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SobaAddict70's San Francisco Saga

SobaAddict70

By SobaAddict70
in California: Dining

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patrickamory

patrickamory

Posted
Posted

Soba - best eG FoodBlog that wasn't officially a FoodBlog! 

 

The bookstore reminds me of Bonnie Slotnick's in the Village btw. Look at that shelf of Good Cooks!

  • Like 1
SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

Posted
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Posted

Actually, what I stated is not opinion, it's fact.  

 

I have no problem with you not wanting to shop there or not wanting anyone to shop there; I understand your reasons...there are plenty of places I don't go into for my own reasons, that I would just as soon have disappear.

 

But please don't conflate the two - the Whole Paycheck thing is just a bunch of malarkey.

Actually, what I stated is not opinion, it's fact.  

 

I have no problem with you not wanting to shop there or not wanting anyone to shop there; I understand your reasons...there are plenty of places I don't go into for my own reasons, that I would just as soon have disappear.

 

But please don't conflate the two - the Whole Paycheck thing is just a bunch of malarkey.

We're just going to have to disagree on this one.

You may think it's just a bunch of malarkey, but that is your opinion.

Kim Shook

Kim Shook

Posted
Posted

Good, GOD!  That cookbook store :shock: .  I would never get out!  And I have no problem with those braised green beans.  I detest crunchy beans.  What a great trip.  Thank you so much for including us.  If I ever get to SF, I will be using this thread as a resource!

Kim

Kim's Cookbook

What Fresh Hell is This?

Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted (edited)

....even from a Whole Foods, none of them would notice that you were gone. If you spent a fraction of that money at a farmer's market, you might help a farmer pay his rent...you might even help save his farm.

 

 

I generally agree but caveat emptor does apply even at a farmer's market and even with that farmer with the big friendly innocent smile...things are not always as they appear. Whenever there's money involved (in any amount) it's wise to be very cautious.

Edited by DiggingDogFarm (log)
  • Like 1

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

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There's a gadget for every conceivable use in the W-S food porn store.

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We wondered what this was used for. I asked, but now I can't remember.

I took lots of pictures this trip to celebrate the fact that I got a new camera. I can't wait for next time...*whistles mysteriously*

  • Like 2
SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

Posted
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Good, GOD!  That cookbook store :shock: .  I would never get out!  And I have no problem with those braised green beans.  I detest crunchy beans.  What a great trip.  Thank you so much for including us.  If I ever get to SF, I will be using this thread as a resource!

More...although these were at W-S:

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BTW Kim, those pix I shot? There are more than that. That's probably less than 25% of the food section. There was a book by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo that I wanted to get, but instead I bought these two:

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This is a fascinating window into how we used to eat 60 years ago, and such a contrast to the way we eat now.

You have quotes like:

"This nation is more interested in preserving the whooping crane and the buffalo than in perpetuating classic cooking and tableside service. We live in an age that may some day...be referred to as the time of the decline and pall of the American palate." --James Beard, as told to Craig Claiborne in a New York Times article dated April 13, 1959

Beard is commenting on the decline of French cuisine as practiced in the U.S. as the standard in culinary affairs.

Then, in 1960, JFK was elected to the Presidency and one of the aftereffects of that event was Jacqueline Kennedy's role as First Lady. "France" became fashionable again, particularly in the realm of cuisine.

Shortly thereafter, Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published and the rest is history.

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It's a story of how one man decided to eat locally for a year, and the wisdom he gained after having done so.

Edited by SobaAddict70 (log)
  • Like 3
djyee100

djyee100

Posted
Posted

Great blog, SobaAddict, thanks so much. I also recommend Books Inc, an independent bookstore chain in the Bay Area. I usually stop off at the store in Laurel Village, though I would expect the other stores in the Bay Area to be comparable. An extensive collection of new release cookbooks, and --best of all-- a nice selection of discounted cookbooks from publisher's overstock.

http://www.booksinc.net/

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SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

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I know about Books Inc., but their selection isn't as extensive as Green Apple Books.

There's also the Fort Mason used bookstore.

I got these two

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earlier this year. That first volume retails for $35 but I bought it for a barely a third of that price.

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Smithy

Smithy

Posted
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I can't believe what I'm seeing there. Were the Le Creuset Heritage Oval Gratin dishes for $25 and $35 really enameled cast iron? I think I paid about that much for the used LC's of that style that I bought on eBay, years ago! The only new LC's I've seen for that price have been stoneware, but those look like the good metal.

I have a long-handled basket setup with latching lid and with holes similar to the ones you showed, although mine is more symmetrical between top and bottom. Fireplace popcorn popper? I use mine for grilling vegetables or meats that need frequent tossing.

  • Like 1

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

Posted
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Posted

I think that might have been it.

I didn't touch or inspect the wares much; we were just passing by on our way to Kin Khao.

I'll eventually get around to posting pix of the cutlery. The 2nd floor of the W-S store is devoted to knives of all types -- steak knives, chef's knives, cleavers and the like.

weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted

I can't believe what I'm seeing there. Were the Le Creuset Heritage Oval Gratin dishes for $25 and $35 really enameled cast iron? I think I paid about that much for the used LC's of that style that I bought on eBay, years ago! The only new LC's I've seen for that price have been stoneware, but those look like the good metal.

I have a long-handled basket setup with latching lid and with holes similar to the ones you showed, although mine is more symmetrical between top and bottom. Fireplace popcorn popper? I use mine for grilling vegetables or meats that need frequent tossing.

That price has to be for stoneware, not enameled cast iron; it's the same price at B B & B.

 

I hope you don't shop at W/S, Soba...they're like the Whole Foods of Kitchenware stores.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

djyee100

djyee100

Posted
Posted

I know about Books Inc., but their selection isn't as extensive as Green Apple Books.

There's also the Fort Mason used bookstore.

 

 

Books Inc. doesn't have used books like Green Apple Books, but its new cookbook section (at least in the Laurel Village store) is substantial. I've found some good discounted cookbooks in its publishers' overstock section as well. If people are passing by one of these stores, it's worth wandering in and taking a look.

 

The Fort Mason used bookstore is a delightful bookstore, and proceeds benefit the SF public library.

http://www.friendssfpl.org/?Readers_FM

  • Like 1
Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
Posted

Books Inc. doesn't have used books like Green Apple Books, but its new cookbook section (at least in the Laurel Village store) is substantial. I've found some good discounted cookbooks in its publishers' overstock section as well. If people are passing by one of these stores, it's worth wandering in and taking a look.

 

The Fort Mason used bookstore is a delightful bookstore, and proceeds benefit the SF public library.

http://www.friendssfpl.org/?Readers_FM

 

Well, since we're talking about Bay Area bookstores, want to mention Book Passage.  The main location is up in Corte Madera, but they also have a location in the Ferry Building.

 

In addition to having excellent regular bookstore sections, their food and wine books are absolutely outstanding.  In addition, they often host seminars, book signings, classes, book-launch parties, conferences, etc.  You can go to their website and click on "events" and "food and wine" and see upcoming events where you can go hobknob with your favorite famous chefs and cookbook authors. 

 

A quick click produces info about:  Food & Wine Events; Cooks with Books; Literary Luncheons; Cooking Classes; and Upcoming Dinners with Writers.

 

I see Dorie Greenspan has an upcoming event there, as does Bryant Terry, a rising chef that specializes in Afro-Vegan.

 

http://bookpassage.com/

  • Like 1

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

  • 2 weeks later...
SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

Posted
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Posted (edited)

So I'm getting around to posting some miscellaneous pix, including some more pix of the W-S food porn store.

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I will never, ever understand why people shell out too much money so they can boil rice and water.

Then again, I was born with the rice cooking gene. Yes, that must be it. :wink:


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For the people who would rather not go to Starbucks...


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You can have a set of copper pots for $435...



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The entire second floor was a showcase of chef's knives and steak knives.

We didn't get to the third floor in time -- our reservation at Kin Khao was about 15 minutes after I shot that last pic.

That will have to wait until my next trip out.


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Seems REALLY overpriced, don't you think? $1600 for a wooden table?


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Only in San Francisco is there a Cheesecake Factory in the same shopping complex as a Macy's.

I've never been in a CF before; what's it like?

Edited by SobaAddict70 (log)
  • Like 1
  • 1 year later...
ProfessionalHobbit

ProfessionalHobbit

Posted
Posted

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If you had told me that there was a restaurant in San Francisco that charged nearly $5 for toast, I'd have said you were joking.

 

Not any more.

 

On the other hand, their bread

 

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is delicious.  Occasionally we'll go out of our way and stop by to pick up a loaf for the week.

 

I recommend the granola.

 

Jury's out on the coffee though...

 

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The Mill Bakery

736 Divisadero Street (Fulton Street)

Alamo Square

  • Like 2
rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted (edited)

its more or less $ 7 for a loaf of bread ?

 

Im not implying anything by that price, BTW

 

just curious, as I grew up in the Bay Area.

Edited by rotuts (log)
  • Like 1
ProfessionalHobbit

ProfessionalHobbit

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, rotuts said:

its more or less $ 7 for a loaf of bread ?

 

Im not implying anything by that price, BTW

 

just curious, as I grew up in the Bay Area.

 

 

Yup.

 

Food can be quite expensive in San Francisco once you factor in the higher minimum wage and other attendant costs.

 

I personally think the $4 toast is ridiculous and a gimmick.  On the other hand, what you will receive is a THICK slice that may remind you of cake.  The topping equals "frosting".

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