Chez Papa - Potrero Hill San Francisco9/30/2011 Chez Papa Window I always thought mussels and french fries were a strange combination until I went to Brussels and saw that they seemed to be almost a national dish! Now I see why - it's good. Chez Papa Bistrot in San Francisco's Potrero Hill makes an excellent rendition.
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The Red Cat Restaurant - NYC9/27/2011 Sparkling Water in Candlelight The Red Cat Restaurant at 10th Avenue near 23rd Street in New York's Chelsea District was a lucky find. Arriving in Manhattan late at night, I called the restaurant and asked if they could seat us at 11:45 PM. They said yes so we hurried over. The interior had a comfortable settled-in look as though it had been around for many years. I tried their Pan Roasted Tilefish served over a cucumber salad with pureed chickpeas. The combination seemed unusual but surprisingly good --the start of an auspicious vacation! D & A Cafe Steamed Eggs9/12/2011 I've written about Chris' work on perfecting steamed eggs - Chinese style with just a dash of soy sauce on top and in this photo a sprinkle of green onions for color. D&A Cafe on Clement near 5th Avenue in the Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco is know for its inexpensive Chinese food with generous portions. While some of their dishes are better for quantity rather than quality, their steamed eggs are as good as any.
The surface is smooth to allow the soy sauce to glaze the top evenly and the texture of the steamed eggs itself is like the best custard without air bubbles and barely set. I'm happy to say that Chris' last effort matched this, but I didn't take a picture. You'll just have to take my word. You can see her previous effort here. San Wang Pea Sprouts9/8/2011 I don't usually expect much in the way of leafy green vegetables from San Wang Restaurant in San Francisco. I usually order their spicy egg plant or dry-fried green beans - both highly seasoned dishes. This restaurant is owned by Chinese owners who have lived in Korea and the wait staff speaks fluent Korean. Their approach to vegetables seems very different form Cantonese restaurants.
I was surprised to find their chowed pea sprouts cooked to perfection, the bright green of the vegetables still vivid and appealing. Seasoned simply, it was a great accompaniment to the braised fish and hand pulled noodles. Some of my earliest childhood memories come from the House of Chung restaurant in Reedley, CA where I watched the chefs shaking the heavy woks and tossing the ingredients, cooking them quickly. The oils in the wok would sometimes vaporize and with the tossing, the oils would ignite in a dazzling display. Wok cooking is hard work. Any chef that has spent years behind a Chinese stove probably has burn scars on their arms to show for it.
That said, I grew up listening to elders wax longingly about the nature of wok hay an how this nuance to the dish is only possible with intense heat cooking in a wok and with an experienced cook who knows how to time the addition of ingredients and the length of cooking. There is little margin for error and when done right, it is incredible. The most humble of ingredients can be wonderful. San Francisco native, Grace Young has written extensively on this subject and published several cookbooks. Concrete Countertops9/6/2011 Concrete countertops, the new, the trendy, the oh so yesterday. Early adopters are clearly risk takers especially when incorporating something that is handmade, has many variables, and will be used for many years.
This restaurant countertop looks as though all the different elements didn't quite come together as intended. The stone aggregate seems to have settled unevenly and there are rough spots and an area that seems to have been patched. If this were produced in a factory, it would have gone into the reject pile. For a concrete slab hidden by a finish floor, its final appearance isn't too important, but for a nice restaurant - it's important. It's an unusual idea to use concrete Counfor a countertop. It's heavy, porous, and requires a high degree of craftsmanship and experience to get the right results. In the right hands, I've seen some incredibly beautiful results. This isn't one of them. Thai House Express - San Francisco8/31/2011 Moving from one block to the next can make a great change in neighborhoods in San Francisco. In some instances, just crossing the street can make a difference. The south-west corner of Geary and Larkin is just plain nasty! Cross the street to the north and you start leaving the bad parts of the Tenderloin. Not posh mind you, but better.
Thai House Express is located on the north-west corner of Geary and Larkin. It is our favorite Thai restaurant in the City. The staff is friendly and there is an open kitchen. Of all the cuisines, Thai seems to be the spiciest and they ask how spicy you would like the food. Medium seems to be hot enough for me. If you like fried bananas with coconut ice cream, they have it here. Bar Jules - Hayes Street - San Francisco8/29/2011 Roasted Mussels with Bread Crumbs Bar Jules is on the edge of an interesting couple of blocks at 609 Hayes Street in Hayes Valley. Simple in design and presentation, it's a nice spot for lunch and a stroll afterwards for window browsing. What caught my eye was the Bar Jules sign in mixed colors and different typefaces and sizes. Somehow that simple statement explains the sensibilities of the owner of the restaurant. Summer House Kitchen on College Avenue near Ashby in Berkeley is a new restaurant and bakery with a simple farmhouse look. The pulled pork sandwich reminded me of my hometown of Reedley, California where the annual Fiesta was held every year in October. For a small town it was a big affair with a parade, live music and food. When I was a kid, the old timers would dig a pit in the park and make deep pit BBQ of gigantic hunks of meat wrapped in gunny sacks and cooked in the ground overnight. Moist, smoky, and simply delicious.
Summer House is near the ICI Ice Cream shop and that's where we headed after lunch. Mexican Chairs8/13/2011 Mando's Mexican Restaurant in downtown Pacific Grove (near Monterey, CA) has these rustic sturdy chairs that are surprisingly comfortable. Assembled from tree branches, the joints were very tight and there was no woobbling. Clearly no two are alike. It's a nice addition to an otherwise perfunctory space.
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