by Sam Tackeff | Nov 4, 2009 | Books, Restaurants
My mom was in town this weekend, and this being her first trip to San Francisco in over twenty five years meant only one thing – GLORIOUS FEASTING! My parents are to thank for my love of fine dining. Some of my earliest memories are eating at great restaurants – as a toddler I whisked away into the kitchen by smitten waiters on a trip to Germany, as a preschooler I impressed the kitchen staff in Montreal and Paris with my french ordering skills and passionate love of escargot, who often sent me Amuse and samples of desserts as rewards. Then there the day that I asked for the *second* lobster with my family in Ogunquit, Maine (I was five). And those few years of obsession with filet mignon before the age of ten ensured that I wasn’t a cheap date – but I can’t thank them enough for indulging me.
So when my mom finally planned her trip out here, it was my greatest pleasure to plan a weekend of voracious eating and drinking some of my favorites in the city. This included:
:: Coffee at Philz – one of the best caffeine injections in the city (I favor the Mocha Tesora)
:: Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Fudge (berry sorbet for me) at Bi-Rite Creamery
:: Shrimp and pork wonton soup, crispy imperial rolls, and grilled tiger prawns over rice noodles at the Slanted Door
:: a Macaron from Miette (I chose pistachio, she had rose)
:: a trip to Cheeseboard Pizza in Berkeley for some live jazz, the last heirloom tomato pizza of the season, and a gingerbread cookie
:: An animal style cheeseburger, fries, and a vanilla shake from In-N-Out.
The most exciting meal however, in retrospective honor of his new cookbook, was an impromptu trip to Thomas Keller’s “casual eatery” Ad Hoc, in Yountville. Or shall I say, and Ad Hoc trip to Ad Hoc? Sorry guys, I had to. Ad Hoc is the perfect spot to eat Keller’s phenomenal food, with limited negative effect on your piggy bank. The four course meal comes in at $49 a person, and you certainly don’t leave hungry. Our dinner at Ad Hoc was one of the few meals I’ve had in the past several years that I’ve enjoyed so thoroughly from start to finish, down to the smallest details. The food was impeccable, the waitstaff (all of whom have been on staff for two years or more) were kind, attentive, and with good humor, and our fellow patrons were all entertaining as well.
Our first course was Polpettini Soup – with veal meatballs, broccolini, celery root, pickled red onions, sweet carrot coins, and a crostini with bellwether farm’s ricotta on top. To say I’m a soup lover would be an understatement, and this was perhaps my favorite course of the evening. The broth was rich and well developed, and the meatballs were shining stars – moist, balanced in flavor, texture, and really perfect in every way. Shucks, just thinking about this makes me tear up with longing.
Next came the Roast Colorado Lamb Leg, topped with a mint salsa verde, alongside romanesco potatoes, with a side of black and pearl barley, with braised autumn squash, pumpkin seeds and brussels sprouts. Lets talk about this barley dish. It was texturally exciting. It was well balanced flavor. If only everyone could eat brussels sprouts like these ones, I swear they would be the nations’ favorite vegetable. I’m going to try to recreate this one at home, because it’s a killer combination.
And the lamb and potatoes – perfect. Perfectly cooked. The potatoes, oh god the potatoes – crisp on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside. I know it’s rude to stare at other customers, but one of my favorite moments of the evening was watching the woman across the way eat her first potato cube – and a wave of complete ecstasy passed over her face, her eyes widened, and it was like she had experienced culinary nirvana. After further inquiry, we learned that the technique for these involved a primary fry in peanut oil, a secondary fry in canola, and a final treatment of butter and herbs. Well, that explains it!
The cheese board was a trio of cheese – including a sheepsmilk cheese, the Humboldt Fog (in the middle), and possibly old chatham blue, although, at this point I was still so enamored by the potatoes that I promptly forgot when we were told… The cheeses came with marcona almonds and Marshall’s farm blackberry honey – which I ended up eating on the cheese, almonds, bread, and stirring into my jasmine almond tea.
Last but not least, came dessert – brownie trifle with huckleberry sauce and vanilla diplomat cream. A light and flavorful ending, that left me completely fulfilled. Leave it to my camera to focus on the surroundings and not those perfect brownie bits, but I thought I’d include this anyway.
We were sad to leave Ad Hoc, and have been dreaming about it all weekend. Fortunately, the Ad Hoc cookbook is out, and filled with brilliant recipes, beautiful images, and plenty of inspiration for my own table until I can get back to eat at theirs. I’ve been reading through it at work, and it, like the restaurant, is not to be missed. It’s the perfect gift to yourself or any food lover on your list.
by Sam Tackeff | Oct 13, 2009 | Food Travel, Restaurants
My favorite part about living in San Francisco currently, is hosting guests who have never been to this city, and heading around town feeding them my favorites. This presents a bit of a delicate problem for my expanding waistline, but I figure that I’ll burn off “most” (cough* a fraction of*) of the calories if we attempt to walk to as many spots as possible.
Last week, my dear friend Caroline came, on a quick break from her graduate studies at Haaaahvahhhd, for her cousin’s destination wedding in wine country, which meant that I had only one day to take her around! What to choose from!
After picking her up at the airport at 11:30 pm, we came back to my little apartment in Noe Valley, and fell right asleep, so we would have energy for the upcoming excursion. Once morning came, we headed out early, taking the J over the big hill by Dolores Park (I didn’t want to kill her before noon), and stopping briefly on 18th street for a cup of Mocha Tesora at Philz, no extra sugar, dash of cream, with a mint leaf on top. If you haven’t had it before, it’s heaven in a cup. Philz makes your cup of coffee one at a time, and is one of the best that I’ve had in this city. I’m equally torn between the one on 18th street, and the one down on 24th in the mission.
We then walked through the Castro, taking a brief stop into Cliff’s Variety mostly so I could note how wonderful it was that they really do have a little bit of everything! And to marvel at their collection of kitchen wares, and note how I could really use a Norpro Ceramic Compost Keeper, in order to properly follow the new San Francisco law of composting. Alas, Given was closed, so I couldn’t show her all of the things (art, home ware, jewelry, furniture, trinkets) I would like to own. We headed up the street and turned on market, picking the J back up at Church and Market, and headed over to the Ferry Building.
As things were just starting to open, we went to badger the hostess at Slanted Door, to see if she would give us a reservation for two around 11:30, enough time to walk through each of the shops before we became famished. She kindly obliged, and we went off to take “San Francisco Photos”. I managed to take a “San Francisco Photo” of her with the Bay Bridge, and then a portrait of a native seagull, in the same pose.
Stately fellow, isn’t he?
After this, we walked around, although, this time, Miette wasn’t open quite yet, so we didn’t have one of their lovely Macarons (I like pistachio), and it was a little too early for a sandwich or Meat Cone at Boccalone, although that usually is one of my favorites. My brother is still over the moon about his “Tasty Salted Pig Parts Water Bottle” he picked up there. We did step into Sur La Table, which stocks well and has nice sales, and an particularly pleasant assistant manager, John, who I met at Omnivore yesterday.
This is my favorite photo of Caroline, which I caught right before she broke out into a giggle. I like making my subjects laugh right before snapping their photo.
We sat outside at the Slanted Door, it was perfect weather, and the tourist watching opportunities there are prime. While people often make comments that the Slanted Door is overrated, I have never had anything but lovely food and service there. It’s a nice place to sit, eat, and people watch.
She had milk tea, and I had their iced tea. We shared a bowl of their shrimp and pork wonton soup, which has a lovely broth and egg noodles, then we had the beautifully presented Hamachi (Yellowtail Tuna) collar, some of the most tender parts of fish, which came with these grilled pineapple that were so, so good. We finished with the highly fragrant chicken clay pot, and no room for dessert.
After lunch, we set back to walking, heading towards Union Square, where we took a brief pause at the very large Williams Sonoma to watch a pasta making demonstration, and discussing the merits of the city of Boston versus San Francisco with a lively little audience.
We finally headed over the bridge to Berkeley, on what I affectionately refer to as the “Soviet Disney Monorail” (aka the Bart) to walk around the campus, take a brief pause at Games of Berkeley, where I was astounded to find the board game “Quelf” which I immediately purchased. For those unaware (I’m assuming most of you, because most board game stores have never heard of this game), Quelf is a lively boardgame that is to be played with a group of people who are not afraid of acting like complete oddballs together. It is impossible to play without laughing hysterically.
Next, after checking out the “reduced price cheese basket” at the Cheeseboard cheese store, and scoring on a blue cheese and a goat cheese for about $2.50, we headed next door to get in line at Cheeseboard Pizza, my favorite spot for pizza in the bay area. Cheeseboard features one pizza a day, of which you can order slices, a fraction of, or the whole pizza including tax for $20. This is a steal for what you are getting. The pizza is always chock full of local vegetables, and specialty cheeses from next door. It’s vegetarian, but no omnivore would be missing the meat here. The line is long but quick, and I’ve never been let down by the selection. On Fridays they have jazz.
We were there for a most delicious pizza with gruyere and potato, and the salad of the day, and made sure to get some for Devon, who most generously picked us up in the car to take us back over the bridge.
A pretty wonderful day, for sure.
Although, if you are thinking of coming to San Francisco, best visit for a week!
by Sam Tackeff | Oct 3, 2009 | Breakfast, Seafood
Smoked Fish. I love it all. Smoked salmon, smoked trout, smoked whitefish, smoked sable… I’m the type of girl who would rationalize a one day trip to New York City – as long as I could pick up some smoked fish at Zabars before heading home.
This adoration started early. Growing up in New Hampshire, my parents and I would frequent Seaport Fish every week to get all our seafood needs. I was always on board for this trip, because from the age of about one, the staff at seaport fish started bribing me with smoked salmon. Honestly, I must have gotten an entire salmon’s worth of smoked salmon for free over my childhood.
While I generally interchange the terms smoked salmon, nova, nova lox, and lox, there is technically a difference between them- here’s a simple breakdown:
– Nova or Lox are usually what we see when we order the platter from the deli, or on the bagel – the fish has been cured in a liquid brine and cold smoked.
– Scottish style salmon is cured in a dry brine, and then cold smoked.
– Nordic smoked salmon is salt cured and then cold smoked.
– Gravlax is generally cured in a mixture that has more herbs and spices including dill and juniper berry.
These are not to be confused with hot-smoked salmon, which you may see in packages by the fish counter – hot smoking makes the fish feel like cooked fish, whereas cold smoking makes it a little more like the consistency of sushi.
(Photo: Russ and Daughters)
Where to find good smoked fish:
If you live on a seacoast, particularly in New England, you would be in luck. Most local fish markets will carry good quality salmon. If you are near a city, you might try going to an old style Jewish deli. When buying packaged, I like Ducktrap, particularly the “Kendall Brook Variety” which comes from Maine. I find that packaged however are sort of luck of the draw – I like being able to taste a little bit before I buy it, to make sure it’s not too salty for my taste.
I picked up mine for breakfast at our new Whole Foods in Noe Valley, so if you live near one of these you might check out their fish department, and see if they will give you a little sample.
If all else fails, you can just order it from either of the two golden sources – Zabar’s fish counter, or Russ and Daughters and they will ship it to you, right quick. While you are at it, order a jar of salmon caviar from either of these guys and you won’t be disappointed.
A few things you can do with smoked salmon:
:: The composed breakfast (see above) – toast, dry farmed early girl tomatoes, and ripe avocado – spreads like cream cheese.
:: Smoked salmon on a bagel (or brown bread, or rye bread, or seedy bread ie: anadama) with *full fat* cream cheese, and slices of onion if you are so inclined. *Please note, unfortunately, I spent several years of my life with nothing but fat free cream cheese in my refrigerator. Don’t make the same mistake.
:: Smoked salmon pinwheels – great for the lunchbox (either just salmon and cream cheese, or wrap style in a tortilla)
:: Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs.
Any brilliant salmon ideas? I’m always looking for more!
