The Accidental Wino » Restaurant Reviews

The Spicy Pork Bibimbap @ Bowl’d Korean Rice Bar, Albany

The Accidental Wino — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:15:19 +0000

Mmmm... 'Bap: Korean comfort food.

I’m fairly convinced that whenever a dish arrives at the table still sizzling, it triggers some sort of primordial instinct. I’m not sure what it is, but there’s definitely something at work. By the same token, I’ve certainly experienced diner’s regret when I’ve ordered an enchilada plate that was upstaged by a sizzling fajita platter, or a shrimp green curry that was upstaged by a sizzling plate of tandoori chicken. That being noted, Bowl’d Korean Rice Bar offers its patrons the option of a regular serving bowl, or a screaming-hot stone bowl; don’t make the mistake of ordering anything but the screaming-hot stone bowl. Not only will your bibimbap quietly whisper to you as you contemplate its seven accompanying side dishes (or banchan), but if you douse the contents with a few splashes of citrus soy, the bibimbap will soon hiss back to life before releasing an impressive plume of aromatic steam. And it’s not just for show, either. As you begin to explore and experiment with the bibimbap’s myriad ingredients and supplements, the rice at the bottom of the bowl forms an addictive, carmelized crust that cannot be denied.

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The Smoked Pork Nachos @ Lagunitas Taproom, Petaluma

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:29:27 +0000

One massive nacho plate.

I was driving back from San Francisco last weekend, when I decided to take a short detour up to Petaluma to check out the Lagunitas Taproom, which opened in 2009 (admittedly, Petaluma has been mostly off my radar). To describe the scene at the Lagunitas Taproom as anything less than raucous would be a gross understatement; the brewery’s sprawling outdoor patio, which was tented for the rain, was teeming with folks on this early Saturday afternoon. I was practically in awe at the spectacle. The beer garden was impressively loud with jubilant conversations, the community-style picnic tables nearly packed to capacity, and the bartenders barely pouring the beer fast enough to meet demand. Obviously, this is the place to be in Petaluma. Aside from a tall glass of refreshing pilsner, I also had food on my mind, so I ordered the smoked pork nachos, pictured above. Dressed with an abundance of pork shoulder, melted cheese, and barbecue sauce, the Lagunitas nachos were vaguely reminiscent of chilaquiles, which should be taken as a compliment, if anything. It was only after I had placed my order that I noticed the weekly lunch specials inside the menu. Somehow, I had missed an opportunity to try their bacon-wrapped meatloaf sandwich. Damn. Maybe next time.

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The Pork Sandwich @ Gregoire, in North Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:27:57 +0000

The yolk is the sauce.

My regular readers may have been wondering why I haven’t been my prolific self this past month, and there’s a few reasons: (a) I’ve been golfing quite a bit lately, (b) cooking professionally has limited how much I dine out, and (c) I’ve been putting almost all of my mental energy into my new project, the Culinary Timeline (the site is still a definite work-in-progress, and not quite ready for prime time). Since returning to work in the kitchen earlier this year, I’ve not only expanded my culinary horizons in the present (étoile uses some really amazing and esoteric ingredients), but I’ve also become increasingly interested in the culinary past. I’ve been reading dozens of food history books, studying the evolution of fine dining, but also learning where it all went awry (America’s food industry is in disrepair at the moment, thanks to factory farms and rampant pre-processing). Anyhow, I went down to Berkeley the other day to load up on a few more books, and to have a quick bite to eat. I tried the pork sandwich, pictured above, at Gregoire. It was tasty, although the bun looks a little too big for the patty. Their fried chicken sandwich is still the smartest move for lunch. Equally smart, the potato puffs with aioli, pictured below.

Like duchess potatoes, but deep-fried.

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Pork sandwich, in progress.

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Eating Well: Slow Food Napa Valley’s Potluck Brunch @ Ehlers Estate Winery, St. Helena

The Accidental Wino — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 07:40:35 +0000

The dining area outside Ehlers Estate.

Slow Food Napa Valley hosted a pig roast and potluck on Sunday, September 11th, in conjunction with Ehlers Estate in St. Helena. The following photos highlight the event, which provided a forum for SFNV members to discuss the future of SFNV, and how they can help to increase interest and awareness of the Slow Food movement. Naturally, the brunch was amazing. Please click on any photo for a full-screen view.

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Pig cracklins, up close.

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CIA instructor Patrick Clark carves the Mulefoot Hog, which was provided by Michael Fradelizio of the Silverado Brewing Company and Beer Belly Farms.

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Michael Fradelizio (left) and Patrick Clark (right) remove the pig from the Caja China roasting box. A hungry crowd gathers.

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A look at the just-finished pig inside the Caja China.

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The Mulefoot hog, just a couple hours into cooking.

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The Ehlers Estate line-up. Delicious.

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Ehlers winemaker Kevin Morrisey (far left) talks shop with SFNV members.

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The Ehlers Estate tasting room, built in 1886.

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Debbie Fradelizio (left) and Corrie Beezley (right) greet SFNV members as they arrive for the potluck with baskets in hand.

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One very impressive apple pie.

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A beautiful honeycomb and cheese platter from Marshall's Farm.

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Heirloom tomato platter.

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In Ehlers Estate's BioDynamic vineyard.

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Flowers outside the Ehlers Estate tasting room.

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The Kobe Burger @ The Kitchen Door, Oxbow Market, Napa

The Accidental Wino — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:26:15 +0000

Oozing Flavor: The Kobe Burger @ The Kitchen Door, Napa.

Those who have lived in the Napa Valley for the last several years might recognize the Kitchen Door’s Kobe Burger as a vestige of the recently-departed Martini House, which shuttered almost one year ago (October 30th will mark the anniversary). Way back when I was cooking at the Martini House — more than four years ago now — the Kobe Burger was offered as a bar-only item, and was reason enough to drop by the restaurant’s eclectic downstairs lounge. As I had seen on so many nights back then, the Kobe Burger was served with an impressive tower of crispy onion rings, which were laced with just enough curry powder to make them addictive. The spice was completely subtle — I would’ve never even known that curry powder was part of the dry batter — except that a co-worker mentioned it one day.

I worked as a pastry cook while I was at the Martini House, so I never grilled a single Kobe Burger, nor did I ever fry a single onion ring; I dealt exclusively in sweets. However, since the ice creams and sorbets were under my sole jurisdiction most nights, the occasional half- or quarter-burger would appear at my station, typically after a misfire or a mix-up, as barter for a scoop. Yes, I knew the Kobe Burger quite well after a while — it’s the kind of burger that I could always pick out of a line-up, just by its condiments: wine-stewed onions, melted Swiss, secret sauce. For nostalgia’s sake, it’s terrific that chef Todd Humphries has brought his signature Kobe Burger to the Kitchen Door. I’ll continue to quietly petition for the beautiful side of onion rings, though.

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Platanos con Dulce de Leche @ Tacos La Playita, Napa

The Accidental Wino — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 05:27:54 +0000

The definition of golden brown, and obviously not from a bag: Platanos con Dulce de Leche (Plantains with Sweetened Condensed Milk) @ Tacos La Playita, Napa.

Sometimes simplicity is the best, but only if the ingredients can stand alone. Based upon its ripeness, the humble plantain will usually fall into two distinct categories: Starchy and bland, or sweet and delicious. At Tacos La Playita in Napa, the platanos definitely fall into the latter category, especially when dressed with dulce de leche. These plantains, pictured above, are actually a recent discovery to me, even though Tacos La Playita had ranked as my favorite for Mexican food when I first moved to the Napa Valley six years ago. I’ve since switched allegiances, although I do return to TLP every now and then with certain friends, or just for the familiar taste of their enchilada plate. The thing that began to bother me about TLP — the reason why it’s fallen lower on my list over the years — is that they stopped frying their tortilla chips in-house. It’s just a bit disappointing. Even though the chips and salsa at TLP are free, I still view store-bought chips as culinary sacrilege, at least within a restaurant setting. Frying chips is incredibly simple, and yet the character difference between a fresh chip and a bagged chip is enormous (in theory, I ‘d probably prefer a fresh chip and a jar of salsa, over a bagged chip and a house-made salsa). Even when I worked as a short order cook in a low-rent Los Angeles dive bar, we still fried our own chips for the nachos. Plenty of other Mexican restaurants in Napa also fry their own chips. And they also serve them for free. More than anything, the extra effort of frying chips demonstrates a level of craftsmanship and concern that, as a cook, I feel is important. So much so, that whenever I make guacamole, I always buy the freshly-fried tortilla chips from Rutherford’s La Luna Market as the accompaniment. I’m sure as hell not serving my guacamole with a damned Tostito. Maybe that’s just me.

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The Squeezeburger with Cheese @ The Squeeze Inn, Napa

The Accidental Wino — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:27:39 +0000

The Squeezeburger with Cheese (obviously) @ The Squeeze Inn, Napa.

The calling card of a Squeezeburger is unmistakable: Each cheeseburger is adorned with a skirt of melted cheddar cheese, rendered crispy-thin on a flat-top grill until it’s roughly the dimension of a jukebox 45. In terms of practicality, the trick is to neatly tuck this excess cheese underneath the patty before eating, although my “encasing” trechnique certainly isn’t the only approach (some folks tear away the entire circumference of cheese and eat it on its own; others may tear away just enough cheese to gain an entry-point). One of the few truly great burgers in Napa, the Squeeze Inn is a locally-owned outpost of the franchise’s original Sacramento storefront (the other two Squeeze Inn locations can be found in Galt, of all places, and Roseville). Although the Sactown location was profiled by Guy Fieri on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” a few years ago, the Squeeze Inn Napa continues to thrive on a locals-only feel. Nestled inconspicuously alongside Vallergas Market on Redwood Road, the restaurant is easy to miss, but definitely worth seeking out.

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Book Review: “Riesling Renaissance” by Freddy Price

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:19:12 +0000

“Coffee’s for closers only.” Anyone who has seen 1992′s “Glengarry Glen Ross” might recall this line from the film’s first act, when Alec Baldwin delivers one of my all-time favorite movie monologues. The scene marks Baldwin’s only appearance in the film — a scant seven minutes — but his abusive tirade establishes the movie’s tone, and it sets up the second act perfectly. In “Glengarry,” Baldwin plays the character of Blake, an über-alpha real estate salesman, and a role that was written specifically for Baldwin by playwright David Mamet (as great as it is, Baldwin’s “Glengarry” monologue was not part of Mamet’s original 1983 stage play). During his brilliant rant, Baldwin espouses the acronym “ABC” — short for “Always be closing” — a hard-boiled sales mantra that he imparts to an ensemble of A-listers, including Jack Lemon, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin (with Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey rounding out the cast, just for good measure). As someone who’s seen “Glengarry” dozens of times over, I’m always reminded of Baldwin’s monologue whenever I hear someone use the acronym “ABC” within the context of wine.

For folks like me, those who are devoted to drinking and exploring Napa wine, “ABC” usually means “Anything but Chardonnay.” This quippy, yet dismissive critique of Napa’s most prominent white wine may seem surprising to some, especially since Chardonnay still enjoys both pedigree and popularity the world over. However, the “ABC” philosophy does have some merit in regard to local wine. On one hand, the Chardonnay alternatives are few and far between here in the valley; for most Napa wineries, Sauvignon Blanc represents the only other local option for white wine (Chardonnay accounts for almost two-thirds of Napa’s total white wine production, while Sauvignon Blanc accounts for about one-fourth). But for the “ABC” camp, it’s not so much the fact that Chardonnay dominates the white wine landscape — it’s more the idea that California Chardonnay, despite its overall popularity, simply lost its taste appeal to many wine drinkers.

The local backlash against California Chardonnay began to build in the late 1990s, following an era when many local producers used to treat Chardonnay with a heavy regimen of new oak, coupled with heavy malolactic fermentation (often referred to simply as “malocatic” — or even “ML” — this secondary “fermentation” is actually bacteria-based, and isn’t a true yeast-based fermentation). With Chardonnay, heavy oak plus full ML typically results in the oaky-buttery style that many folks still enjoy (Rombauer Vineyards is the poster-child for this particular approach, and Rombauer will probably always bear the oaky-buttery torch). In the 1980s, this heavy-handed style became the vogue for many (perhaps most) Napa Valley winemakers, and the result was that Chardonnay eventually began to taste less and less like the grape, and more and more like the process. Taste, of course, remains subjective, and inherently, this particular style of winemaking wouldn’t necessarily present an issue, except that it began to make lots of Napa Chardonnays all taste the same.

Indeed, Chardonnay is widely known as “the winemaker’s grape,” a canvass that can lend itself to plenty of tweaking and manipulating in the cellar. As author Freddy Price acknowledges in his brief introduction of “Reisling Renaisance,” the Riesling grape is the complete opposite of Chardonnay. Classically, Riesling is rarely aged in oak barrels and the use of ML is non-existent. As Price also points out in his introduction, Riesling expresses its terroir more clearly than any other wine. Terroir, or what I would colloquially call” the taste of place,” is the notion that no grapevine grows within a vacuum. For better or worse, nature’s elements are bound to have an influence on the vine, and farming techniques are also bound to play a role in a grape’s flavor development. For serious wine drinkers, this idea of terroir is what allows experts to identify a wine’s origin simply by its taste, smell and appearance.

“Reisling Renaissance” is invaluable for anyone who wishes to gain a deeper insight into the world’s Riesling production. Price has spent more than 50 years pursuing his passion for the grape, and his knowledge of Riesling certainly shines. The book is divided into regional chapters, leading off with the most important, Germany, and then delving into sections on France, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. “Riesling Renaissance” features great maps, concise and insightful histories, and lists of the top Riesling producers for each wine-growing region. Unfortunately, here in the Napa Valley, Riesling is all but absent, even though the grape was extremely popular before Prohibition, and also during the 1960s and 1970s (today, Riesling accounts for a little more than 1% of Napa’s total white wine production). To be fair, however, Napa is generally too warm to grow world-class Riesling on a large scale (Washington State has since become the domestic leader in Riesling production).

“ABC” has become a tough bet for Californians who wish to drink locally, but a few wineries have continued to produce Riesling with some success. Among the California wineries in consideration, Price highlights Bonny Doon, Greenwood Ridge, Navarro Vineyards, Smith-Madrone and Trefethen. Although it is noteworthy to point out that Bonny Doon sources its juice from Washington State and Germany’s Mosel, the other four wineries do grow and produce a true California Riesling. Trefethen and Smith-Madrone are the only Napa representatives on the list, although personally, I would also add Stony Hill Vineyards, since they’ve been producing an admirable dry Riesling in Napa Valley for more than 50 years now.

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Lunchtime: Pizza @ Arizmendi Bakery, Emeryville

The Accidental Wino — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:01:42 +0000

Pizza @ Arizmendi Bakery, Emeryville: Housemade Tomato Sauce, Kalamata Olives, Spinach, Parmesan and Garlic-Herb Oil.

Arizmendi Emeryville lies in the shadow of Pixar Animation Studios, and although the bakery may not provide the ideal venue for a high-level power lunch, it certainly must be a welcome oasis for those who don’t occupy Pixar’s corner offices. And that’s the point, really: Arizmendi Bakery is steeped in the ethos of the everyman, an owner-operated cooperative and a spin-off of the famous Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley. Since its initial launch in 1997, the Arizmendi Bakery has expanded to four locations in the Bay Area, which may give the illusion of rampant franchising. However, each Arizmendi Bakery remains a unique entity in terms of its cooperative ownership (there’s actually no person named Arizmendi behind the scenes; the four bakeries take their common name from José María Arizmendiarrieta, a Basque labor organizer from the last century). As for the pizza itself, the pie at Arizmendi Emeryville is only slightly analogous to that of the Cheese Board, although it certainly boasts a familiar, if not similar, aesthetic (for better or worse, the sourdough crust at Arizmendi seems slightly less crispy than its Cheese Board counterpart). While I do concede that Gioia still remains my favorite slice in the East Bay, if I happened to work at Pixar, I would easily visit Arizmendi once a week, probably even more. In Emeryville, perhaps movie deals are hashed out over pizza.

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Photo Purge: Scenes from the California Bay Area and Beyond

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:14:03 +0000

Gateway Market, Emeryville: Adorned with a fantastic mural alongside its parking lot, the Gateway Market is tough to miss on San Pablo Blvd. The artwork has a definite graffiti vibe, but the details are fantastic. Luckily, it hasn't been tagged over. The "W" in Gateway is pictured above (each letter has its own theme). Click on the photo to reveal all of the great flourishes.

Most of these pictures have never appeared on this site, although a couple did appear a few years ago, long before I sharpened my photo-editing skills. Many readers have emailed me about my approach to photography, and I must confess, my only real secret is to simply seek the best lighting possible. Truthfully, I’ve never had any formal photography training, but I did develop an eye for proper lighting while I was working (briefly, almost 15 years ago) as a grip in Los Angeles. Any moviegoer who has bothered to sit through the credits may have wondered what function a grip serves. In a nut shell, the grips help to manipulate the film set’s lighting, based upon the director of photography’s instructions. The “key” grip is the lead grip, while the “best boy” grip is second in command (I was never either of those, obviously). Much like cooking, gripping is long, laborious work with odd hours. However, if you pay attention on the job, you can also learn a few things along the way. Who knew that a summer of gripping would’ve ever become useful?

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Uni with Caul Fat on Crostini @ Marea, NYC: Long before Anthony Bourdain developed his upcoming show, The Layover, which premieres November 21st, I used a four-hour window at JFK to jump onto the subway and eat a seven-course lunch at Marea (top that, Tony). David Koon, my old CIA roommate, was in the kitchen at the time, so I received the VIP treatment, and fast. Coincidentally, Dave opened up his own restaurant, Chuko Ramen, just two days ago in Brooklyn. He said the 35-seat dining room turned out more than 200 covers on its first day, which is an insane number.

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Highway One, Near Salt Point State Park: I was driving up California's North Coast to forage porcinis when I spotted this old fellow gazing out over the Pacific Ocean. He was laying near the edge of the grassy cliff, apparently in total zen mode. Unfortunately, he stood up when I approached to snap a picture. After a two-minute stand-off, I gave up and left him to his meditations. Sorry, buddy.

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Philo Apple Farm, Philo: This large painting adorns the small shopping area at Philo Apple Farm, which is owned by Don and Sally Schmidt, the original owners and founders of Yountville's French Laundry. All purchases are based upon the honor system (at least every time I've visited), and the farm itself is Demeter-certified.

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Nopalito Restaurant, San Francisco: I really like the artwork on this ice-cream freezer outside of Nopalito.

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Five-spice Pork Belly over Rice: This is one of the very first pictures I published on this blog, back at a time when I was publishing recipes. My format has evolved over the years, and at this point, I save all my recipes for the annual Project Food Blog competition, which is coming up again this year (I finished in the Top 12 out of almost 2,000 contestants last year -- just saying).

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Mandina's Restaurant, New Orleans: My sentimental favorite in the Crescent City.

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The Strip District, Pittsburgh, PA: This mural was a work-in-progress during my visit to Pennsylvania a couple years back. I'm sure it's completed by now. I liked where it was headed.

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Boonfly Cafe, Napa Carneros: I spotted this little VW in the parking lot of the Boonfly Cafe one morning. I'm not sure if it belonged to a purveyor or to a guest. Pretty cool whip, regardless.

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Cookie Fortune @ China Village Restaurant, Albany: I think.

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