Gastronomie

Jack London Square Crab Crawl

A few weeks ago, I was taking Bo for a walk through Jack London Square when I stumbled across signs for The Crab Crawl. "FUN!", I thought, "I should invite C."

About 5 yards later, I realized that those people setting up booths? They had crabs. And garlic noodles. And today? It wasn't Sunday. Huh. Unless I called C pretty quickly, there'd be nothing left to invite him to!

He met us down at the Square a little while later, where we proceeded to check out the booty, and grab some goodies to nosh on while we polished off pints of Anchor  Steam.

As it turned out, we were less than tempted by the crab dishes that were left a mere two hours after the even started; one of the booths, whose garlic noodles we tried and loved, told us that they had no idea the event was going to be so popular, and they couldn't believe they'd already run out of their cajun cracked crab.

Those oysters up there, though? Those were really, really great.  Big, plump, juicy specimens from Johnson's Oyster Farm were shucked and daubed with garlic, then grilled up, one order at a time.  Each of us in line spent more than a few minutes waiting, but OH MAMA, was it ever worth it.

Generously sprinkled with Green Tabasco (my personal preference on grilled oysters), I slurped more than my share of these, nearly ready to go back for more.

The Crab Crawl's food stands were picked clean HOURS before they expected to be, which I love to see -- it just proves that Oakland is really finding her own voice and people are coming to hear what she's saying.

Tags: Food, Wine, Food & Drink, San Francisco, Oakland, Jack London Square, Festivals

My New Favorite Restaurant -- Wood Tavern

You know how sometimes, you walk into a house or a restaurant or a bar or a cute little boutique and know, just KNOW, it's going to be your home away from home?

C and I instantly felt that way about Wood Tavern, Rebekah and Rich Wood's new place in Oakland's Rockridge district. It's just that good, and that comfortable, and that pleasant a place to go.

At a recent lazy Sunday lunch (after the most hellacious travel day possible - stay tuned for details), we shared a bottle of our favorite white wine -- Movia Ribolla ($38), which we first tried at Frasca in Boulder.

We started, as always, with their Butcher Block ($5 per item). After a few tries, we've decided that we're happiest foregoing the Fra' Mani salumis for Wood Tavern's own housemade Smoked Duck Breast and Rabbit Rillettes. The rillettes have a texture that is much finer and less overtly "fatty" than most of those I've tried; this makes me want to eat them with a spoon. My only "whine" here is that the duck breast is served in portions of three slices, which makes it difficult for two greedy bitches to share.

Next, we shared a salad of Arugula and Asparagus ($8) which the kitchen kindly split for us. Simply dressed with a light and bright lemon vinaigrette, and punctuated* with toasted almonds, paper-thin slices of fennel, and pecorino shavings, this was a perfect early Spring salad. Nothing you couldn't replicate fairly well at home, but nicely solid.

I moved on to a luscious, spicy, toothsome "Sugo & Shells"  ($16). Their lamb sugo is already the stuff of legend, and with good reason. It's one of those dishes which works on a warm day, a chilly evening, whenever. There's something really satisfying about a bright, piquant sauce loaded with tender and gamey lamb that actually TASTES like lamb. Even C was happy to steal a few bites, while  I cleverly used my fork to stab his other hand.

So now it gets interesting.

C is an avowed Luka's burger junkie. So much so, in fact, that in two years of nearly-monthly visits, I think I've only ever seen him order something different once. Now, this says nothing about his adventurous nature; but, it does speak VOLUMES about the quality of that burger. Luka's really does have a "perfect" hamburger.

So when he ordered the Hamburger, Add Bacon & Cheddar ($12), I was ready for a throwdown. What arrived to the table was clearly not even TRYING to compete for top honors in the "Traditional" category. It was served on a baguette, but one which had softened up nicely (nothing like destroying the roof of your mouth on hard, crusty bread) and the meat was juicy,  flavorful and seasoned well. The fries were "OK", but nothing that would compel me to order them separately, the way we do at Luka's and some other places.

But.

Oh, heaven the pickles. Thick disks of crunchy, tart, salty, slightly sweet, and deliciously spiced pickle. Pickles so good that, when C shared his last one, I felt incredibly guilty about that earlier stabbing incident. Where do I find pickles like this???

After all this, we were both quite full, but managed to make room in our bellies for a lovely Panna Cotta with Strawberry Salad and Granita and Creme Caramel Profiteroles (both $7). Both were very, very good -- better, in fact, than what I expect from a restaurant that is barely cutting its teeth, and which doesn't (as far as I know) have a dedicated pastry chef.

So, clearly, we loved the food. But what is it that brings us back over and over again? What is it that has us making reservations for our next meal before we pay even our bill?

It's that (seemingly) elusive combination of food and ambience, space and service. I'm not all crazy into the Feng Shui thing, but I can tell you that whatever the Woods did, walking into the Tavern feels like stepping into a beautiful but cozy living room. They walk the room, checking on tables, smiling, and making sure people waiting for a table have a drink to tide them over. They are the ultimate hosts, and you can tell that they adore what they do.

*Don't you hate it when people use $5 words completely out of context? Me too.

Wood Tavern
6317 College Avenue
Oakland, CA
510.654.6607

Tags: Food, Wine, Food & Drink, San Francisco, Oakland, Wood Tavern, Restaurants

Sweet & Sparkly

I don't know about you, but making grand plans for New Year's Eve always seems to leave me a bit, well, limp. I hate spending a ton of money for mediocre meals and service from surly waiters who are pissed to be working that night. I hate trying to find cabs, and waiting in line trying to get a drink at whatever party I spent a mint to get in to, and most of all hate the melodrama that invariably plays out three feet away from me.

So for the past three years, I've been holding a late-starting party with lots of sweet treats, bubbly and cocktails. It's great because people can have dinner at their favorite restaurant and still make it over in time to "Auld Lang Syne" with friends and really, what more could you ask for?

Since I've been such a ('scuse my language) slack-ass when it comes to recipes lately, I thought I'd share one for a Coffee-Caramel Trifle that has made it into the annual rotation. However, despite the pleas I'm sure to get in that there comments section, I will NOT share the recipe for my Fleur de Sel brownies (aka "crack brownies", as Alder called them). Some things are just not meant for sharing

Stealing a Bite -- My Top 10 Tastes of 2006

Sometimes, the inspiration for blog fodder comes in the form of, well... stealing. In this case, I'm stealing from Jen, who did this brilliant post about the 10 best things to pass her lips this year. I thought that recollecting all the delicious things I've eaten would be a nice way to close out what has been a pretty crappy year.

So, without further ado, I present my Top Ten Tastes of 2006, in (mostly) chronological order:   

1. Like Jen, I have to put the Buttermilk-soaked Fried Quail with Lemon Confit at Rubicon on the list. It was sublime enough that I have been back specifically to eat that one thing.   
2. Bacon-Wrapped Chorizo-Stuffed Dates at 4580 in Boulder. Before this meal, I would have sworn that I hate dates. Not only were these incredibly delicious in their own right, they actually opened my mind to an ingredient I previously shunned.
   

   

    
3. Chanterelle Tagliatelle at Babbo was positively exquisite -- the first time I understood how pasta was supposed to taste and "bite". Phenomenally good, and one of my loveliest meals with C, ever.   
4. Then there's Alinea, which was definitely the meal of the year. For the rest of my days, I will never forget the perfectness of Pear: Curry Infused Cocoa Butter Orb with Pear Juice.   
   

   

5. On the dessert end of the table is the Smoked Yogurt that accompanied the bittersweet chocolate cake at Coi. I've heard it's no longer offered because it was too odd for most people, which is a shame and makes me fear losing Daniel Patterson to New York. That stuff was revelatory.   
6. If I ever taste O-toro like the pieces we were served at Pod, I will consider myself ready to... ready to... oh, come on, who am I kidding? I wouldn't stop eating sushi. But, I would be a damned lucky girl.   
7. My first (and second... and third) La Spada's Hoagie. 'Nuf said.
   

   

    
8. Eating heavenly Festival Bread in Jamaica with hotter-than-sin jerk chicken and washing it all down with ice cold Red Stripe.   
9. You know how sometimes you listen to people go on and on about how great something is, and then when you finally try it, it's sort of a let-down because you've hyped it so much in your own head? Yea, that's not how it is with Pretzel Croissants from City Bakery.
   

   

10. And finally, to take us back a full year, the Croquembouche I ordered from Citizen Cake for last year's New Year's Eve party. While it was delicious in its own right, what made it a top-10 contender is the friends I got to share it with.

Now, you may have noticed that there are no wines or spirits on this list; that's because they could make up a whole post on their own. But a couple quick memories include:   

• My first sip of Oban, high above San Francisco on the top floor of the Hilton   
  
• A taste of Water's Crest Nightwatch, a luscious eiswein-style offering from Long Island
• The first sniff of Qi (the Lapsang Souchong/Orange/Vanilla liqueur from Lance Winters, Brian Backus & John Scharffenberger) that nearly knocked me backwards with its potency
• A Hangar One Wasabi Vodka Bloody Mary -- perfection with a pickled green bean
• Brewing a pot of Vanilla Rooibos tea, and sharing with my mom
• A dinner with good friends, seeing their reaction to their first taste of a nicely aged Masi Amarone. ..the wonderment that wine could taste like this.

It has been a year of delicious food, and delicious drink. A year of merry-making, friend-making, sadness-making.

Yes, it has definitely been a year to remember.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you, with hopes and wishes for a phenomenal year ahead with joy, prosperity and many beautiful and delicious things.

Tags: Food, Food & Drink, 2006, 2007, New Years, New Years Eve, Best Of, San Francisco, Chicago, Jamaica, Oakland, New York

Menu For Hope -- A Beautiful Way to Close the Year -- Prize #UW38

Do you guys remember that little grass roots effort that a bunch of food bloggers participated in last year? The one that raised some $17,000 towards the relief effort in Northern Pakistan and India?

Well, not only is it back, but it's got structure, visibility and a great deal of excitement around it this year. And, it's benefitting the United Nations' World Food Programme

Here at Gastronomie, we have not one, not two, but THREE gifts for you this year. However, we are only releasing information on the first prize today, and not because we don't love you. No, we just aren't READY to release everything at once. So, once you've read about our cool Persian Pantry, and checked out the amazing prizes on offer by other bloggers -- West Coast bloggers' donations are here; the rest of them are most easily found here.

Gastronomie Prize #1: The Persian Pantry, retail value = $75+

• 4.6 grams of pure Khorasan saffron threads, hand-carried from Iran by my aunt
• A bundle of cleaned, chopped and dried herbs for Ghormeh Sabzi, enough for 4-6 servings
• A bag of leemoo-omani, dehydrated persian limes, critical for many Persian dishes
• Kashk (dried or a jar of fresh, depending on winner's location) - most of you have told me this is the single most difficult thing for you to find, and it's so important.
• Resht-e, Persian noodles used to make Aash 
• Rob-e Anaar, or pomegranate paste. This is different from the pomegranate molasses you fine in most markets. You'll see why when you receive it
• Sumac, the dried and crushed berries of the poisonous plant. Sprinkle it on Basmati rice, fry up a few kabab, and you have a perfect Chelo Kabab
• Finally, I'll be putting together a selection of sweets and other goodies based on the winner's requests

If you want to bid on this item, PLEASE go to the donation page and bid a minimum of $10 for one raffle ticket. Specify prize number UW38 for the Persian Pantry in the "Personal Message" section of the form, and PLEASE make sure to allow us to see your email address so we can contact you if you win.

Raffle winners will be announced on January 15, 2007 (big "woot-woot" to Derrick, here, as we actually wrote all y'all's names on slips of paper and did drawings last year. He's taking us into the 20th century with a randomizer application.)

So, really, head on over and make a donation. Good things will happen, and you'll feel good about doing it, too!

Tags: Food, Food & Drink, Persian, Iran, Menu For Hope, Charity, Donation, Holidays, First Giving, United Nations, World Food, San Francisco, Oakland

Hangar One's Mad Scientist Strikes Again

Last Sunday, Hangar One/St. George Spirits (aka The Best Damn Booze Company Ever) held their annual Holiday Open House. My friend E and I headed over after an alcohol-absorbing brunch at Luka's, and as usual, I was floored by the generosity of this amazing group of artisans, and their partners in culinary crime.

A $25 ticket bought you a full tasting of all their assorted spirits, three drink tickets for highly inventive cocktails, PLUS all manner of delicious nibblings from local artisans.

Michael Recchiuti was there, sampling his Qi and St. George Whiskey chocolates. I adored the former, but really couldn't taste the whiskey in the latter. He was also doling out cups of hot chocolate spiked (if one chose) with either of the aforementioned spirits. I couldn't escape, of course, without a box of Fleur de Sel Caramels, which I proceeded to share with everyone I knew (and many I didn't).

Living Room Events supplied tasty tidbits, including charcuterie from Fatted Calf, prosciutto-wrapped arugula and itty-bitty "slider sandwiches" of roasted duck. And just in case Mr. Recchiutti's confections weren't enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, the good folks from Whiskie Bits Bakeshop were on hand to sample their fall flavors, including a few that were infused with the distillery's own goodness.

Soon after we arrived, we caught sight of the Mad Scientist, and headed on over to say hello. Who IS the Mad Scientist, you ask? His name is Lance Winters, and he's a former nuclear engineer. Now, he makes Really Good Vodka and other stuff.

From the last tasting I'd attended, I knew that he'd been working on a lighter version of the wildly successful Qi Liqueur. Back then, the idea was to infuse green tea and mint into a refreshing and crisp counterpoint to the original Qi. As nuclear-engineers-turned-craft-distillers are wont to do, that first batch was deemed "just not right", and has since morphed into something altogether more sensuous and spicy. I won't spill the beans here, but be on the lookout for this heady but easily sippable (and much more approachable) distillation from Qi Spirits.

Then, just before we left, he snuck out a glass of something crystal clear, something that smelled like... what IS that? Swirl, sniff, swirl, sniff...

"It's herbaceous... very clean. But seriously, man, what IS this??," I asked. He replied, "It's Christmas in a glass."

Turns out, Lance's neighbor brought him a bag full of fresh Douglas Fir pine needles. And Lance decided to distill them in Hangar One Straight. Like so many things, the moment he tells you what it is, you can smell it immediately. Seriously, who thinks to do stuff like this?

If he ever releases it (under the Alchemist Series -- he's still fine-tuning it), this Christmas vodka will attain cult status much like the Batch 1 bottling of Wasabi vodka did earlier this year. You've been warned.

Tags: Hangar One, St. George Spirits, Qi, Vodka, Liquor, Whiskey, Lance Winters, San Francisco, Alameda, Oakland, Food & Drink

The Great Ice Cream Debate -- Ici vs. Sketch

So, if you've followed the happenings in the East Bay dessert world, you know that a couple of Chez Pannisse alums recently opened a cutie-patootie ice cream "parlor" called Ici in Berkeley.

But is there room in the hearts of East Bay-ers for TWO cutie patootie frozen dessert joints? Because, unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past year or so, you know that we over here love us some Sketch. Eric & Ruthie have developed what can only be described as a cult following for their lusciously heady frozen confections.

This past weekend, C and I were battling Cals fans as we drove through Berkeley, and fortuitously found ourselves in a holding pattern directly in front of Ici, on College Avenue. As I swung the car into the yellow, I yelled (with all the passion of a football coach, natch), "Run, go, RUN! Two flavors. Pick two. Any two. Just MOVE!"

Good man that he is, he was in and out in less than two minutes, a single scoop cone of vanilla for him, and a cup of Earl Grey and Pine Nut Praline for me. Before I go any further, let me just say that their cone is the BEST CONE I HAVE EVER EATEN - light and flaky like a Pirouette, with a happy little nubbin of dark chocolate at the base.

Side note: I don't think I ever told you guys this, but my first and last attempt at ice cream making was an Earl Grey flavor. One that I tried to serve to this obssesed couple. I over-steeped the tea, so the end product was pretty much inedible -- it was horribly tannic and horribly horrible. Thus, I feel uniquely equipped to judge Earl Grey ice creams.

The verdict? I found Ici's ice creams all a little too sweet for my palate. On the other hand, the flavors themselves were tremendously pure and, well, flavorful. Texturally, the vanilla and tea were lovely and smooth, with a nice mouth-coating butterfat content. There was a hint of extremely fine graininess to the pine nut ice cream, which didn't distract from the experience; unfortunately I couldn't help but think would never happen at Sketch.

It's important to note, however, that Eric & Ruthie don't sell what they make as "ice cream" -- their repertoire is predominantly gelato with a few granitas thrown in for fun. That said, I still think that what they do is perhaps a little more refined than Ici, and I like that. So, for the time being at least, I will be heading to Fourth Street rather than College Avenue for my frozen treat fix.

Ici Ice Cream
2948 College Avenue, Berkeley
Open Tues - Sun, 11am - 9pm

Sketch Ice Cream
1809-A Fourth Street, Berkeley
510.665.5650
Open Sun - Thurs, 12pm - 6pm, Fri & Sat 12pm - 8pm

Tags: Food, Food & Drink, Berkeley, San Francisco, Dessert, Ice Cream, Gelato

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An Open Letter to Chopper Riders in Jack London Square

Dear Large Man --

Your motorcyle is very loud. I'm sure you know this and, in fact, I'm sure it's the reason you like to ride it. Perhaps it's making up for some comment your mother made long ago, or perhaps it's in reaction to a slight from a recently departed girlfriend. Or maybe you're just dumb enough to get one "because all my friends are".

So anyway, back to the bike.

PLEASE DON'T DRIVE DOWN RESIDENTIAL STREETS AFTER MIDNIGHT,
ROARING YOUR ENGINES.

Otherwise, my very tough French Bulldogs will jump out the window and chew your toes off, and then I will have to fill out paperwork, and then I will be grouchy. Which will make my Frenchies grouchy. And you ain't seen grouchy 'til you've met these two:

So please, Mr. Motorcycle Man, could you find it in your heart to ride your bike down a street other than ours, the ONLY residential street in our area?

Tags: Motorcycles, Choppers, Oakland, French Bulldogs, Dogs, Urban Noise

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Chicken Under A Brick

I've long been intrigued by the idea of cooking chicken "under a brick". I was never inspired to try my hand at it, however, until I realized last night that it was 6:30pm, we were both starving, and roasting that Rocky Jr. in the fridge wouldn't get us to the table until at least 8pm.

Necessity being the mother of invention and all that, I proceeded to rummage around the kitchen and deck looking for a weight heavy enough to pull this off. The two pieces from my Le Creuset Multi-Pot, nestled inside my 4.5 quart Dutch oven, worked nicely.

As I was pulling the chicken out of the oven (40 minutes, people, 40 minutes!), the doorbell rang, and my awesome, wonderful neighbor J was standing there with a bowl full of tomatoes and peaches she'd picked earlier in Brentwood. As the bird rested, I threw together what turned out to be an incredibly delicious salad -- wedges of peach and heirloom tomato, chopped basil, good sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, drizzled lightly with olive oil.

Summer never tasted so good.

Chicken Under a Brick

• 1 3lb bird, the fresher the better, and free-range is best
• 4T + 2T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, slivered
• 1 clove garlic, minced fine
• 1t sweet paprika
• Several sprigs fresh rosemary, half of them de-stemmed & chopped fine
• Several springs fresh thyme, half of them de-stemmed & chopped fine
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees*.
2. Butterfly the bird by removing the backbone, and pressing flat. Cut off the first two joints of the wings, and the last joint of both drumsticks to prevent burning.
3. In a large, flat pan, heat the first 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Allow to cook a few minutes as you season the chicken.
4. Make a paste of the remaining olive oil, garlic, paprika, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, and salt & pepper.
5. Rub all over the bird, on both sides, coating well.
6. Tuck the remaining sprigs of rosemary and thyme under the skin, being careful not to tear it.
7. Turn the stove up to medium-high, and when good and hot, set the chicken, breast-down, in the pan. Set a heavy weight atop the chicken to press it flat.
8. Cook for 10-12 minutes -- you'll know when it's ready because the smell from the kitchen will cause your husband to begin drooling.
9. Move the pan (with weights) to the lower rack of the oven, and allow to cook for another 15 or so minutes.
10. Carefully remove the weights from the chicken, and gently turn it over.
11. Continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees. Alternately, look for the juices to run completely clear. The skin at this point should be a gorgeous golden-brown, and exceedingly crispy.
12. Remove chicken from the oven, tent with foil for 5 minutes, and cut into quarters (this will be very easy to do).
13. Serve with salad or roasted potatoes, as you choose.

Tags: Recipes, Chicken, Summer, Food, Food & Drink, Salad, Oakland, San Francisco

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Woah, Nellie

There has been a whole lot of buzz about Nellie’s restaurant the past few months. Seems
the folks from The City have discovered Oakland’s best fried chicken and soul food.

Nellie’s isn’t fancy. It’s located on 3rd Street, just off 880, about 3 blocks from West
Oakland BART, kinda under the BART tracks. In other words, it’s not a place you
“stumble upon”. You need to know it’s there, and you need to know the secrets of
Nellie’s.

First, it’s about three things here: batter, oil and daily specials. Everything else falls a
distant second. Second, service is S-L-O-W. If you’re on a schedule, let ‘em know –
they’ll take care of you. But otherwise, just chill out, grab a Red Stripe from the bar next
door, and settle in for a meal that will induce food coma. Finally, the hours are funky. C
& I haven’t quite figured them out yet. It’s not a bad idea to call before you go.

C and I have fallen into a comfortable pattern for dinner here. We start off with an order
of Oysters & Fries ($9.95) – five plump, juicy, briny oysters, deep fried so beautifully they’d fit
right in at Casamento’s in New Orleans. Fries are nothing to write home about,
though I still manage to eat more than a few. The Texas Toast that comes on the plate,
however, is another story. C has been known to distract me momentarily in order to do
away with the last pieces. It’s THAT good.