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| TOQUE
OF SAN FRANCISCO |
By
Carol and Joe Davis - Dining Detectives |
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Summer 2009
The
trend today in San Francisco is for restaurants to offer reasonably
priced cuisine with special offers like "early and late
bird specials" and multi-course Pris Fixe Menus with value
priced wines. This summer we dined at restaurants in San Francisco,
all around the Bay, as well as in Palm Springs, New York City,
Las Vegas, Boise and Raleigh. We also attended the San Francisco's
Premier Food Event called S.F. Chefs. Food. Wine. and Michael
Chiarello's outdoor Zin & Ribs Party at Bottega in Yountville.
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Local
Kitchen & Wine Merchant
One
of our favorite new restaurants in San Francisco is Local Kitchen.
The urban chic décor and lively bistro/bar atmosphere
are inviting and the cuisine is terrific. They serve breakfast,
lunch and dinner and even deliver anything on the menu to homes
and businesses in walking distance. They also have a wine store
where you can buy wines from around the world. We met Owner/
Manager Maria Hilario who said she was really pleased that the
neighborhood had embraced the relatively new restaurant. We
ordered The Tasting Flight of European Rieslings and were pleased
to see that they use Riedel wine glasses which make a big difference
in the taste of wines. We enjoyed a Pierre Sparr 2006 Alsace,
France which was dry, a 2005 Toni Jost Mitterhein, Germany which
was sweet and a 2007 Loimer Kamptal, Austria which was semi
sweet. We started out by ordering a delicious Pear and Cheese
salad that consisted of Caramelized Bosc pears and local Point
Reyes Blue Cheese with Black Pepper Gastrique. The homemade
bread sticks were a great compliment to the salad. Next we had
the Mussels and an order of Truffle Parmesan fries which are
tossed with shaved Parmesan cheese and truffle oil. The mussels
were tender and the white wine chili and tomato sauce was so
fabulous that we asked for a spoon to be able to savor every
drop of this spicy fabulous broth. Pizzas are very popular and
we enjoyed the Roasted Sonoma Shitake Mushroom Pizza topped
with green olives, mozzarella, roasted garlic and arugula. The
main course that was light and healthy was the Organic Chicken
from their rotisserie served with arugula fennel salad and lemon
vinaigrette. A side of their delicious Brussels sprouts that
are sautéed with bacon and lemon was an excellent addition.
All of the portions are just the right size, so you can have
multiple courses and still have room for dessert. With our dinner
we enjoyed wines by Gerhard Blanc De Noirs, Troken, Rheingau,
Germany which was a bold wine made from white pinot noir grapes
and a Granfort, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah, VIN de Pays d'Oc
France. The dessert we enjoyed the vanilla Panna Cotta and lingered
over a cappuccino and an espresso. We have the feeling that
Local Kitchen will be a huge success. The atmosphere is inviting,
the cuisine by Executive Chef Ola Fendert is excellent, and
the service is crisp and friendly. Have the mussels and you'll
be happy as a clam!
Local
Kitchen & Wine Merchant
330 First Street
San Francisco, Ca. 94105
415-777-4200
415-777-4212 (Wine Merchant)
www.sf-local.co
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Nob
Hill Grille
JWe
really loved the Nob Hill Grille in San Francisco where they
feature gourmet New American comfort food which is made with
locally sourced and organic ingredients. The restaurant's decor
is simple and low key with its counter seating, open kitchen
and high ceilings. We ordered some wines that we enjoyed including
the Terra Nova Malbec Mendoza, Argentina which was very smooth
and the Ceago Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County which is a bio dynamic
and sustainable grown wine. We started our dinner with summer
salads. We loved the Burrata and Heirlooms. The Creamy style
mozzarella made in-house served with heirloom tomatoes, micro
basil and balsamic was excellent. The Summer Salad with sweet
grilled peaches, mache blue cheese, brioche croutons and watermelon
dressed with mustard vinaigrette was also amazing. We felt nostalgic
as it brought back memories of mom's toasted peach sandwiches
of our youth. Next we had the Baby Back Ribs topped with their
signature bourbon chipolte barbeque sauce, homemade mac and
cheese with white cheddar bread crumbs and sautéed Swiss
chard. The rib sauce was spicy and the lucious ribs melted in
your mouth. The other entrée that we loved was their
Pot Pie made with sautéed chicken breast, pancetta, carrots,
peas, onions, and broccoli in a sherry cream sauce served between
puff pastry. One of the desserts that we loved was Peaches and
Cream Crepes which consisted of bourbon macerated peaches with
hand whipped cream in homemade sweet crepes. It was light and
delicious and not too sweet. The team of Fabio Stefani, Rich
Paez and Executive Chef Heli Samaniego has created a focused
menu with something for everyone. The cuisine was delicious
and there is no wonder why the keep getting Best of SF accolades!
Nob
Hill Grille
949 Hyde Street (at Pine)
San Francisco, Ca. 9410
415-474-5985
www.nobhillgrille.com
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Home
Restaurant
As we entered Home on Market Street in San Francisco, we felt
very comfortable and could see why it has been such a success
for so long. We started out by ordering Signature Cocktails.
We loved the Homegirl which was made with Citrus Vodka, Fresh
Lime, and Cranberry then shaken and served up with a kiss of
Champagne and the Hugo's Besitos which was made with Ketel One
Vodka, Cranberry, Pineapple, and Fresh Lime with a splash of
Ginger Ale. Both were tasty, refreshing and a great way to relax
before our meal. Home is known for its Contemporary American
Cuisine Comfort Food which features many ingredients from local
and organic farms and is fortunate to have a new talented Executive
Chef Jim Wimborough. We started out with the Mediterranean Plate
which consisted of house made flat bread, hummus, marinated
red peppers, cucumber yogurt, Feta cheese and olives. It was
fresh and light. Next we had the delicious Garlic and Chile
spiced grilled Lamb Riblets with pickled cucumber and mint salad.
This was amazing, tender and the meat was cooked to perfection
and fell off the bone. The Deviled Eggs with honey cured ham,
red peppers, Dijon mustard, chives, parsley and aioli are also
delicious, fresh and light.
You
must try the soups. We loved the Italian Butter Bean Soup with
bacon and sausage in a tomato broth! The cornbread with honey
butter was very light and the best we have ever tasted. The
Entrees that we enjoyed were the tender and juicy Meyers Ranch
Flat Iron Steak with French Fries, red wine butter, Worcestershire
vinaigrette which was prepared rare as requested and the Classic
Meat Loaf with killer mashed potatoes, gravy, tomato glaze,
brown sugar and sweet carrots. We had a few wines by the glass
from their affordable Wine List including the MJLords 2006 Russian
River Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The Desserts that we enjoyed with
our double espressos were the Mango Sorbet with coconut Macadamia
Cookies which was light and Home's spectacular Banana Bread
Pudding with Bourbon Sauce and vanilla whipped cream created
by Pastry Chef Daniel Saravia. The Banana Bread Pudding portion
was huge and sufficient for 4 co-workers the next day. Home
has great comfort food, is casual, has a sweet vibe, convenient
Valet Parking and is great for people watching from the window
tables. Come early and have the nightly Early Bird Dinner Special
for $13.00. It is a great value which includes three courses
and a glass of wine.
Home
Restaurant
2100 Market St. @ Church
San Francisco, CA. 94114
415-503-0333
www.home-sf.com
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Oola
Restaurant & Bar
Oola Restaurant
& Bar is near the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.
Executive Chef/ Owner Ola Fendert cuisine features seasonal,
locally sourced ingredients and offers Late Night Dining. There
is also a very lively active bar scene where locals and tourists
mingle in a festive but classy atmosphere. We started out with
some cocktails. We loved our Grey Goose Martini and the Watermelon
Cosmopolitan made with vodka, fresh watermelon puree, Cointreau
and a squeeze of lime. They were both very refreshing and strong.
The décor features comfortable antique velvet booths,
high ceiling, a brick wall and a long bar. Our first course
was the Caesar Salad with Boquerones. The White large anchovy
and the fabulous lemon anchovy dressing, basil and parmesan
cheese made it a superior salad. Next, we had an order of Hamma
Hamma and Kumamoto Oysters on the half shell which were fresh
and tasty. Another excellent starter was the All Natural Baby
Back Ribs with cilantro, ginger and soy glaze with red cabbage-apple
slaw. We really enjoyed both of our entrees. The Slow cooked
Confit of Duck with a grilled peach, Bing cherry, arugula, frisse
salad and thyme vinaigrette was so tender and the Grilled Flat
Iron Steak and Croque Madame served with tomato Provencal, grilled
asparagus and a red wine demi was just as fantastic. We're glad
we added a side of their signature fried potatoes with parmesan
and truffle oil. The Wine that we enjoyed was the 2006 Byron
Pinot Noir ,Nielson Vineyard, Santa Maria, Ca. We had two excellent
desserts. The Chocolate Caramel Cake made by Pastry Chef Alicia
Montalvo was a Warm Chocolate and caramel fleur de sel cake,
served with praline and vanilla yogurt sorbet was quite decadent
and the Champagne Sorbet served with Casis reduction and candied
Meyer lemon zest was a light perfect finish to our fabulous
meal.
Oola
Restaurant & Bar
860 Folsom Street
San Francisco, Ca. 94107
415.995.2061
www.oola-sf.com
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Moss
Beach Distillery
The
Moss Beach Distillery is located a short drive down the coast
from San Francisco, just north of Half Moon Bay off of Highway
One. Built in the 1920's the restaurant is rich in history and
folklore, as it was supposedly a Speakeasy during prohibition
and some contend that it is haunted as well. The cuisine is
Contemporary American and there is multi-level dining both indoors
and outdoors including a dog friendly outdoor patio with fire
pits. The spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean makes it a great
destination. We have dined here many times and always enjoy
going especially for lunch. We opted to dine upstairs right
off the Bar in the Fitzgerald Room, which is more causal dining
offering fantastic views of the cliffs and ocean. When you dine
in this room you just put in your order at the Bar and get a
beeper to pick up your food when it is ready. It's actually
a lot of fun! Peter, the Bartender got us started with Signature
Cocktails. We enjoyed the resident Spirit's namesake Blue Lady
Martini made with Absolut Vodka, triple sec, fresh lemon, and
a splash of Blue Curacao and served with a sugared rim. Our
beeper went off and we headed to the bar to pick up our first
course. We loved the Crab and Avocado Quesadilla made with Dungeness
crab, melted jack cheese and avocado topped with sour cream,
chipolte mayo and pico de gallo.
Next,
we enjoyed the Coast Sliders which were a tasty trio of mini
seafood sandwiches including Crab cake with gingered cabbage,
grilled salmon with watercress and bacon, and sesame yellow
fin tuna with pickled ginger. The Distillery Steamers which
were tasty fresh clams steamed with chardonnay, garlic, tomatoes,
sweet butter, cilantro, and toasted ciabatta had a great broth
which was garlicky and rich. We were pleased that we ordered
the Distillery Clam Chowder which was a Classic New England
style clam chowder with manila clams, potatoes and brandy. It
was not too rich or thick and tasted great with a little added
pepper. We relaxed and watched the waves until our beeper went
off again and we headed to the bar to pick up our second course.
The Adam's Ribs were natural pork ribs that came with pineapple
molasses bbq sauce and honey ginger cole slaw. The ribs were
fabulous, sweet and tender. A must have are the Tempura Green
Beans with fabulous smoked chili sauce and wasabi aioli. This
alone is worth the trip to the Moss Beach Distillery.
The
Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect light and refreshing
wine to go with all of our food. You must save room for desserts.
We ordered Espressos and two desserts. Both the Affogato Sundae
which had Vanilla and Espresso gelato drowned in warm chocolate
sauce topped with whipped cream and Sylvia's warmed Brownie
with espresso gelato, hot fudge, and whipped cream were over
the top decadent. We had a chance to speak with the new Executive
Chef Brian Barisione and thanked him for tweaking the menu and
refining the food.
Moss
Beach Distillery
140 Beach Way
Moss Beach, CA. 94038
650-728-5595
www.mossbeachdistillery.com
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Artisan
Bistro
Lafayette,
in the East Bay, has a new restaurant called Artisan Bistro
that features contemporary California French Cuisine made with
fresh local seasonal sustainable raised and organic ingredients.
Located in a charming Historic 1922 cottage it has both indoor
and outdoor patio dining. To our delight, as we entered we heard
French Music in background. We started with a delicious soup.
The Cauliflower- Almond Soup with espelette pepper and toasted
almonds was pungent yet subtle. Next, we had a terrific Salmon
Tartare with crème fraiche, capers, and red onion, hard
boiled eggs and California Osetra caviar. We also enjoyed the
Artisan Foie Gras Terrine, toasted brioche, balsamic, kumquat
and red grape carpaccio which was delicious. Definitely have
the Steamed PEI Mussels with spicy fried garlic, tomatoes, parsley,
shallots, sherry. It had an excellent broth. Our favorite entrée
was the Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with fresh bean ragout, olive
oil potatoes and a roasted tomato. The lamb was very tender,
moist and fabulous. A must side was the delicious Broccoli Rabe
with pecorino and lemon zest
The
wines we enjoyed were the 2008 Groth Sauvignon Blanc which was
fruity and lively and the 2005 Conn Creek Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
which was full bodied and paired well with the lamb. We enjoyed
both of our tasty desserts. The Meyer Lemon Tart with fresh
blackberries and candied lemon was excellent and the Dark Chocolate
Molten Cake with Mint chocolate chip Ice Cream and Raspberry
coulis was delicious. The Chateau Lafaurie - Peyraguey Sauternes
Dessert Wine paired perfectly with the desserts. Chef/Owner
John Marquez who has worked at The French Laundry in Yountville,
Per Se in New York and Picasso in Las Vegas and is now realizing
his dream of owning his own restaurant.
Artisan
Bistro
1005 Brown Ave.
Lafayette, CA. 94549
925-962-0882
www.ArtisanLafayette.com
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Meridian
International Sports Café
Berkeley
is a foodie town, so there is no real surprise that you can
dine on gourmet cuisine in a sports bar. Our host for the afternoon
was Johnny Diamond, the floor manager, who we really enjoyed.
He assisted us with our dining choices and also introduced us
to the Executive Chef Brian Burris. Brian is very talented Chef
with a resume which includes cooking for Thomas Keller and Charlie
Trotter. Brian's menu offers the choice of small plates, soups,
salads, vegan and vegetarian specials and classic pub fare with
a global influence. Of course they are TVs everywhere but there
are also comfortable leather chairs for dining in the restaurant
which has an industrial chic décor. We started with some
appetizers that were beautifully served on slate slabs. We loved
the Grilled Flatbread with charcuterie, summer roma, boursin
and torn basil. The Truffle Deviled Eggs with crumbled bacon,
tomatoes and chives had a Dijon kick and were a wow!! We ordered
the Chefs Dinner for two which included two entrée and
a bottle of wine which was very value priced. We loved the Moroccan
Barbeque Wild King Salmon with Jasmine Tea infused rice, spice
rubbed vegetables as well as the all natural Hanger Steak Frites
with duck fat Yukon Gold potatoes, Bloomsdale Spinach and an
excellent Garlic Jim Beam Bourbon sauce. The entrees were especially
tender as they specialize in precise low temperature and extended
time cooking resulting in textures, uniform doneness and unrivaled
flavors. Meridian offers over 20 beers on tap as well as 25
wines by the glass and they make delicious Sangria. We enjoyed
The 2006 Tangent Edna Valley Sauvignon Blanc which was fruity
and lively. For dessert, we loved the Lemon Meringue Cobbler
Cake with lemon Curd and blackberries dessert along with Montan
Brothers Espressos. Meridian is a real treat!
Meridian
International Sports Café
2050 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA. 94704
510-707-1450
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Toast
Novato,
in Marin County, has a new restaurant in the Hamilton Marketplace
called Toast where they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The
menu created by Chef Michael Garcia and Restaurateur Shahram
Bijan is contemporary American food with something for everyone
including children. The décor is modern and friendly
with an open kitchen, large and small tables, counter and outdoor
seating. Even though the restaurant was full when we dined,
there was a low noise level which allowed us to talk easily.
Our first appetizer was the Open Roasted Whole Artichoke with
balsamic, olive oil, and delicious basil aioli. Next, we had
Crispy Fried Nori wrapped Ahi Tuna with Asian Slaw wasabi vinaigrette.
It was fresh and delicious and we loved the excellent pickled
ginger. We also loved the Chicken Watermelon Salad with marinated
grilled chicken, watermelon, daikon, bean sprouts, crispy won
tons, chopped lettuce and a light and healthy peanut vinaigrette
dressing. We were thrilled by the Chilled Curried Carrot and
Coconut Soup with poached prawns and basil crème fraiche.
It was refreshing, tasty and luscious! Our favorite Entrée
was the Grilled Marinated Lamb Chops with roasted garlic mashed
potatoes, grilled vegetables, lamb jus and fried onions. They
were prepared rare as ordered and a huge portion. The wines
we enjoyed were the Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
and the 2007 Haraszky Solus Sto Amador County Zinfandel paired
well with the lamb chops. There is no corkage charge if you
bring your own wine. . Save room for dessert as the Banana Cream
Pie with caramel sauce and a Mr. Espresso Espresso will hit
the spot.
Toast
Hamilton
Marketplace
5800 Nave Drive
Novato,CA. 94949
415-382-1144
www.toastnovato.com
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Eatz.
Hotel Zoso Palm Springs
This
summer we enjoyed a terrific long weekend in Palm Springs where
we got some sun, did some shopping, a little gambling at the
Indian Casinos and enjoyed some entertainment. One evening we
met some friends and had dinner at Eatz in the stylish Hotel
Zoso. This hip, chic café with contemporary décor
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is known for their salads
and small plates as well as excellent appetizers and entrees.
We opted to just have a three course dinner as the hot weather
lends itself to lighter meals. We had a fabulous seared Diver
Scallop appetizer which had a lovely presentation, arrived piping
hot and was fresh and tender. Next, we had the Grilled Chateau
Steak au poivre served with sautéed spinach and garlic
pomme frites with sea salt and aioli which was prepared medium
rare as ordered and was quite delicious. Sorbet was the perfect
light dessert. After dinner, we lingered with some wine and
enjoyed the live music in the bar area.
Eatz.
Hotel Zoso
150
South Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA. 92262
760-325-9676
www.hotelzoso.com
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Boise,
Idaho
We
enjoyed a summer trip to Boise, Idaho where we attended our
beautiful niece's Wedding at the Boise Botanical Gardens. We
also toured around this lovely city and dined at a number of
restaurants.
We
enjoyed La Vie En Rose www.lavieenrosebakery.com
where we had pastries and breakfast, Bonefish Grill www.bonefishgrill.com
where had the "Best Crab Cakes" for lunch and Chandler's
Steakhouse www.chandlersboise.com
where we enjoyed Bar Manager, Pat Carden's, 2009 Best of Boise
"Ten Minute Martini" which he perfected while working
at Steamer Gold in Petaluma, California.
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SF
Chefs. Food. Wine
San
Francisco, the epicenter of culinary innovation surely knows
how to throw a Culinary Weekend Party. The recipe was simple,
put up a Grand Tasting Tent in Union Square, set up informative
sessions, demos, tasting and classes with the restaurant industry's
top chefs, winemakers and personalities then invite 5000 food
and wine lovers, 200 chefs and 400 wineries all with the goal
of enticing your palate. Produced by the Golden Gate Restaurant
Association www.ggra.com SF Chefs. Food.Wine. was a sustainable
zero waste event where everything was recyclable. There were
five Charities that benefited from the proceeds including Meals
on Wheels, SF Food Bank, Open Hand, Feeding America and GGNRA
Scholarship Foundation. The festivities started on Thursday
night with Chef and TV personality Tyler Florence as M.C. for
the ribbon cutting ceremony with San Francisco's Mayor Gavin
Newsom. The tent was then open and we were able to indulge ourselves
on fabulous food prepared by the San Francisco Chronicle's 25
Rising Star Chefs. All of the cuisine was fantastic and we particularly
loved the luscious lamb chops prepared by Chef Erik Hopfinger
from Circa.
Over
the next three days there would be more great chefs, more great
food and more great wine. The Who's Who of San Francisco Chefs
included Hubert Keller, Roland Passot, Martin Yan, Michael Mina,
Cindy Pawlcyn, Elizabeth Faulkner, Jamie Lauren, Traci Des Jardin
,Charles Phan Gary Danko, Parke Ulrich, Jan Birnbaum, Thomas
Keller and many more. Media celebrities Gene Burns and Spencer
Christian also participated. One of the seminars that we really
enjoyed was the "Raid The Cellar Wine Tasting" featuring
wines from around the world that was hosted by Larry Stone M.S
(Rubicon Estate) and Rajat Parr (Michael Mina & RN74). The
wines were all unique and we appreciated the commentary as well
as the flavors and bouquets of each. We also learned that collecting
wines is rarer than you would think, that Wine Cellars are a
bank account for restaurants as values rise with aging and that
95% of all wine is consumed within 24 hours of purchase. We
didn't attend but were told that The Best Cocktail completion
was won by Nick Varacalli of RN74 with his Ambassador Pepper
made with Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon. The weekend was a
huge success and there are already plans for 2010. All weekend
we heard comments like "It's about time SF had its own
Culinary Festival weekend" and now we do!!
SF
Chefs. Food. Wine
www.SFchefsfoodwine.com
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Zin
& Ribs Party at Bottega in Yountville
There
is nothing like a lovely afternoon lawn party in the Wine Country
complete with food and wine. Almost 700 people attended the
sold out event on the Pavilion lawn next to Bottega in Yountville.
It was a reunion and book signing by Bravo's Four Bay Area Top
Chefs including Michael Chiarello from Bottega,
Hubert Keller from Fleur de Lys, Cindy
Pawlcyn from Mustards Grill www.mustardsgrill.com
and Elizabeth Faulkner from Citizen Cake /
Orson www.orsonsf.com.
Proceeds
from the event benefited Clinic Ole www.clinicole.org and the
Land Trust of Napa County's Connolly Ranch www.connollyranch.org.
Both the food and wine were excellent. We loved the Bottega
Barbequed Honey Espresso Ribs which were cooked with almond
wood and oak wood giving them a softer flavor. Over 1000 pounds
of ribs were cooked which were tender, juicy, fell off the bone
and were topped with a fabulous BBQ sauce! The cole slaw, corn
bread and watermelon were the perfect compliments to this lovely
lunch.
The
Wines that we enjoyed were the Chiarello Family Vineyards www.chiarellovineyards.com
Zinfandel, Conn Creek www.conncreek.com
Zinfandel, Renteria Wines www.renteriawines.com
Pinot Noir and the Duckhorn Vineyards www.duckhornvineyards.com
Sauvignon Blanc. Hopefully this will become an annual event
but be sure to get tickets in advance as it was sold out.
Bottega
Ristorante Napa Valley
V
Marketplace
6525 Washington Street
Yountville, CA. 94599
707-945-1050
www.botteganapavalley.com
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