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ABOUT ME:

Name: Gutenberg

Location: Somewhere near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Occupation: BRPR (Bunrab public relations.)

 
the BUNRAB blog spot
 

Do you need to answer back? You can send me comments if you want to.

If I want to, I'll post 'em in this very blog.

-Gutenberg



 

April 24-30, 2007

 

go to next week's blogs

 

 

Monday, April 30, 2007
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The “Wedwoood Woom at the Cwift” isn’t the only festive place to gather in this Hotel.

The Spanish Suite:

...on the 15th floor, was the center of activity for drinks and hors d’oeuvres this evening.

Crab cakes, tuna tartare, mini lamb chops, makis and mini quiches were on circulating trays:

...while the anchor chow was cheese and fruit:

The San Francisco Film Society knows how to throw a party.

Clift Hotel
495 Geary St.
San Francisco, CA

 

 

 


 

 

 

Sunday, April 29, 2007
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We weren’t the only ones who thought to go to Ici for a couple cones on a warm afternoon.

We both got single scoop cones ($2.75) with housemade cones (additional .50¢):

I got the chocolate stout and Chubby got the pinenut prailine. We both enjoyed our frozen desserts, but got the feeling that we didn’t order the perfect flavor for our particular urges. My chocolate stout wasn’t as rich I had hoped and Chubby’s scoop had nice bits of pinenut praline that made for a crunchy sweet bit in every taste, but it had a hint of ice spicules (nothing dramatic though.) We both loved the housemade cones with their light and crunchy texture and bit of chocolate at the funnel end.

We’ll definitely be back to try other flavors or have one of their tempting ice cream sandwiches.

Ici Ice Cream
2948 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA
510.665.6054

 

 

 


 

 

 

Saturday, April 28, 2007
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Joel Baecker
and his partner Naomi Crawford
pulled up with their wood burning oven:

... and cooked up some delish chow at the cyberhutch.

Crab filled endive leaves, flank steak involtini, assorted pizzas, asparagus, Fatted Calf charcuterie and these delectable baby lamb chops:

...with tapenade filled our bellies.

These guys are awesome.

Joel Baecker Catering
707.782.9244

 

 

 


 

 

 

Friday, April 27, 2007
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Happy hour at Boca should have been packed, but there were only a few other people in the wood paneled Marin bar when we sat down for our late afternoon wine and snack break.

Baskets of house made potato chips:

...adorn each table during the hour of happiness (actually 2 hours – 4:30 – 6:30 M-F) . These paper thin, crisp and salty treats are insanely addictive. If you need more chow to tide you over til dinner, go for the nicely priced* happy hour menu.

The calamari ($4.00*):

...had a crispy coating and tender squiddy meat. This satisfying and generous seafood serving came with an herbed aioli.

Lobster corn dogs ($5.00*):

...were a novel idea, but the dense fishcake-like center wasn’t my thing.

Fish skewers ($3.95*):

...were morsels of salmon and mahi mahi served with a chili sauce. These were our fave of the bunch.

Boca sliders ($3.50*):

...were fine but not as good as the full sized burger that they dish up. These mini beef patties were served on cut-to-fit bread and didn’t have that juicy burger-essence that their non-diminuative version brings to the table.

Luckily I had an armored ramekin of duck fat fries to ease my woes:

On previous visits, I have had some empanadas that weren’t my thing. If you want to sample what they do best, forget about the bar menu and go for one of their dry-aged steaks for dinner.

*reflects lower happy hour price (about half off.)

Boca
340 Ignacio Blvd.
Novato, CA
415.883.0901

 

 


 

 

 

Thursday, April 26, 2007
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It was opening night
of the 50th San Francisco International Film Festival.

I think that this golden anniversary inspired some golden brown deep frying action at the party.

The festival organizers were very clever in coordinating local restaurants to set up tables throughout City Hall. This spread out the crowds:

... shortened lines and created a little walking tasting menu throughout this government facility.

The only issue verging on political scandal was this provocative dancer:

...who was an added attraction that came with the band that was playing near the Skyy Vodka bar.

There was some fine grazing:

... to be done after passing through the security checkpoints. Our favorite stations were Delfina:

... where they offered a frito misto in a paper cone, Rose Pistola’s ahi tuna salad with fresh peas, asparagus and green onion, Thirsty Bear’s lamb crostini:

... Ciao Bella’s ice cream and we loved the packaging for these rich, Barbie Townhouse sized parfaits:

I think that there should be a fitness program based on this evening’s offerings.

That par course in the Marina district can be rejigged to have eating stations instead of those pull up, leg lift or jumping exercise rigs. You could run from one station to the next (with excellent incentive to reach your destination.) This would help to justify all of this caloric intake and have the dishes chafe concurrently with your running shorts.

San Francisco International Film Festival

 

 

 


 

 

 

Wednesday, April 25, 2007
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Ted’s
bar in San Anselmo
(just down the block from Fork) has gotten a facelift. The place went through an extensive remodel:

... and is now a restaurant called Eat.

It feels like Max’s-lite with its booths and family oriented menu.

We started with some buffalo wings ($7.95):

... The solo drumette was surrounded by less interesting double boned wing sections. Slightly wilty celery sticks were meant to perk up our blue cheese dip spackled taste buds. These wings were on par with most sportsbars.

The trout ($14.95):

... was that sort of blue plate special food that you don’t see much outside of diners. Sauteed, decapitated, trout was served with asparagus, carrots and pilaf. The spears were slightly overcooked but as a whole this dish was fine in a standard issue sort of way.

Chubby got a burger ($9.95):

... whose bun was too tender to hold up to the shipping and handling involved in reaching its destination. It came with all the usual suspects of lettuce, tomato and onions. He ordered his fries extra crispy and they arrived with a nice crunchy exterior. This preparation also fell into the sportsbar chow level.

Eat does what it sets out to do. It’s targeted at families with varying culinary fetishes. One parent can get liquored up while the designated driver and kids choose from the family friendly food items. It’s not aimed at me (and I don’t think it’s meant to be) this may sound like a put down, but it’s not.

During our dinner there were many parents wheeling their kids around and locals grabbing a casual bite. Everyone seemed happy and even though they are new with a few service bumps to work out., I’m sure that they will become popular with all the neighborhood folks looking for an inexpensive and welcoming venue. They even have vestiges of the old Ted’s for those who would miss the full bar and pool table action.

Eat Restaurant
218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
San Anselmo, CA
415.453.8600


From today’s bunrab email, Carol from Rustic Bakery writes in response to our observation about familiar photos on their website:


Gutenberg,

Hello! So sorry I neglected to give you proper credit for the really great photos I used of yours for our web page. They were so wonderful I had to use them and I was not sure how to credit them to you?

Please email me how to credit you appropriately and it will be done.

Sincerely,

Carol


Gutenberg replies:

Dear Carol,

We love flattery about our photos! If you credit "www.bunrab.com" that would be the leaven in our loaf.

-G

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
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Have you ever given a recommendation of a favorite restaurant to a friend and found out that their visit was as if they went to another eatery in opposite world? Sometimes it’s rude treatment that sours the experience, other times it’s an unfortunate offering from the kitchen. If a restaurant has a static menu with non-market driven ingredients (like Taco Bell) there will be no deviation in their product unless someone takes a scoop from the wrong can. The customer will get the same gordita every time in every location (unless someone didn’t follow the training video.) Consistency is more difficult when you are dealing with all the random factors outside of a can.

Check out these four seafood cobb salads ($16.00 each):

...that I had within weeks of each other at The Hungry Cat:

All of them were good. One was almost great.

One didn’t have any of the tuna listed on the menu (and no explanation was offered for this missing item – probably a mistake), two had eggs cooked a tad too long and two had flabby, undercooked bacon. The tuna was the biggest variable, it was either missing, preserved, or in one case, beautifully seared.

To be clear, I really like The Hungry Cat and the reason for this comparison is not to nit pick, it is to illustrate how even a place with talented and experienced chefs has it’s ups and downs.

Their seafood Cobb is good even when one or two of the ingredients are sub-optimal, but when the bacon is crisp, the eggs are tender and smooth, the shrimp are barely cooked and the fresh tuna is seared, it’s delish.

The Hungry Cat
1535 North Vine
Hollywood, CA
323.462.2155

 

 

 


 

 

 


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