For my palate, the burger options at Roam present two distinct choices: (a) the delicious Sunny Side Burger, which features a fried egg, or (b) the equally tempting Heritage Burger, which features apple wood-smoked bacon. Yes, there are also some other, more subtle differences between the two burgers, such as different cheeses, different condiments, and different leafy greens. But let’s face it, these decisions don’t carry nearly the same weight as bacon versus egg. Of [... read more ...]]]>

Roam's Sunny Side Burger with a bacon add-on. Yes, there's a delicious grass-fed beef patty in there; it's just obscured by the fixings.

For my palate, the burger options at Roam present two distinct choices: (a) the delicious Sunny Side Burger, which features a fried egg, or (b) the equally tempting Heritage Burger, which features apple wood-smoked bacon. Yes, there are also some other, more subtle differences between the two burgers, such as different cheeses, different condiments, and different leafy greens. But let’s face it, these decisions don’t carry nearly the same weight as bacon versus egg. Of course, I’ve never really been the type to settle when it comes to food, and ultimately, I knew that I would either have to add an egg to the Heritage Burger, or add some bacon to the Sunny Side Burger, just to experience the best of both worlds. Carefully considering the condiments as my tie-breaker, I opted for the Sunny Side Burger plus bacon, since I liked the idea of the aged cheddar and sweet chili sauce. As for sides, I’m a sucker for sweet potato fries, so that decision was an easy one.

Sweeter than sin.

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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 [... read more ...]]]>

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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Although my kitchen Spanish is pretty sharp these days, I’ll admit that it took some googling to decode the etymology of Mama’s delicious pan dore, pictured above. The word pan, of course, means “bread” — I did know that much already — but the word dore had me stumped. I eventually concluded that the dish must take its name from a conjugation of the Spanish verb dorar, to gild, or in the culinary realm, to [... read more ...]]]>

Stay Golden. The Pan Dore @ Mama's on Washington Square, San Francisco: Sourdough French toast, thinly sliced apples, and a sweet lemon-butter sauce.

Although my kitchen Spanish is pretty sharp these days, I’ll admit that it took some googling to decode the etymology of Mama’s delicious pan dore, pictured above. The word pan, of course, means “bread” — I did know that much already — but the word dore had me stumped. I eventually concluded that the dish must take its name from a conjugation of the Spanish verb dorar, to gild, or in the culinary realm, to make golden brown. As a word geek, the term “pan dore” got me thinking about some of the world’s other aliases for French toast, many of which point to meager beginnings. In France, for instance, this same dish would be called pain perdu, or “lost bread,” heeding the frugal idea that stale bread can be resuscitated with just a little egg batter and a short stint on the griddle. In Great Britain, their “eggy bread,” or better yet, “gypsy bread,” is also known as “Poor Knights of Windsor” (or just “poor knights,” colloquially), acknowledging a dietary staple for the impoverished Medieval military. This same “poor knights” theme appears in several other European countries as well: fattiga riddare in Sweden, arme riddere in Denmark and Norway, armer ritter in Germany, vaesed rüütlid in Estonia, and köyhät ritarit in Finland. My favorite alias for French toast, however, has certainly got to be Switzerland’s fotzelschnitten, which means “rascal’s slices” in Northern Swiss dialect.

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A couple summers ago, Anthony Bourdain profiled That’s It Market on “No Reservations,” a culinary endorsement that must have provided an amazing windfall to the tiny corner store (no doubt, the “No Reservations” logo still appears on the market’s menus). Two years later, That’s It continues to earn high marks for its well-known torta cubana, a catch-all sandwich of profound proportions. Being in the mood for this [... read more ...]]]>

The Torta Cubana @ That's It Market: Chorizo and Egg, Breaded Beef, Hot Dogs, Bacon, Ham, Queso Fresco, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickled Jalapeño, Guacamole, and enough Mayo to bring it all together.

A couple summers ago, Anthony Bourdain profiled That’s It Market on “No Reservations,” a culinary endorsement that must have provided an amazing windfall to the tiny corner store (no doubt, the “No Reservations” logo still appears on the market’s menus). Two years later, That’s It continues to earn high marks for its well-known torta cubana, a catch-all sandwich of profound proportions. Being in the mood for this delicious hodge-podge of salt and fat, I drove down to the Mission District on Tuesday afternoon before the Giants-Dodgers game at AT&T Park. The torta cubana pictured above proved to be a fitting pre-game meal, although it did stifle my appetite at the ball park — I could only manage to eat one Sheboygan bratwurst during the game. Click the photos for a better view.

Second verse, same as the first.

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Since I’ve recently taken up golf (again), many of my weekends have been spent out burning up the links, rather than trolling the Bay Area for choice eats. But let’s face it: Mark Twain might’ve said it best when he quipped that golf was a good walk, spoiled. Either way, I needed more of a sure thing, and an excursion into San Francisco had [... read more ...]]]>

Three-piece Chicken and Waffle @ Little Skillet, San Francisco. Seven packets of Crystal Hot Sauce is the perfect amount for this scenario: Two for the leg, two for the thigh, three for the breast.

Since I’ve recently taken up golf (again), many of my weekends have been spent out burning up the links, rather than trolling the Bay Area for choice eats. But let’s face it: Mark Twain might’ve said it best when he quipped that golf was a good walk, spoiled. Either way, I needed more of a sure thing, and an excursion into San Francisco had become long overdue. I arrived at Little Skillet about an hour before closing, and naturally ordered their three-piece chicken and waffle, which was the largest portion on the menu. An offshoot of Farmerbrown in the Mission, Little Skillet defines the term hole-in-the-wall, occupying a quaint window space among the converted warehouses of Ritch Street.

Without a dining room — or even any patio furniture out on the sidewalk — Little Skillet relies upon a brisk take-out business that often generates long lines during lunch hour. Since scoring a seat is a moot point, the restaurant’s busy times are easily your best bet. Having visited Little Skillet during a lull, the food hit the window way too fast to have been prepared to order, not even the waffle. Despite this dubious timing, the food was still warm, and in terms of temperature, I’d actually call it just on the right side of borderline. All in all, Little Skillet passed. But fresh-from-the-grease is always preferred, and perhaps even reason to rave.

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Margherita Pizza @ Pizzeria Picco, Larkspur.

Pizza is a great way to avoid rush hour. If I’m driving back to Napa from Oakland or Berkeley, the Gilman Exit off of Highway 80 leads to Gioia. Or, leaving from San Francisco, the Tamalpais Exit off the 101 leads to Pizzeria Picco. At 6pm yesterday evening, the latter choice made perfect sense. Rather than sit bumper-to-bumper on the 101, I drove into Larkspur and watched the sun dip behind the trees from the sidewalk patio at Pizzeria Picco. I ordered a Stone Fruit Salad (below), a Margherita Pizza (above), and a cup of Straus vanilla soft-serve with caramel sauce and sea salt. By the time I had paid the check, I had open road ahead of me.

Stone Fruit Salad @ Pizzeria Picco, Larkspur.

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The Botanical Garden at Golden Gate Park has always been one of my favorite places to pass the time between meals in San Francisco. The overcast afternoon provided excellent lighting for some photos.

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Entrance to the Garden of Fragrance, San Francisco Botanical Garden.

The Garden of Fragrance is a neat little section of San Francisco’s Botanical Garden. Unfortunately, pictures only tell a very small part of the story.

Lemon Verbena.

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Lime Thyme.

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Pineapple Sage.

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I’ve always had terrific meals at Limon Rotisserie in San Francisco. If I actually lived in city limits — and if I wasn’t always trying to visit new and different places — I’d probably eat there every week (I felt the same way about Versailles when I lived in Los Angeles). I’m totally sold at this [... read more ...]]]>

Pollo a la Brasa: One of the few rotisserie chickens that can actually compete with fried chicken. The bird is incredible on its own, although the trio of sauces (partially pictured in the upper left) take the dish in additional directions.

I’ve always had terrific meals at Limon Rotisserie in San Francisco. If I actually lived in city limits — and if I wasn’t always trying to visit new and different places — I’d probably eat there every week (I felt the same way about Versailles when I lived in Los Angeles). I’m totally sold at this point, and for me, ordering the addictive chicharron de pollo is usually non-negotiable. However, in the interest of eating something different, I ordered the dishes pictured above and below (please click the photos for a better look).

Sometimes it’s risky to turn your back on your old favorites: Have you ever ordered something, only to wish (halfway through the meal) that you had gone with an old standby? Of course you have. And there’s nothing quite so deflating as seeing that same favorite dish at another table, a reminder what could have been. I suppose the measure of any great restaurant is that you can skip your favorites and not necessarily miss them. That’s consistency.

Lomito Saltado: One of Peru's national dishes, typically known as lomo saltado. Soy sauce plays heavily in the flavor profile, which may seem odd, but which is true nonetheless.

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More than just ham and cheese.

I’m on the road to New Orleans at the moment, but I’ll leave you with the Monte Cristo sandwich at Mama’s in San Francisco. My introduction to the Monte Cristo sandwich itself was at the Blue Bayou Cafe at Disneyland. I was maybe nine years old, and I ordered it at the suggestion of my grandfather. A ham and cheese sandwich that had been batter-fried and dusted with powdered sugar? It was a revelation.

Mama’s on Washington Square is the model of breakfast efficiency, and the folks at Mama’s manage [... read more ...]]]>

More than just ham and cheese.

I’m on the road to New Orleans at the moment, but I’ll leave you with the Monte Cristo sandwich at Mama’s in San Francisco. My introduction to the Monte Cristo sandwich itself was at the Blue Bayou Cafe at Disneyland. I was maybe nine years old, and I ordered it at the suggestion of my grandfather. A ham and cheese sandwich that had been batter-fried and dusted with powdered sugar? It was a revelation.

Mama’s on Washington Square is the model of breakfast efficiency, and the folks at Mama’s manage the (sometimes) long lines with aplomb. Of course, the food is always on the money. Is the Monte Cristo at Mama’s better than the version I remember so fondly from the Happiest Place on Earth? Actually, it’s been way too long to compare the two. But, childhood memories aside, I suspect Mama’s wins the day.

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Sharing is caring... ]]> We’re already two weeks into 2011, and I haven’t even discussed wine yet this year. That will all change very soon: I’ll be attending the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux 2008 Vintage Tasting in San Francisco next week. Of course, I’ll put together a list of my top 20 wines, and then I’ll report back here. If you’re attending any of the events scheduled below, please check back to compare notes!

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I first visited Limon Rotisserie a few years ago, shortly after the restaurant had opened (back then, Limon Rotisserie was the new spin-off of Limon, San Francisco’s wildly popular Peruvian restaurant, also located within the Mission District). I ordered the ceviche de pescado and the chicharron de pollo; the former dish was awfully good, but the latter dish marked a small revelation. Who knew that fried chicken could take such exotic directions, but still maintain its inherent deliciousness? Pictured above, the chicharron de pollo offers exactly what its [... read more ...]]]>

Fit for a king: Chicharron de Pollo @ Limon Rotisserie.

I first visited Limon Rotisserie a few years ago, shortly after the restaurant had opened (back then, Limon Rotisserie was the new spin-off of Limon, San Francisco’s wildly popular Peruvian restaurant, also located within the Mission District). I ordered the ceviche de pescado and the chicharron de pollo; the former dish was awfully good, but the latter dish marked a small revelation. Who knew that fried chicken could take such exotic directions, but still maintain its inherent deliciousness? Pictured above, the chicharron de pollo offers exactly what its name suggests: Chicken that has been deep-fried into oblivion, in the method of the more well-known chicharrones de puerco (pork), or what Elvis might’ve called cracklins.

To criticize the chicharron de pollo for being over-cooked is to miss the point entirely. The chicken, which is boneless, skinless, and all dark meat (as far as I can tell), trades a decent portion of its succulence for a prodigious amount of Maillard-driven flavor. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys eating the half-popped kernels in a left-over bowl of popcorn, this dish deserves your attention. But really, there’s more to the chicharron de pollo than its crispy, mahogany exterior; the bird has also been marinated in soy sauce, perhaps not what you’d expect from Peruvian cuisine, but soy sauce now has more than 150 years of history in Peru, having first arrived with the (indentured) Chinese railroad workers in 1849. The soy-sauce flavor of the chicken, combined with the lemon-juice dipping sauce, is reminiscent of Japanese ponzu. I find it addictive.

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The beef short rib, pictured below, is my early highlight of 2011. The broth is rich and intense, and according to the menu, the sauce is accented with huacatay and cilantro. The herbaceous element is subtle within the dish, however, making this seco de castillos any easy substitute for classic American comfort food. With a side of white rice, there may be nothing better in winter.

Looks great, tastes even better: Seco de Costillas @ Limon Rotisserie.

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