A friend told us that a recent visit to Serpentine was so loud that they couldn't bear to stay for dinner (since neither is fluent in sign language.) We wondered if the noise level issue was the result of an alcohol fueled, blowing off of steam after work crowd, but lunch wasn't exactly a zen mediation convention.

We took a tacit turn while we filled our chat chutes with a chicken sandwich ($9.50). Poultry pieces perched on a roll with Swiss cheese , green onions, roasted mushrooms, wholegrain mustard and aioli. The fowl was chopped up for easy portioning/sandwich edge distribution in this sourdough chick-mitt. Perfectly good, but not a reorder.

The steak sandwich ($10.50) was a torpedo roll armed with slices of Prather beef and detonated with Cheddar, sautéed peppers and onions. I wondered how it was that the burger was more expensive, but both sandwiches were not filled to cater to a New York deli sensibility. They were small, simple and not nap inducing.

We chose salads instead of fries, but upon reflection, it would have been a good move to get one with fries instead since they make a fine bunch of spud sticks.

Serpentine is a great place to take poor conversationalists, the hearing impaired, or those who would like to experience this impairment, but to be fair, if you are sitting side by side at the bar, or have good selective listening skills, it has a lively vibe with good chow.

Serpentine
2495 Third St.
San Francisco, CA
415.252.2000

Slow Food Nation has their big San Francisco event next month. There are a lot of small gatherings that are bound to fill up quickly so it's worth getting your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

Saturday, August 30, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 am
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $10
Presidium Coffee Cupping
Andrea Amato leads a taste of freshly brewed, specialty coffees fromGuatemala and Santo Domingo while two growers discuss the challenges and efforts to support sustainable coffee growing. Learn how Slow Food Presidia are helping to protect and find markets for specialty coffees and how different roasting techniques enhance aromas and flavors.

10:00 - 11:00 am
Throw a “Slowtail” Party for 6 Friends for Under $60 Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $10 Whole Foods Market Chef Instructor Josh Hanoka will teach you how to throw a legendary, but seriously affordable, party of delicious artisan tastes and sips, including champagne fruit cocktails and four locally-inspired appetizers.

12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
The Apple in the Pig's Mouth
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
Taste artisanal ciders from around the country with three different varieties of prosciutto from Iowa's La Quercia as we work to develop a lexicon of flavors in each. Panelists include noted author and apple expert Ben Watson, and La Quercia owner and prosciutto maker HerbEckhouse. Moderated by chef and food writer Kurt Michael Friese.

12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Rare Flavors of the South
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
Andrea Reusing, Chef and Owner of Lantern Restaurant in Chapel Hill,and Phoebe Lawless, Chef and Owner of Scratch Artisan Baking in Durham, North Carolina, present a tasting menu of flavors steeped in Southern history: shrimp with green tomatoes and ramps, souse and corned ham, Gullah-style Reezy Peezy, cornbread with homemade buttermilk and sorghum and more.

2:00 - 3:00 pm
Tasting California Olive Oil
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $10
Learn how to taste olive oil like an expert. Nancy Ash, California Olive Oil Council Taste Panel Leader and owner of Strictly Olive Oil, will guide a tasting of extra virgin olive oils, provide an overview on industry issues and describe what exactly extra virgin olive oil means.

2:00 - 3:00 pm
American Artisan Cheeses and Microbrews
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
Matt Jennings of Farmstead, Inc. will introduce some of America’s premier artisan cheesemakers and microbrewers, through a tasting of their exemplary products. For the past 20 years, hand-crafted wheels of cheese and vats of microbrews have been feeding America’s food revolution.

4:00 - 5:00 pm
Bounty from the Midwest
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
Grace Singleton of Zingerman’s will introduce Midwestern regional foods produced in Michigan, the second-largest agricultural producing state in the U.S. Delicacies will include Tracklement’s smoked fish, Zingerman Creamery and Bakehouse items, Ark-of-Taste Paw Paws and a selection of hearty local brews. Also on site: Kim Bayer of Slow Food and Edible WOW, Chef Nick Seccia and Susan Schmidt of the Henry Ford Museum and Zingerman’s Gauri Thergaonkar.

4:00 - 5:00 pm
Heritage Pork and Sparkling Mead
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
The Ossabaw Island hog, descended from Iberian hogs left by Spaniards off the coast of Georgia in the 1500s, was on the verge of extinction until Eliza MacLean began a conservation and breeding program. Paired with Heidrun Meadery’s Sparkling Mead, by Gordon Hull in Arcata California, this is sure to be a succulent tasting. Join Chef Joe Bonaparte of the International Culinary Schools, Eliza MacLean and Gordon Hull for this delicious workshop.

6:00 - 7:00 pm
Slow Wine & Food Pairings
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
Join La Jota Vineyards in a slow sip of bold appellation reds paired with some of the finest regional slow foods.

6:00 - 7:00 pm
Sustainable Stories: Associations of Wine and Food
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
Christopher Howell, General Manager and Winemaker at Cain Vineyard & Winery will lead a discussion while participants sip stupendous wines, nibble on an enticing selection of sustainably-produced Napa valley foods and gain insights on how associations of people, wine, and food create the most satisfying combinations.

8:00 - 9:00 pm
Coro Mendocino Wines & Organic Cheeses
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
A unique tasting of a Mendocino winemakers’ collaboration to create a class of distinctive wines that belong to the rich heritage, spectrum of terroir and unique characteristics of varietals with a long history in Mendocino County. 2005 Coro Mendocino Wines will be paired with Elk Creamery organic cheeses, highlighting the aromas and flavors gleaned from this region.

8:00 - 9:00 pm
Celebrating American Raw Milk Cheese
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
With a focus on the American Raw Milk Cheese Association, one of Slow Food USA’s first Presidia initiatives, we explore the differences between raw and pasteurized milk cheeses, some of the controversy surrounding these products and the growing array of unique tastes.
Beyond wonderful cheddar, we find dozens of aged cow, goat and sheep cheese to whet our appetite. The six-cheese tasting is paired with American craft beers.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

10:00 - 11:00 am
Exploring Coffee and Chocolate Pairings
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $10
Explore the possibilities and pitfalls of pairing coffee and chocolate while hearing about the commonalities in their post-harvest processing and colonial legacies. Join James Freeman from Blue Bottle Coffee and Seneca Klassen from Bittersweet Cafe as they dig into two of the world's favorite stimulants.

10:00 - 11:00 am
Slow Food Meals on a Budget
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $10
Living the slow food lifestyle doesn’t require selling the family farm. Join Whole Foods Market value experts as they share tricks for maximizing your shopping dollars as you maximize your eating pleasure. Chef Instructor Josh Hanoka will present a four course meal for four people for under $50 and show you how to save on the best local foods.
With insider tips and scrumptious recipes, you’ll learn how to make every day a celebration of food, shared meals and healthy wallets.

12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Fermented Delicacies
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $10
Food doesn't get much slower than fermentation. In this workshop Sandor Katz of Wild Fermentation, and author of The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, will offer a broad survey of the exciting flavors of fermented delicacies enjoyed by cultures around the world. Learn about the healing qualities and nutritional importance of fermentation, as well as its illustrious history and integral role in
human cultural evolution.

12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Northwestern Sips & Morsels
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
Rainforests, oceans chilled by arctic currents, protected valleys, open plains and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest serve up a platter of unique regional foods paired with libations from skilled craftsmen in this workshop led by Greene Lawson, owner of HotLips Pizza and Soda in Portland, Oregon.

2:00 - 3:00 pm
Mendocino Pinot Noir
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
Classic old- and new- world-style Pinot Noir from Mendocino County will be introduced in a horizontal tasting of same vintage year. The workshop will explore Mendocino County AVA’s and microclimates of the geographically diverse county. Pinot Noirs from the cool climate Anderson Valley and warmer climates such as the Russian River, Redwood and Potter Valleys will be tasted and compared while discussing the effects of soil, topography and climate on the finished wines.

2:00 - 3:00 pm
Heirloom Tomatoes with Wines from Lodi
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
Swirl, sniff and sample wineglasses filled with brilliantly hued heirloom tomato chunks in this extraordinary workshop. Ann Noble, creator of the Wine Aroma Wheel, and Professor Emerita, U.C. Davis Enology Department, will lead a tasting of Yolo County-grown heirloom tomatoes. Paired with wines from Lodi, participants will decide which wines go best with tomatoes.

4:00 - 5:00 pm
A Traditional Taste of Southwest Heritage Foods
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
Join chef and author John Sharpe and Southwest Regional Slow Food Governor Pamela Hamilton on a taste journey through Southwestern heritage foods featuring Presidium churro lamb, piki bread with Hopi hummus and chiltepine salsa. Sample hand-selected foods such as tepary beans, dry-roasted and blue corn, and chiles from Arizona and New Mexico.

4:00 - 5:00 pm
Eat It to Save It, Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
Join Slow Food’s Ark of Taste co-chair Poppy Tooker to taste some of the most delicious and endangered food of the U.S. and meet the people who work to rescue and promote them: hand- harvested and parched “manoomin” or wild rice with Winona LaDuke; Sun Crest peaches with Mas and Nikiko Masumoto; Guinea and Mulefoot heritage hogs with Arie McFarlen; Ark vegetables and fruits with Alyssa Jumars of Dunbar Farms and Geoducks; and Olympia Oysters with Bill Whitbeck from Taylor Shellfish Farms.

6:00 - 7:00 pm
Slow Sips & Charcuterie Snacking
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
Sam Edwards of Surry, Virginia, Kenneth Rochford of Medlock Ames, and Mark Pastore co-owner of Incanto and Boccalone share their stories. You’ll snack on a sumptuous array of sandwiches layered thick with charcuterie and artisan pickled delights while slowly studying the piquancy of organic, sustainable wines.

6:00 - 7:00 pm
Biodynamic Wines
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 362 (45 People Maximum); $20
A tasting and discussion of wine from the leaders in biodynamic wine movement.

8:00 - 9:00 pm
Slow Spirits
Fort Mason, Bldg C, Room 370 (60 People Maximum); $20
Join Allen Katz, master mixologist and Chairman of the Slow Food USA Board of Directors, Greg Lingren, Proprietor of Rye Bar and H. Joseph Herman, Proprietor of Elixir, for a tasty and enlightening exploration of sustainable spirits and cocktails. While sipping creations from artisan spirits producers such as Prairie Organic Vodka, they’ll discuss sustainability in distillation and the exciting use of local, seasonal ingredients in the creation of mouth-watering cocktails.

From today's Bunrab email, Cindy writes about yesterday's expense inflation/food deflation blog:

Gutenberg,

Regarding smaller portions - I just noticed at Safeway yesterday that their store yogurt (my kids like it) is the same price, but smaller sized containers. Instead of 8 oz., now it's 6 oz. Yo-flation!

Cindy

Gutenberg replies:

Dear Cindy,

With all these cost issues I can't say that I am surprised that one of the first places that was scaled back was kid's exposure to culture.

-G