Gastronomie

Interesting Food -- Are You Ready For It?

Last week, Sam and I went to Orson on their first publicly-open night. She wrote an outstanding post about it here, including some excellent tips for getting the most out of a meal at Orson.

I thought I'd toss my two-cents into the ring, as so many of you today are heading over from her post, and decided to take the opportunity to ask an interesting question, as well.

To begin though, I have to laud Jacqueline Patterson's cocktail list. I fell so promptly in love with the Celery Gimlet that I actually ordered two of them instead of trying a second cocktail. Interestingly, I tried Alembic's celery & gin concoction on Friday night, and have to say that Orson's version is a far more balanced drink. Sam's Catch-22, while not my personal cup of tea, is a masterful libation loaded with flavor.

Also, as Sam mentioned, the Lightly Smoked Fish ($15) is a wonder of sous vide cookery -- the outside is texturally similar to hot-smoked salmon while the interior retains the texture of cold-smoking. Charred Octopus ($11) is a light dish, punctuated by paper-thin shavings of beef tendon and sprouted peanuts; an odd combination to be sure, but one which works beautifully.

When Chef Falkner came out to say hello, Sam and I both couldn't help gushing over everything, from the drinks and savory courses I espoused above, to the lovely space and service. We chatted for a bit about the never-ending "California Cuisine" debate, which leads me to ask you this question:

Is San Francisco ready to embrace technique-based cooking?

Ours has long been a culture of ingredient-driven food, and with good reason -- just stop in at any Farmer's Market and you can see why. But in that process, we've effectively denied our restaurant kitchens the opportunity to develop and cultivate the use of creative techniques, styles, and flavors.

I think back to the wonderful and memorable Smoked Yogurt that accompanied our chocolate cake at Coi, and how it disappeared not long after our meal there because it was "too different". And yes, while I know that Winterland's location was cursed, it's still unfortunate that they closed SO quickly (though, by all accounts, service never really got where it needed to be). How about the dishes that Daniel Humm was turning out at Campton Place? How could we have let a creative mind of his caliber run off to New York?

The question has been asked many times, many ways. But I can't help but ask it again. Are we willing to pay top-dollar for food because of the effort it takes? Is San Francisco ready to support a local favorite daughter in her attempt to push the boundaries of what we eat in this town?

Weigh in, please. I'm truly curious to know your thoughts.

Tags: Citizen Cake, Orson, Elizabeth Falkner, Molecular+Gastronomy, Cooking, Restaurants, San Francisco, Food & Drink

Chocolate for lunch, anyone?

One of the things I love most about my office is its proximity to Fog City News, home of San Francisco's best chocolate bar selection. This would be a conundrum if I worked with chocolate-haters, or worse, eaters of mediocre chocolate. Fortunately, the office is staffed by folks who let only the finest chocolate pass their lips, and while our weekly outings can add up in cost, the resulting endorphin rushes are well worth it.

In any typical week, there are an assortment of bars on offer in the kitchen which would sate any mood. Feeling feisty? Here, try the Chipotle bar. Catching a cold? Good thing we have orange infused chocolate! In a lull? There's bound to be an Earl Grey bar in here somewhere.

Until today, however, there was no chocolate bar suitable specifically for a missed lunch. Today, we remedied this with the exquisitely unique Basil & Lime bar from Rococo Chocolates. If ever there was a savory chocolate, this is it.

Based in 65% cocoa, infused with the scent of a Persian garden, and with a mouthfeel we all found pleasant -- not too fatty, not too chalky -- this bar enjoyed a 100% acceptance rate in the office. No small feat, that.

Rococo has an incredible assortment of flavors, some of which are becoming more standard these days (Cocoa Nib or Earl Grey, for example), while others are still quite unique (Cardamom, Orange-Geranium, and Peppered Mint are intriguing). They also have the Mystery Sense Bar:

"Anyone purchasing the bar will be biting into the unknown and have to use their senses to guess the flavour. For each chocolate bar sold, 50p will be donated to Sense."

Very clever, and very cool, indeed.

Rococo bars aren't cheap - I think they ring in at around $9/bar at Fog City - but the flavors are intense enough that you won't find yourself finishing a whole one too fast.

Oh, and for anyone wondering: Yes, we have tried Vosges' Mo's Bacon Bar. We weren't so impressed - the bacon flavor is rather muted, and the not-quite-crisp-not-quite-chewy mouthfeel of the bacon bits is distracting to say the least. We'll happily stick with the Barcelona Bar which, despite its lower cocoa content, hits the mark on the combination of sweet, salty, bitter and texture.

Tags: Chocolate, Fog City, Vosges, Rococo, Candy, Sweet, San Francisco, Food & Drink

My personal prayer

Lord, as I turn off my laptop.
And board the plane,
Stowing all my portable electronic devices under the seat in front of me
Or
In the overhead bin,
Please protect me
And my harddrive.

Amen.

(Otherwise known as "the prayer of the traveling salesman")

Who Wants to Give me Camera Advice?

Years and years ago, I abducted my dad's then-highly-coveted Nikon and taught myself to take pictures. As with so many other things during my teen angst years, I quickly grew bored of ALL THOSE LENSES, and trying to "work with" the available light, and to be honest, I didn't think I had such a great eye anyway.

So, I returned the camera to its pristine case, and satisfied myself with time spent in the darkroom, developing other people's photos for the newspaper and yearbook.

On my recent trip to Italy, though, I found myself enamored of being behind a lens again. When I came back, I decided I wanted to upgrade from my five-year-old Canon point-and-shoot. Then I put it off. And put it off some more.

Well, C finally put his foot down after I kept borrowing his camera in NY, and we are finally getting me a new camera. But I'm torn about what I want to shoot with.

The options are the new Powershot G9, or the EOS Digital Rebel XTi, and I'm definitely going to keep the older camera for things like Burning Man.

On the one hand, I love the idea of upgrading to an SLR -- I know I'll have lots more control over my images, and C has tons of lenses that I can use with the Rebel. But I do worry about toting around an SLR; will the size put me off of taking it with me wherever I go?

On the other hand, the G9 is nice and compact, and is getting GREAT reviews. But it's still a point-and-shoot, and I wonder if I won't grow bored with it fairly quickly.  I'm definitely more into taking landscape and still shots, but the G9 is also probably better suited to capturing spontaneous images, right?

Help me, interwebs! Please leave your thoughts, suggestions and opinions in the comments so others can benefit, too. And if you've shot with either of these two cameras, please let me know what you think.

Tags: Cameras, Canon, EOS Rebel, G9, Advice, Photography, San Francisco, Food & Drink

Inspired by Inspiration

I draw so much inspiration from my friends, be they bloggers, industry colleagues or simply wonderful people -- I feel lucky at this point in my life to be surrounded by interesting, loving, life-affirming friends. So when I read this piece on Jen's blog, and saw that it had been inspired by another blog I enjoy reading, I knew I was going to steal it. (I think...yes, this is the 2nd time I've done this to Jen!)

25 Things I Never Get Tired Of:

1. Because it's front of mind, being genuinely excited about politics!
2. Looking at my US Passport - I can go almost anywhere in the world with that thing!
3. Watching Bo and The Crazy Puppy play tirelessly
4. The view of San Francisco from midway across the Bay Bridge
5. Sushi
6. The thrill of filling one Moleskin, and unwrapping a new one
7. Crossing something off my "100 Things to Do in the Next 10 Years" list
8. Adding something new to the aforementioned list
9. The smell of jet fuel at the airport
10. Walking down the jetway to go somewhere new and unexplored
11. The look C and I exchange when we eat something delicious or see something magical
12. People smiling at Bo everywhere we go - he just makes people happy
13. A house full of people
14. Those rare moments when I cease to be my brother's "Big Sister", and am just his friend
15. Watching dog shows on TV for glimpses of my favorite breeds: Frenchies, Bulldogs, Mastiffs & Boxers
16. Placing a dog in his or her forever home
17. Catching sight of my tattoo in the mirror - it holds so much significance for me
18. Closing a deal I worked really hard to win
19. Shoes
20. Laughing fearlessly at my own malapropisms: "The wages of sin is war" or "[I know he's a FAM because] he's packing wood."
21. The thrill of really communicating with someone in a new language
22. Finding and using a word in Farsi I didn't know I knew
23. Sharing my heritage with people I care about
24. Sitting in a sun-drenched patch on a cold day
25. Spectacular sunsets

How about you?

Bo Says...

HAPPY NEW YEAR, INTERWEBS!

I'm So Confused About Las Vegas

When I was a kid, Las Vegas was a place you took the family. There were shows, and animals and things for both the kids and the adults to do. Plus, it was pretty inexpensive to bring a family here for a weekend -- even the nicest hotels were reasonably priced, and because the casinos wanted you to stay on premises, they offered decent food for cheap (remember the $2.99 breakfast buffet??).

What happened here?

I've been in Vegas for a few days for a business conference, and I am absolutely floored at how expensive it has become. At Mandalay Bay, a small bowl of pasta salad with mozzarella and basil and an iced tea set me back $13. A cup of coffee and a pastry at Starbucks? $8.50.

I know that food, and celebrichefs, have become a part of the Vegas experience, and I certainly understand the prices at restaurants like Aureole (phenomenally amazing, and absolutely worth it!) and Mix. But come on, a simple pasta salad? Even the "cafes" and buffets are incredibly expensive.

How does a family of four come here for a "weekend getaway"?

Tags: Food, Wine, Food & Drink, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Restaurants, NCDM

Giving Thanks for Urban Families

This week, I am undertaking what feels to me like a daunting,  yet wholly invigorating, challenge:  I'm  playing host to 12 people for Thanksgiving.

As readers of this blog know, it's been a whirlwind of a year for me, from heartbreak to recovery, new experiences, new puppies, and lifelong love.

Through it all, my urban sisters have been here for me. They've lifted me up, and they've lovingly fed me the bitter pill of reality when that's what I've needed. These are amazing women, people. Seriously.

So you can understand how magnificent is the opportunity (and the honor) to spend Thanksgiving with them. One of them is bringing her mother, someone I've longed to meet ever since I first heard about her. Another is bringing a precious new bundle, along with the bundle's grandparents, aunt and uncle.

The Willie Bird is being picked up tomorrow, as is the Fatted Calf Cider-Brined Ham. Nannie's Party Potatoes are making their annual appearance, along with another of Colin's family traditions: Macaroni & Cheese.

The ladies are bringing everything else -- Cat wrote up the rest of the menu here. Read it only with something to catch the drool -- you've been fairly warned.

So it's with a wide smile that I wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving! It's been a good year for us here, and I hope it has been for you, too.

Go forth, eat well, and enjoy your turkey coma!

Tags: Food, Wine, Food & Drink, San Francisco, Oakland, Thanksgiving, Friends, 2007

Quick question about PictoBrowser & Flickr - please help!

Hey you out there... I need your input on something.

Do you like PictoBrowser (those little photo-viewers on the last two posts)?

It's hard for me to decide whether to keep using them, because I put notes and descriptions on some of the images which PictoBrowser doesn't support (for example, did you know that one of the photos from Cortona is of the cell where St. Francis of Assisi spent his final days?)

On the other hand, I don't want to keep sending you all off to Flickr to look, because maybe you're not interested, and prefer a quick little glance through the sets as PictoBrowser presents them?

Thing is, I know most of you aren't going over to Flickr, so you're definitely missing out on some details. I'm kind of torn here...

Drop me an email, and/or leave notes in the comments. Grazie!

And Olive She Shall Be, So Sayeth the Interwebs

Miss Olive did absolutely GREAT last night - slept from 11pm til about 6am, at which time we were awakened by a screeching not unlike that of a starving banshee.

She went to work with Colin today, and was a total champ. Whether he got any work done is up for discussion. She's heading in to work with me tomorrow (yes, my new boss IS a rockstar), and we have a hot lunch date.

 

She is exhausting Bo, about which I have no complaints. He's still not quite sure about her, but as you can see, he obviously has no qualms about turning the living room into a racetrack:

Stella, on the other hand, is so perturbed that she declined to have her photo taken for this post:

Twenty-four hours down. Endless (hopefully) hours of joy to go.

Tags: Food, Wine, Food & Drink, San Francisco, Oakland, Puppies, French+Bulldog, Dogs