I have a new favorite place to get Dim Sum in the bay area, edging out my previous favorite (East Ocean Seafood in Alameda): the Hong Kong Lounge, in San Francisco at Geary and 18th Ave. There were about 60 people in line, but a friend got there an hour early to put our names in: The food was remarkably delicious and not heavy. We filled up this table with dishes three times over the two hours we were eating there: ...
Among other food adventures last weekend, I went to Noisette, a mix of Noisepop-curated bands (I really enjoyed the new-to-me Pillowfight with Dan the Automator, Kid Koala, and Emily Wells… but I digress from food), Speakeasy beers, and delicious small plates by nine local restaurants. One of my favorites was the rabbit sausage with liver and peaches on a homemade cracker, by flour+water. I’m also a sucker for edible nasturtium flowers. ...
Mid-market in the Pause Wine Bar space, currently weekends 9am-2pm: http://sowsf.com/
Dumplings around SF. My favorites were the xiao long bao at Shanghai Dumpling King and the Pork and Chive (w/ unusually good chili sauce) from Kingdom of Dumpling. Full details at the bike blog, since this was a food / biking crossover: http://bikeit.tumblr.com/post/26301800287/dumpling-ride-recap
I love the fresh-from-the-Bay-a-few-hundred-feet-away oysters at Tomales Bay Oyster farm in Marshall, about 6 miles North of Point Reyes (both the sweet Golden Nugget and the more briny regular Tomales Bay oysters). However, I realized I’ve never been a huge fan of Tabasco or soy sauce on oysters (too tart, too thin – I think I want something more buttery and spicy to balance out the brine). So as an experiment I made my own inspired-by-harissa sauce: dried ancho chiles from Tierra Farms (reconstituted in hot water for 10 minutes), pureed with olive oil, a few cloves of garlic, and a little toasted coriander seed. This turned out a thick, slightly spicy, mouth-coating paste that you could dab on the oysters. I declare it a success! ...
Wow– forced out of my chilaquiles routine at the Primavera stand at the Ferry Building farmers’ market when they were sold out, I discovered their pork in green pumpkin seed sauce with thick handmade tortillas. Excellent.
And some days you just want a Mission burrito: (from El Toro) My favorite mission taquerias are: La Taqueria for deluxe tacos (a pair of chicken tacos with cheese and avocado added on– even at almost $5/taco it’s worth it) Taqueria Vallarta for basic street tacos – meat, onions, cilantro, with pickled jalapenos on the side La Corneta for shrimp or shrimp-and-steak burritos Taqueria Cancun (either one) for the best combination of coarse yellow corn chips and fiery-delicious green salsa El Toro for a basic veggie or meat mission burrito
Well, that was a great birthday dinner, and one of the most enjoyable meals of my life (due to food, atmosphere, and company). Almost five casual hours in The Dough Room at flour+ water with a dozen friends, eating, drinking wine, and chatting. Amazing food, a classy-yet-casual and not too stuffy setting (white tablecloth… on the butcher block table they prepare pasta on, with a meat slicer, a pig-shaped boom box, and a walk-in refrigerator along the edges of the room), and the buzz of conversation without the noise of a big restaurant in the background. Life is good. ...
Quick takeout from Mission Chinese while packing for a trip, and it was intensely, all-consumingly delicious (and all consumed). Stir-fried pork jowl with radishes, mint, fermented black beans, and vinegar-anise-garlic peanuts.
Very satisfying Ethiopian food:
I finally made it to Mr Pollo with a friend (and we lucked into the two last seats in the tiny 8-seat(?) restaurant, at the bar). What a great place– casual, wholly unpretentious, like sitting in an eat-in-kitchen in a friend’s studio apartment. If the friend had serious South American comfort food cooking talent. You sit down, pay $20, and get treated to four courses– whatever Manny has in mind to cook for you that night. It reminds me of my friend Clay, who’d said he wanted to start a restaurant serving “dinner” . ...
I can’t remember the last time I got takeout, but a rainy day and work insanity seemed like a good excuse. And Mission Chinese Food is so cheap, I had to order three side dishes to get up to the $15 minimum. Hainam Chicken Rice (w/ chicken fat, peanuts) Peanuts cooked in vinegar, anise, smoked garlic (amazing!) Pickled cabbage and chili (fine) Hot and sour cucumber with chili, dried shrimp, chrysanthemum (also excellent!) ...
New restaurant in the Dogpatch. Tender, tasty roast Mary’s chicken (though I prefer the skin more crispy), grilled cactus salad, clove soda, and little donut holes on the house (with chipotle powder, honey, pumpkin seeds).
Amazingly delicious Japanese curry in the Tenderloin for $8.50 (Kare-Ken). I got the Katsu curry plate, spicy:
My favorite “tacos with lots of toppings” in SF. Moist clumps of grilled meat, pinto beans, mashed avocado (not guacamole), salsa. I was caught up in conversation with a friend and we accidentally stayed half an hour past closing (why didn’t they just kick us out?)