The Culinary Timeline is a side-project that I've been working on since October. I'm hoping to have most of it complete by the end of January, with any luck. Until then, updates around here will be weekly, rather than twice weekly. Do stay tuned.
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Crispy Shrimp with Ginger and Onions.
As I’ve been dining out these last few weeks, I’ve been making a concerted effort to broaden my horizons, although my approach itself has been somewhat passive: Basically, I’ve simply committed to ask my servers about their own favorite dishes, and then agree (no questions asked) with whatever recommendation is proffered. It may not seem revolutionary, but it’s actually a much different approach than my typical routine, where I might become fixated on, say, chicken and waffles, and then attempt to sample every option available in the Bay Area. Since beginning this [... read more ...]
Few streets in the Bay Area can match the quaint charm of Albany’s Solano Avenue, the heart of which occupies about two dozen blocks between San Pablo Avenue to the west and The Alameda (an odd street name, for sure) to the east. To its credit, this crosswalk-laden stretch of Solano Avenue features very few franchises or chain stores, yet it does boast plenty of neighborhood restaurants and shops, perhaps none more noteworthy than China Village. Most of the time, I’ll include a visit to China Village whenever I’m catching a flick at the Albany Twin (or perhaps at [... read more ...]
As I’ve mentioned here before, my goal in life is to only eat well, whether that means cooking at home or dining out. With that basic principle in mind, I definitely try to document everything delicious along the way, although sometimes certain meals get lost in the shuffle. And sometimes I may repeat myself, especially when I have certain favorites that I’ll revisit when I have the chance. I’ve actually mentioned all three of these lunches in previous posts, but never presented a photo alongside the article (I only upgraded my camera last May). Eventually, I’ll insert these photos [... read more ...]
The Preferred Nomenclature: Delicious.
The best Chinese food in Napa? Sounds like a trick question to me. The truth is, every Chinese restaurant in the Napa Valley is homogenized through a distinctly American filter, which is what it is. I certainly don’t mean to disparage a Napa restaurant like Wah Sing, for instance (places that have an undeniably long history here in town), for being too simple or too similar. It’s just that when Wah Sing seems to serve the same food as Mini Garden, which serves the same food as China House, well then, what’s the point [... read more ...]
Organic Orange Blossom Tomatoes: So Fresh and So Clean
I started a community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscription from Riverdog Farm this week, which I’m splitting with a friend. In this age of factory farming, it’s interesting to place oneself at the mercy of strict seasonality. However, summer is definitely a great time of year to eat seasonally. Tomatoes, corn, peaches, cherries and apples are just a few of the highlights. It’s been uncommonly cool here in the Napa Valley this summer, and I know that the growing season is way off schedule for Napa Cabernet. I suspect that [... read more ...]
Cachapas Pernil, Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, Oxbow Market, Napa
Though I had been to Pica Pica Maize Kitchen before, I hadn’t actually tasted the cachapas pernil (#7) until I attended the Napa Valley Chefs’ Market a few weeks ago. The yellow corn pancake is just sturdy enough to provide the exterior, with a flavor profile that’s slightly sweet. The cachapas pabellon (#3), which is shredded skirt steak with plantains, is also a tasty alternative.
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Market Burger, Market Restaurant, St. Helena
As far as cheeseburgers are concerned, the Market Burger is [... read more ...]
King me.
As I’ve mentioned here before, my philosophy is that the bread defines a sandwich in the same way that the crust defines a pizza: It’s practically everything, even if it’s not the only thing. Of course, with a falafel pita, the pita bread itself assumes the same important role in distinguishing the mundane from the noteworthy. Time and time again, I’ve found that the main downfall with most falafel sandwiches is simply the freshness of the pita. Flat breads, being all surface area, do seem to become stale rather quickly, and there’s really nothing worse than [... read more ...]
The #6 at Viet Nam on Broadway, San Francisco
I’ve eaten banh mi sandwiches all over the Bay Area, though I don’t claim to boast any first-hand experience with the banh mi sandwiches of Southeast Asia. I will say, however, that on most afternoons, the Vietnamese language flows freely at Viet Nam on Broadway, both behind the counter and within the restaurant’s tiny dining room. Does that guarantee anything in terms of quality or authenticity? Perhaps not, but it’s never a bad sign, either. Frankly, I just can’t imagine that Viet Nam’s banh [... read more ...]
It almost feels as though I’m repeating myself, but time truly flies, and looking back among my past blog entries, I hadn’t been wine tasting at Unti Vineyards or Papapietro Perry since last summer, and I did need to catch up with their most recent vintages. So here we go again. Another dissertation on the wonders of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, although I plan to keep this one short, in order to complement my ever-decreasing attention span. Typically, I would also fit Ridge Vineyards into this same discussion, but I got a late start over to Sonoma last week, [... read more ...]
I was fortunate enough to attend the Napa Valley Opera House’s sold-out fundraiser at Morimoto Napa on Sunday evening, which allowed me to feast to my heart’s content while inspecting the Iron Chef’s brand-new Napa Valley digs. Tickets for the reception were $95, and about 200 people gathered to taste what was easily the best sushi that has ever been offered in Napa. The restaurant, which will also host a few press- and industry-related dinners in the early week, is now taking reservations for its Thursday opening. Considering the scope of Sunday’s event, and knowing how difficult it can [... read more ...]
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