Day 365: Last Hurrah

My husband and I brainstormed lots of ways to conclude this blog but in the end, I decided to keep it simple. For dinner, we returned to the restaurant we visited the most times over the past year and then went to another local spot for one of my very favorite desserts.

It's kind of amazing to remember that we lived in our neighborhood for over a year before we checked out Bistro Aix, just 2 blocks from our house. But, ever since that first visit, we have not been able to stay away. The menu features several staple dishes that we have come to love and in addition, some dishes that come and go depending on what's in season. No matter what we've ordered, we've never been disappointed and tonight was no different.

I went with my favorite Bistro Aix salad, spinach with baby beets and goat cheese. Yummy. For my entree, I decided to go with something new: grilled yellowtail with creamed corn and a small salad. Every element of the dish was delicious but the corn was downright addictive. Had they wheeled a vat of it to the table, I would have dived right in.

Thank you to Bistro Aix for serving me so much amazing food over the past year. As it turns out, this blog is ending at just the right time. Bistro Aix is about to close for renovations for at least 6 months. What will we do??

For dessert, we walked a couple of blocks to Mezes and bellied up to the bar for galaktobouriko and a class of Samos (Greek dessert wine). Galaktobouriko is similar to baklava, but with custard so it isn't as dry. It arrives doused in honey - the whole thing is so sweet that I feel my skin vibrating. I love it.

So...that's it. A wonderful meal to conclude a year of mostly wonderful dinners. Stay tuned for a summary of the year. And thanks for reading!

Day 358: Geez Louise - That Was Tasty!!

I had the urge to leave the 'hood for dinner tonight so we tried a restaurant we had never been to in Russian Hill - 1550 Hyde Cafe & Wine Bar.  Looking at their menu online, the numerous salads and fish entree appealed to me.

I loved the restaurant's setting right away.  It's small with simple decor - warm and welcoming with a very friendly staff.  The menu is somewhat limited - about 5 appetizers and entrees to choose from, but the menu changes regularly to reflect what's in season.

My salad was composed of baby greens with bing cherries, toasted almonds, and fiore sardo cheese.  I'd never tried fiore sardo before and as it turns out, this sheep's milk cheese was too strong for me.  When I ate it with a bit of each of the other components of the salad, it was okay - but otherwise it was just too much.  I wound up giving most of it to my hubby.  On the other hand, the almonds were among the most delicious I had ever had. 

I followed up the salad with salmon, served on top of a mix of fresh chickpeas, corn, and spinach.  I absolutely loved the veggies - the fish was okay.

The star of the meal, though, was dessert.  I rarely indulge in sweets after dinner but tonight's special could not be ignored:  nectarine and chocolate bread pudding with almonds, topped with vanilla ice cream.  Geez Louise - this dish was ridiculous!!  It had the perfect amount of chocolate and the nuts offered a bit of crunch.  It could have used a bit more nectarine, but it was amazing.

I adore restaurants that support local farmers and change their menu frequently to include seasonally relevant dishes.  We'll definitely be returning to 1550 Hyde Cafe and I'm glad I was able to include them in this blog before the 365 days are up!

Day 344: Go Team!

I must have gotten swept away in the action tonight at the A's vs. Giants game, because I forgot to take a picture of the awesome sandwich I purchased for dinner.  A friend and I actually each ordered a different sandwich and then swapped a half with each other so I got to have a turkey sammy and a brisket one.

Luckily, I remembered in time to capture a picture of our dessert - freshly made caramel popcorn.  This stuff is addictive.  If you are ever lucky enough to find yourself on the Club Level at  AT&T Park, take yourself immediately to the caramel corn booth.  It's worth every calorie!

Day 332: Doing Our Part

With the economy in the toilet, we've been doing the same thing many Americans have been doing - eating more at home.  In response, restaurants have had to offer incentives to drive diners through their doors and Jardiniere is no different.  For the past couple of months, they have offered a prix fix menu on Monday nights - three courses with wine pairings for $45 per person, each week focused around a different theme.

We first explored Jardiniere's Monday night menu about a month and a half ago when it was built around the arrival of spring.  We returned tonight - you know, to do our part to help improve the economy - and enjoyed their "Chinoiserie" menu (Chinese focus).

The first course was shrimp and hearts of palm dumplings with veggies in Shang Tong broth (pictured).  I looked up Shang Tong online and believe it means "superior stock/broth" but I didn't much care for it.  The dumplings and vegetables were tasty, though.

The entree was divine:  five-spice roasted duck leg with insanely crispy skin, served with green beans, spring onions, and apricot scented jus.  I absolutely love the flavor of five-spice.

Dessert was a plum tart with black sesame ice cream.  On its own the ice cream just tasted odd, but it paired well with the tart.  I was impressed that the tart was just fruit and crust - no custard or creme.  None was needed - those plums were so juicy and velvety on their own.

A Monday night splurge definitely means we have to be more economical during the week, but it was definitely worth it.  If you live in SF and are looking for a really good meal, check out Jardiniere's Monday night prix fix.  It's a great, (more) affordable way to experience a wonderful restaurant.

Day 322: Chilling with Jen

A dear college friend is in town just for one night, so we wanted to take her somewhere that we know is good and that's not too noisy so we could catch up.  We decided on Bistro Aix.

After the delicious beet and goat cheese salad (one of my fave appetizers)  I had a bowl of spaghettini with tomato, basil, and grana padana cheese.  Then the three of us shared two desserts:  tarte tatin and chocolate cake.

As always, everything was delicious and it was great fun to hang out with my friend, whom I hadn't seen in almost two years!

Day 316: A Real Seasonal Treat

Tonight's dinner with my visiting in-laws was full of tasty treats, but the greatest of all was the stuffed squash blossoms that I had as my appetizer.  Filled with fresh mozzarella, lightly fried, and plated with drizzles of tomato sauce and pesto. 

As I almost always do when we go to Capannina, I ordered fish.  Tonight it was sea bass served with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and grilled polenta.  Yummy.

And because we had special guests, we decided to splurge and have dessert. Of course I insisted on an order of Capannina's to die for profiteroles.  These light creme puffs are served with two dipping sauces - chocolate and caramel - and they are heaven on earth.  My hubby's choice was molten chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream.

This was a treatful night indeed.  Squash blossom season is a short one - I'll have to try to get back to Capannina again before it's over!

Day 308: Fishy Friday

My husband was away most of this week and so I had relatively boring meals at home by myself.  Today we celebrated his return and the return of Friday by going to one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants for dinner - Cafe Maritime.

As you might expect, Cafe Maritime's menu is packed is fish dishes:  swordfish, tuna, linguine with clams, fish & chips, and so on.  Tonight, after my green salad, I opted for grilled mahi mahi, which I believe is a new addition to the menu.  It was meant to be served with string beans and baby potatoes, but I requested that they substitute horseradish mashed potatoes instead of the baby ones.  As always (I think I almost always make a side swap at CM!) they were happy to oblige.

Lucky for me, after my entree I still had enough room left to share an order of Mark's Mom's Coconut Cream Pie with my hubby.  This is without a doubt, one of my favorite desserts in the world.  Happy Friday, everyone!

Day 290: Recession Deals & Steals

Lots of restaurants are employing new strategies to bring customers in during the recession.  In our neighborhood alone, Three Seasons offers happy hour specials, Isa has half priced wine, Mezes has introduced appetizers with wine pairing, and Izzy's is now open for Sunday brunch.

We noticed that Jardiniere, a normally pricey restaurant in Hayes Valley, recently began serving a three course prix fixe menu with wine pairing for only $45 on Monday nights.  Each week, the meal has a different theme, this week being "Celebration of Spring".

This was my third time dining at Jardiniere.  I've found their food to be a little inconsistent.  Some dishes are wonderful.  Others, not so much.  But a great deal like three courses with wine pairings was intriguing enough to get me there for another try and I am so glad because the meal was wonderful.

We started with chilled pea soup, which was perfect given the steamy hot weather we've been experiencing here these past few days.  I literally felt my entire body cool off as I ate it.  Next, we had house made pasta with asparagus, morel mushrooms, ramp greens, and parmesan cheese.  Dessert was vanilla angel's food cake with whipped cream and macerated strawberries.

To see the wine pairings, click here.

If you live in SF and know of other great restaurant deals, please leave a comment and give the what, where, and when.  I'm happy to eat and drink my way to a stronger economy!

Day 288: Zuni Cafe's Famous Chicken

After two and a half years of living in SF, we finally made it to the famous Zuni Cafe.  Zuni Cafe opened 30 years ago and is cheffed by Chez Panisse alum Judy Rogers.  It is a legendary place and it's hard to believe that it took us so long to check it out for ourselves!!

Any time I've heard someone talk about Zuni, it is usually coupled with mention of their chicken for two.  It is a whole chicken (cut into pieces), roasted to order with a bread stuffing with currants and pine nuts.  Mustard greens are tossed over the top.

You know when things are talked up so much that you automatically assume that there's no way that they can live up to the hype?  Well, this was one of those times, only it TOTALLY lived up to the hype.  Perfectly seasoned.  Crispy skin.  Delicious accompaniments.  When can I have it again?

Of course we had a couple of starters before the miracle chicken:  fried cauliflower, onions, and capers (fair), breasola with grilled fava beans (I did not care for this), and polenta with marscapone & parmesan cheese (um, YUM!).

Believe it or not, after all of this, we also had dessert.  I was very intrigued by the caramel and balsamic vinegar ice cream, which was most sweet but also a bit sour-tangy.  

What a meal!  And excellent service, too.  Our waiter was a recently relocated New Yorker, like us, and we enjoyed reminiscing about all the great food offered there.  When we go back to Zuni, we will definitely request Jeff as our server.

Day 269: You Haven't Lived Until You Eat This

Picture this:  perfect mac & cheese, formed into large cubes, breaded, and deep fried.  What would one call something like that?  If you were the chef at Town Hall, you would call it mac & cheese croquettes and you would rock the world of anyone who gave into their crunchy, savory goodness.  I'm telling you that you have not lived until you try this stuff.

We hosted some new clients at Town Hall tonight and wooed them with said croquettes, many bottles of fine wine, and amazing desserts.  Oh - and there were entrees, too, but speaking for my own experience, the actual food paled in comparison to the aforementioned mac & cheese magnificence, booze, and sugary treats.

I began my meal with the soup of the day:  pureed asparagus.  As my colleague said, it was fine.  It didn't burst with fresh asparagus flavor.  It just tasted green.

Next, I had a salmon filet over mashed potatoes, leeks, and fava beans.  If you are into crispy fish skin, this was the dish for you.  I'm not so much into fish skin though and once I peeled it away, I was left with salmon that was fine but didn't blow me away.

However, the meal ended on a very positive note as I enjoyed the butterscotch and chocolate pot de creme with crunchy slices of something that reminded me of Heath Bar Crunch.  Way too good.

I'd like to thank our lovely waitress for her wonderful, friendly, and patient service.  It can't be easy to wait on 13 business people who get increasingly loud as the evening goes on.  And a big thanks to our new clients for a great evening.  I'm looking forward to enjoying a great many more wonderful meals with you in the future!

Day 268: Balancing Act

We had a killer lunch today.  We ventured down to Pacifica and had loads of yummy eats at Gorilla BBQ, recently featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  After pulled pork, BBQ chicken, mac & cheese, cole slaw and cornbread I just knew that the system was going to demand some light, healthy fare tonight.

Fortunately, our friend Julie invited us to her place for dinner and she made a delicious, low fat meal.  She pan fried tilapia filets and served them over steamed spinach with some baby heirloom tomatoes that she had sauteed in olive oil and garlic.

We finished the meal with some tiny assorted fruit tarts and mini eclairs from Emporio Rulli, which has become my de facto source for beautiful and tasty sweet treats.

So the name of the game today was balance.  It's okay to splurge and have some fun - hell, when it's BBQ, it's a must!  

Day 266: Mark Rocks. And So Does Cafe Maritime!

After last night's dinner of chips and pizza (oy vey!), I knew tonight's meal needed to be a little bit lighter and a hell of a lot healthier.  So, off we went to Cafe Maritime.

We've had many amazing meals at CM.  They introduced me to Lobster Thermador which is SO  delish.  I've also had salmon, swordfish, and tuna there and all have been delightful.

Tonight I started with a vodka oyster shooter.  As I mentioned in a previous post (entry #226 "Slimy and Snotlike"), I really want to like oysters and I'm looking for non-intimidating ways to try them.  What's more welcoming than vodka?

Next, I had swordfish with ancho chile sauce and green beans & broccoli.  Cafe Maritime is always really nice about letting me swap out the carby side (potatoes or rice) with a green veggie.

Finally, my husband and I shared an order of Mark's Mom's Coconut Cream Pie.  Mark is CM's owner and his mom is apparently kept in the basement and forced to crank out amazingly light and perfectly sweet pies all day long.  I say, keep her down there and keep those pies coming!  They are perfect!

Everything was delicious tonight but the best part was that Mark, the owner, recognized me from this blog and comped our meal!  That was the most pleasant surprise I've had in ages!  Thanks for another great meal, Mark.  We will definitely be back!

Day 260: Eating with Tuizers

Who needs chopsticks or silverware when you can eat with Tuizers?  Of course, I do not mean tweezers - I mean Tuizers, as in my friend Julie and her mom Mary (Tuizer).

Julie's mom is visiting for the weekend and my husband and I joined them for a Vietnamese feast at Three Seasons.  We ordered a variety of dishes and shared them all:  duck springrolls (pictured), chicken satay, crunchy fried egg rolls filled with shrimp and pork, shrimp potstickers, shrimp in tamarind sauce, and beef sauteed with chopped mango.  We also shared the fried banana and coconut ice cream dessert.

Places like Three Seasons are best when enjoyed with a group so that you can order up and taste a bunch of different things.  I find that a couple of bites of lots of different flavors is better than a big plate of only one thing.  Less is not more if you ask me!

Day 257: Vegetarian Trend

After last night's and tonight's entries, I hardly recognize myself.  Meatless meals two nights in a row?  What is going on with me?

I can explain tonight's choice by saying that I didn't arrive home from my business trip to LA until 8:30 and my husband was out at a business dinner.  Being that it was so late and I only had to worry about my own mouth & stomach, I went with what was easy and fast:  a can of Amy's Tomato Bisque with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh asparagus we had in the fridge, and the last of this year's Girl Scout cookie purchase.  Who can resist those Thin Mints?

This was a surprisingly satisfying meal considering the lack of thought and preparation that went into it.  How long can these meatless dinners continue, though?  Stay tuned to find out!

Day 233: And the Oscar Goes To...

Our friends Hugo & David hosted a really fun Oscar party tonight.  The bad news:  I came in SECOND in the pool.  The good news:  there were lots of good eats!

Most of the food was ordered in:  hummus, artichoke dip, dolmas, spanakopita, fried ravioli, and as you can see - a giant cheese plate.  Other stuff was brought by friends:  spinach pie, fruit, and pie.  Of course, we were in charge of bringing the wine.

The Oscars is one of those things that is much more enjoyable in a group.  We had lots of fun and good laughs - even though I was so close and yet so far from winning the pool!!

Day 232: Tasty Chaos

Lunch was an incredible calorie splurge today - pastrami sandwiches at Moishe's Pippic - so dinner needed to be much lighter, fresher, and healthier. We knew Capannina could deliver.

When we arrived, I had to ask myself..."What recession?" The place was packed and somewhat chaotic. This is my third or fourth entry from Capannina since beginning this blog and never have I seen it like that!

Perhaps everyone was there to sample something from the black truffle menu. There were some tasty sounding offerings there and black truffles are more affordable than white truffles (Capannina had a special menu when the white ones were in season as well).

Given my desire for a dinner that was infinitely lighter than my lunch, I did not order from the truffle menu. I started with a mixed green salad which was served with a bit of shaved parmesan, small chunks of goat cheese, and toasted walnuts (which I passed on to my husband since I don't care for them). Really, there was nothing special about this salad but it got some much needed raw veggies into the system!

Next, I had pan roasted sea bass with lobster sauce (pictured). I adore the light flavor but firm and hefty texture of sea bass. This one was cooked perfectly and the sauteed or roasted veggies served with it were yummy as well.

Strangely, I wasn't quite full enough after that, so my husband and I shared a cheese plate for one and a few biscotti. So I got my wish for a lighter, healthier meal. And then quickly undid that with cheese and cookies. Tomorrow is another day!

Day 225: A Day for Sweets and Sweethearts

I do not go gaga for Valentine's Day.  I do like to spend it with my hubby but we do not exchange gifts or make any sort of a big deal about it.  

We like to eat out that night, but carefully avoid restaurants with a special Valentine's Day menus, as they are usually tremendous rip-offs.  This year, we wound up at Salt House.

My appetizer was my favorite part of the meal.  I had a salad of smoked trout, raw fennel, little gem lettuce, and sections of orange and grapefruit.  All of the flavors and textures married perfectly, creating a refreshing dish.  I loved it.

Next, I had the pork loin entree.  The dish was separated in half.  In one half was the sliced tenderloin, laid across a bed of braised red cabbage.  On the other was braised pork belly, sitting on fruit puree with slices of cooked pear.  The two pork elements had totally different textures and flavors - interesting, but it didn't blow my mind.

The dessert, on the other hand, was totally mind blowing.  Unfortunately, I had to share it with my hubby!  It was composed of 3 mini ice cream sandwiches - peppermint ice cream sat between flower shaped chocolate cookies.  Dark chocolate and raspberry puree decorated the dish.  It was a delicious, edible work of art!

I hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day!

Day 224: All Good Things Must Come to an End

After nearly two weeks of traveling around Costa Rica and Panama, it's time to go home.  You know what that means...  Another tasty in-flight meal!!

Actually, as much as I appreciate the fact that Continental is one of the few airlines that still serves meals, I purchased a chicken caesar salad at Wendy's prior to the flight and had that instead of the cheese burger provided.  You'll note that I did eat the little Hershey's bar from the in-flight meal box and paired the meal with a mini-bottle of vodka mixed with club soda.  That helped take the edge off of the end of vacation!!

Day 220: Birthday Week #2!

The initial reason why we decided to travel to Central America on vacation this year was that my parents would be renting a house in Panama for several weeks.  After a week in Costa Rica and a night in Panama City, we finally made our way to them today.

Since my bday had occurred recently, they had a cake for me after dinner tonight.  It was a yellow cake with colored coconut on the outside - very pretty and festive like confetti.

Back to dinner...  My dad cooked tonight - BBQ chicken from the grill, baked beans, and green plantains.  It was really good and very nice to be with family - especially in a new and tropical place!  I can't wait to explore the sites and the food in Panama!

Day 219: When in Panama City...

We had just one night in Panama City and so you know we wanted to make the most of it by having a really good meal there. I had read about Manolo Caracol, supposedly one of the most well known restaurants in PC, and we had our hearts set on eating there but learned on our way out of the hotel that it is closed on Sundays.

Without a back-up plan, we asked the consierge for a recommendation. We said we wanted something local where we could enjoy true Panamanian cuisine. He recommended El Traphiche, but followed (several times) with a cautionary note that it was "nothing fancy". This was no problem at all for us, especially once he assured us that he eats there often.

We decided to order some sangria and the Panamanian Fiesta, a combination plate that promised a range of Panamanian delights.  It included fried yucca, fried plantains, a sweet corn cake, rice, shredded beef in El Trapiche's house sauce, a small bowl of something saucy with chicken, and for lack of a better description, a log of mashed potatoes that had been stuffed with ground meat of some kind.  The platter also came with a bowl of sancocho soup, which I had discovered and enjoyed in CR a day earlier. We also ordered a sandwich (the name escapes me at the moment) that came on something between bread and a tortilla, stuffed with different meats and cheese - it was delish!  We finished up with a giant bowl of ice cream and our entire bill, including tip, was less than $30!  Gotta love that!

I've done a couple of quick searches and it seems that El Trapiche isn't exactly a well guarded secret.  I found a NY Times review of the place and saw that it was listed on Wikitravel in the "Eat" section of the "Panama City" entry.

This was a great experience and we left totally stuffed.  Remember, when you travel, always ask the locals where to eat!