April, so you can expect better pix this time around.

[SobaAddict70]

Some more pix from my January trip....

A bread vendor in the Ferry Building

Weird fruit (?)

I should have bought some chocolate. Maybe I will this time around.

Closeup pic of mushrooms at a vendor in the Ferry Building.

Since it was late January/early February when I was there last, it was the height of crab season in the Bay Area.

This pic was shot at Fisherman's Wharf.

You can tell by the schlock.

NATURALLY there's an Applebee's. (*gag*)

Edited June 24, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[nakji]

Do they serve chowder in a bowl? 

 

 

The Rancho Gordo stand looks like fun - I bet I could drop a lot of money there. 

 

Do you have any eating/shopping goals for this upcoming trip?

[SobaAddict70]

Do they serve chowder in a bowl? 

 

 

The Rancho Gordo stand looks like fun - I bet I could drop a lot of money there. 

 

Do you have any eating/shopping goals for this upcoming trip?

We didn't have the chowder, but I imagine it's in a bread bowl.

The RG store is fun; I have to physically restrain myself from spending too much money while in there.

We have no plans, but I know I want to explore some of the cheaper/"ethnic" places in San Francisco.

There was a nice Puerto Rican restaurant I noted when I was there in August, in the Haight.

I also want to wander around Chinatown for a bit.

Thursday (June 26), I'm taking B to Kin Khao for dinner.

There'll also be lots of cooking pix, naturally, and get-togethers with friends.

My next trip after this one will be in December.

Edited June 24, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Anna N]

This will be great fun. Where and what you eat out will amuse me but I am also hoping you will be doing some cooking from "Jerusalem" while you are there.

[SobaAddict70]

So, many of you have seen my kitchen which I affectionately call my "hobbit hole". But for those of you who haven't, here's another pic:

It's a room that's roughly 6' x 7'. To the left is a small nook that contains a garbage pail and a window sill atop which has part of my cookbook collection.

On the other hand, THIS is what B's kitchen looks like:

It's such a dream to cook in.

He even has a Kitchen-Aid mixer on top of one of the cabinets. (*sigh*)

[liuzhou]

Weird fruit (?)

 

Not particularly.Just as often called Buddha's fingers, it is quite common here. Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis - 佛手柑. A member of the citrus family.

 

Usually dried and sold as a sweet snack, but occasionally found fresh.

[gfweb]

You know, if you worked in that kitchen for 6 mos, you'd start to feel cramped.

 

Basing this on the 'If you give a mouse a cookie" theorem.

 

That old TV still work?

[SobaAddict70]

You know, if you worked in that kitchen for 6 mos, you'd start to feel cramped.

 

Basing this on the 'If you give a mouse a cookie" theorem.

 

That old TV still work?

Yes, actually.

It's a very well-equipped kitchen. Definitely a keeper, just like B.

[FauxPas]

We have no plans, but I know I want to explore some of the cheaper/"ethnic" places in San Francisco.

There was a nice Puerto Rican restaurant I noted when I was there in August, in the Haight.

I also want to wander around Chinatown for a bit.

Thursday (June 26), I'm taking B to Kin Khao for dinner.

 

Looking forward to reading about your adventures! 

 

Is the Puerto Rican place you had in mind called Parada 22, by any chance? it looks like a darling little place. 

[Jaymes]

In Chinatown, I'm sure others will have great recommendations but, for me, I never miss a trip to R&G Lounge, finished off with an egg custard tart from Golden Gate Bakery. 

 

http://www.rnglounge.com/  (If you click on the youtube link in this ad, you'll see Anthony Bourdain at the R&G Lounge - fun - and I sure understand what he means when he gestures to a nearby table full of Chinese and says, "I want to be at that table."  Happens to me all the time, Tony.)

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/golden-gate-bakery-san-Francisco

 

And here's a hint for Golden Gate Bakery.  If you stand there for a bit, you'll notice all the clueless 'tourists' queuing politely at the door, while the Chinese 'regulars' are part of an 'egg custard tart' scrum up by the cash register.  Took me several visits to figure out why they were always all out of tarts by the time I worked my way up to that cash register.  It's because the 'regulars' had elbowed their way to the front of the line and walked back out with their pretty cardboard boxes full of steaming hot tarts. 

 

And, no matter where you're planning on taking your box of tarts, be sure to eat at least one right away, while they're still so hot and flakey.  Does food get better?  I dunno. 

 

But if it does, not by much.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Jaymes (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Looking forward to reading about your adventures! 

 

Is the Puerto Rican place you had in mind called Parada 22, by any chance? it looks like a darling little place.

I don't remember, only that it was on the same street as this mural:

There were a number of things on the menu that I very rarely get the chance to eat, like pasteles. Hopefully it's still there and not driven out because of high rents.

Edited June 24, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Shalmanese]

I don't see any visits to The Mission in any of your photos. There's some amazing food here that's worth the trip!

[SobaAddict70]

I don't see any visits to The Mission in any of your photos. There's some amazing food here that's worth the trip!

It's not a nabe we've explored much.

Maybe this time will be different.

[djyee100]

Someone in the kitchen has a heavy hand with salt with is regrettable, because

the salt totally overpowered the delicate flavors in the stew.

 

Did you mention anything to the waiter? In my experience, this kitchen is receptive to feedback.

 

Buddha's hand citron is almost all peel. Handy for candied citron. I've candied it myself, the end result is delicious, but prepping those fingers into even pieces was...interesting.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/02/candied-citron-recipe/

 

Besides the Mission, especially Valencia St, there's the Hayes Valley neighborhood--20th Century Cafe (the Russian honey cake is a must), Rich Table, Smitten Ice Cream, Gourmet & More (for the cheese room). Zuni Cafe is in the same area, on Market St.

 

I'm flying in the opposite direction in a few days. A family visit to the Boston area and Cape Cod. Hope you enjoy your trip to SF!

Edited June 24, 2014 by djyee100 (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Did you mention anything to the waiter? In my experience, this kitchen is receptive to feedback.

 

Buddha's hand citron is almost all peel. Handy for candied citron. I've candied it myself, the end result is delicious, but prepping those fingers into even pieces was...interesting.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/02/candied-citron-recipe/

 

Besides the Mission, especially Valencia St, there's Hayes Valley--20th Century Cafe (the Russian honey cake is a must), Rich Table, Smitten Ice Cream, Gourmet & More (for the cheese room). Zuni Cafe is in the same area, on Market St.

 

I'm flying in the opposite direction in a few days. A family visit to the Boston area and Cape Cod. Hope you enjoy your trip to SF!

1. We didn't think to do so at the time. A minor quibble to an otherwise great experience.

2. I've never seen something like that, so that was a new experience to me. It might be common in China but it's not so common where I live, in the places I tend to frequent.

3. I'm sure the Mission is full of places to explore but since it's my third trip to the City, give me time. I'll get to them eventually. I prefer to discover things organically than have a plan, particularly when traveling.

Thanks!

[SobaAddict70]

Looking forward to reading about your adventures! 

 

Is the Puerto Rican place you had in mind called Parada 22, by any chance? it looks like a darling little place.

Now that I've seen pix of the exterior, it was Parada 22. We'll have to go there for lunch, I think.

[patrickamory]

Amazing pics and narrative, please keep it coming Soba!

 

(And I have a place to recommend if you are looking for recommendations.. but I sense you have your own journey planner…)

[SobaAddict70]

Amazing pics and narrative, please keep it coming Soba!

 

(And I have a place to recommend if you are looking for recommendations.. but I sense you have your own journey planner…)

I'm interested in hearing if you have any recs for Filipino and Vietnamese food in SF.

[SobaAddict70]

I have a morning flight tomorrow ... what possessed me to buy those tix six months ago for a flight that early? I think it's something like 8 am. It means I have to get up at the ungodly hour of 4 am and be out the door by 4:30 so I can get to the airport and be past security (I hate waiting in line which is, despite what people will tell you, the unofficial sport of New York City).

So much for being able to buy your own food to take it on the plane; I won't have time.

More later....