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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Pork Ribs @ The Brown Sugar Kitchen, West Oakland.
I’ve often turned to the Brown Sugar Kitchen for the smoked chicken gumbo and the fried oyster po-boy; both dishes would easily meld into the culinary landscape of New Orleans, the gumbo especially. However, having eaten maybe six or seven po-boys while I was recently in the Crescent City, today presented an opportunity to expand my horizons and to cover some different items on the BSK menu. I decided upon the pineapple brown sugar glazed ribs, just because I’d never ordered them before. As I’d hoped, the ribs proved [... read more ...]
Yes, please.
I began 2011 with a late lunch at I.B.’s Hoagies on Saturday, and if I had ever been a student at the UC Berkeley Campus, this sandwich would’ve certainly been part of my curriculum. The tiny storefront on Durant is I.B.’s original location, first established in 1990, although there is a now a second location on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland. Pictured above is I.B.’s cheesesteak sandwich, fully dressed, but also in need of some hot sauce and some hot peppers (fortunately, I.B.’s offers both items as condiments). Even if you have staunch ties to Philadelphia, [... read more ...]
End-of-the-year recaps present a great opportunity to “re-purpose” some old content (I learned this valuable euphemism during the dot-com era). Here are 10 dishes that I really enjoyed this year, in no particular order. I’m not saying this list comprises my top 10 dishes for the year, but some of them could definitely qualify. Clicking the photos will transport you back to the original article — and perhaps, a much simpler time and place.
Crispy shrimp with ginger and onions @ Huong Tra, Richmond.
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Flounder special @ Yuet Lee, San Francisco.
How much for just one rib? Sweet ginger pork spare ribs with basmati rice and steamed vegetables.
As the weather’s become cooler, I’ve become increasingly fascinated with curries. Both rich and filling, curry certainly ranks among the great comfort foods of the world. I had ventured over to Sa Wad Dee Thai for some green curry today, but when I sat down to order, the owner sold me on the daily lunch special, which was sweet ginger pork ribs with basmati rice, pictured above. It happens. Perhaps she sensed that I was a proponent of pork, or maybe [... read more ...]
Fresh Spring Rolls with Pork @ Sa Wad Dee Thai Restaurant, Richmond.
This summer, I’ve become enamored with San Pablo Avenue, especially the eight-mile stretch that connects Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley, and Emeryville. I really enjoy the character of these neighborhoods, and being the major thoroughfare that it is, San Pablo Avenue offers so much of what makes the East Bay unique. For those of us who typically plan dinner during lunch, San Pablo Avenue plays host to a handful of noteworthy Asian restaurants, while also providing the culinary home to several East Bay institutions, including Everett [... read more ...]
Pulled Pork Sandwich with Macaroni and Cheese.
The pulled pork sandwich at the Brown Sugar Kitchen is good, but when it shares a menu with the Bay Area’s best oyster po-boy, pork becomes a tough sell, even for yours truly. Look, I worship the pig as much as anybody, but the oyster po-boy at BSK remains formidable. In my mind, the oyster po-boy is the star — the pulled pork sandwich is just an astronaut. However, if you have a shellfish allergy, then the pulled pork sandwich (pictured above) will prove smokey and succulent, slightly spicy, with a [... read more ...]
Pad See Iew (#45): Thai rice noodles, carrots, broccoli, egg, an exceptional sweet black bean sauce, pork.
My ode to San Pablo Avenue continues this week with a quick review of Sa Wad Dee Thai Restaurant in Richmond, which for me is the East Bay’s best option for Thai cuisine. That said, I’m always a bit hesitant to crown any place king. I’ll certainly admit, there may be another local restaurant that offers more authentic Thai fare, but Sa Wad Dee definitely earns the benefit of the doubt. During my most recent visit, an overcast day prompted an [... read more ...]
Now that summer has finally arrived, this late sweltering heat makes me want to sip on some iced tea and listen to the Quiet Storm. What I mean is, I’ve been fostering very little motivation this week, but I do have some pictures from my excursion to the East Bay on Tuesday.
The frankfurter with chili @ Top Dog, Berkeley. Sure, a generous mound of shredded yellow cheese might add some visual flair, but I also have to admire the red-monochrome guise of a stripped-down, no-nonsense chili dog. And here it is. Cash only, player.
The #11: Sometimes hot really means hot.
So many Asian restaurants seem to be closed on Mondays, and I always seem to fall into this trap again and again. Today, I had driven down to Berkeley on another ramen mission, this time to Norikonoko on Telegraph, which is catty-corner from one of Berkeley’s best used book shops, Shakespeare & Company Books. I found a killer parking spot just off of the main drag, fed the meter full of coinage, and soon found out that Norikonoko was closed. Fortunately, Berkeley offers a target-rich environment when it comes to Asian [... read more ...]
Shoyu ramen with pork, spinach, and bamboo shoots.
Living in the Napa Valley, I’ve long been searching for a decent bowl of ramen that doesn’t require a bridge toll. Unfortunately, there’s no realistic solution to this problem, so far as I can tell. For what it’s worth, I can at least find the Vietnamese counterpart to ramen at Pho #1 in Vallejo, which I also recommend wholeheartedly. But despite their superficial similarities, pho is not ramen, and the latter dish still requires a $5 trek across the Carquinez Bridge, if not the Golden Gate. I mention this fact [... read more ...]
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