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ABOUT ME: Name: Gutenberg Location: Somewhere near the Golden Gate Bridge. Occupation: BRPR (Bunrab public relations.) |
the
BUNRAB blog spot
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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 |
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| March 17 thru 24, 2006 |
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The atmosphere on Pluto is thin and will not support human life. The atmosphere at Pluto restaurant:
...is thick and supports too much human life.
My orbit took me by this Jetson’s style cafeteria. I checked out their instruction board
(I make typos too, but if I were creating
a sign that I expected everyone to read in a chain restaurant,
I would be a little more “possessive” about checking the grammar.)
The salad guy uses tongs to
fill up a measuring bowl with non lettuce ingredients as you name them,
he then dumps them into the big salad bowl that the other guy uses to
toss them all together. As the next salad customer approaches, he takes
his not so white towel hanging from his apron and gives the the measuring
bowl a wipedown. This may be a towel dedicated to this purpose, but it’s
kind of gross looking. Not so good if you have a food sensitivity that
would be triggered by a trace amount of bowl residue either.
... was the grilled chicken which
was tough, dry and flavorless.
... with mashed potatoes as well as serve soups and sandwiches. It’s a chain restaurant that targets health conscious urbanites. It’s a handy, quick, place to get a veggie fix but the emphasis seems to be placed on large portions and healthy food rather than maximizing tastiness (but to be fair, I could have just hit them when they were testing out their new chicken de-flavorizing machine.) This place obviously fills a need (the crowds just kept coming during my visit) so it may not be for me, but it sure rings the bell for the Marina crowd..and “crowd” is the active word, I even caught someone praying:
... for a table to open up, but she had to wait many moons. Luckily, Pluto has several.
They have some of the best Mexican food I have
tasted in the whole sf bay area and I have been living here for 20 yrs.
Their carne asada tacos are excellent and their green salsa chicken enchiladas
will leave you wishing you had more room in your stomach so you can eat
more. It would definitely make a nice addition to your list. Check it
out and let me know what you think.
Chubby replies:
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...let’s make April spell check month, or, to be fair, maybe this is one of those applying-the-letters-backwards-to-the-window-while-dyslexic before your coffee (but after your Irish whisky) situations.
... so that during the weekends they won’t resemble
plaque encrusted arteries coursing with molasses. They
have restrooms that are easily accessed and they have a choice of paper
or plastic (I bring in reusable bags to elevate my smug factor.)
... a million times. There’s nothing about
this place that beckons. This motel appendage near nothing and
nobody was not a place that I approached with high expectations. I walked
into a dining room filled with seniors enjoying their waffles and club
sandwiches and felt a little out of place. The nice waitresses steered
me to a table near an old, (but not fashionably so) juke box which was
playing some good classic tunes. Everyone in the busy diner looked happy
as they dug into their comfort foods.
...which was made with a 1/3 pound patty
of natural beef. The meat was tasty, but I wish that the bun wasn’t
the soft, wonder-bready, variety. It came with the usual sliced tomato,
onions, lettuce and pickles. Next time I get one I’ll ask to hold
the mayo that they spread on the top bun which kind of gilds the lily
(or the burger in this case.) The spuds were good, but I should have ordered
them extra crispy.
Trader Joe’s
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... but it was a welcome herby, astringent
counterpoint to the frickin meat with a nice crunch and refreshing lemony
vinaigrette.
... was a goood frickin deal and I’m
anxious to see how it stacks up to the chicken at Taste, the
new (non-frickin) chicken place in Epicurious Garden that just opened
this week.
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... white flying saucer shaped Iddly.
They are steamed rice and lentil patties that are like the crustless inside
of a dense loaf. They taste good to me dipped into the lentil and mustard
seed soup, but are a little heavy and verge on bland alone. The menu wadas
are the deep fried, lentil doughnuts. They are a little greasy, but have
a nice crisp exterior and have a nice lentil flavor.
... which is a thin rice crepe with a lump of smashed,
tangy spuds in it’s belly. This carbolicious combination
of crisp edged crepe and starchy potato hits the spot.
...which has a sour deliciousness that
I crave. This tangy, veggie comfort food is dotted with green pockets
of peas and cilantro. The condiments in little steel bowls add that Sierra
Cup feel that completes the Berkeley experience.
Gutenberg replies: -G
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A tasty little bowl of Tom Ka Gai:
... with a little piece of chicken breast, cilantro, green onions, button mushrooms and coconut milk was the warm up act to my Pad Phed Pla Merk ($8.95):
... which along with squid masquerading
as pinecones, contained crisp green beans, red and green bell
peppers and Thai basil in a red chili sauce. It could have used a bit
more heat, but the fresh flavors, varied textures and herbaceous perfume
made for a good lunch even though it didn’t shoot it’s way
into the craveable category. Next time I’m by I’ll try one
of their curries.
He must have been spending some time at the all you can eat buffets in San Rafael. Destined for a fate that no bunrab should ever have to endure, his obesity was his salvation. Yea Herman.
Call them on Monday and see if they're open.
When I called on Saturday, they told me they hope to open on Tuesday.
Of course, if the food is fantastic all will be forgiven.
Gutenberg replies:
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Led down the Epicurious Garden path:
I started out Epi-curious, now I’m
just epi-pissed off. Could they please get it together
to coordinate their cyber “open” sign with reality? They were
epi-closed.
...were drizzled with evo and topped with a few
caperberries. These thinly sliced, cured meats were flavorful
and delicious.
...were served alongside a saffron aioli. The
breadcrumb coated choke hearts and battered spears were
a little on the greasy side. The asparagus was cooked to the point of
limpness and offered a mushy interior to the thin coating. The aioli had
some punch, but this dish did not call out for more oil.
... was a little more cooked
than I prefer. The pimeton lended some pep to the dish, but the overcooked
cauliflower didn’t help matters. As the server removed the plate
she spilled some of the pool of olive oil on my trousers, gasped and apologized
for the grease spot on my clothes. Perhaps I am too rigid in thinking
that perhaps comping one of the drinks would have been in order or even
a biscotti or some sort of gesture to reflect upon when I went home to
apply my Shout stain stick… Nada. The Chubster has been having better luck than me with his Berkeley dining. Take a look at his brand new review of Indus Village.
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The Rhone Rangers' San Francisco tasting was held today at the Festival Pavilion in Fort Mason.
A sunny break in the weather didn’t keep
wine lovers away from this gathering of American wine
makers who produce Rhone style wines.
and just gets liquored up at
these events, but luckily, this gathering had the added appeal of food
purveyors showcasing their wares (and slowing down alcohol absorption.)
there were also local cheese, charcuterie and chocolate makers. I even ran into someone I know:
at the Crunchy Foods table. They produce
biscotti and, well, crunchy things. I couldn't figure
out where the chocolate covered marshmallows fit in, but that didn't prevent
me from sampling a few.
It could be argued that many are too
young to appreciate fully, but, just as I will happily enjoy
a bit of chocolate chip cookie dough to evaluate it’s potential
as a fully realized cookie, I will delight in a taste of the grapey, liquid
version.
Kerry Damskey’s 2003 Alexander
Valley Syrah with it’s blackberry and vanilla notes was
a result of their first vintage from their Van Ness acreage.
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Top of the Mornin’
…but that’s just me.
... is an omelet with cheese, avocado, tomatoes
and beans on Cuban bread – sort of a burrito/egg muffin
hybrid. It wasn’t interesting enough to order again, but
a perfectly welcome calorie delivery vehicle on this chilly morning.
... which as a good thing to get if your coach
needs you to gain 25 pounds to play in the big game this
weekend, for those of us who aren’t linebackers, this is way too
heavy for my taste. The rich, thick pastry walling in the salty chunks
of sausage might sound appealing, but this innocent looking pie isn’t
worth the investment (even at 6 bits.)
I have more faith in humanity
than to believe that anyone actually placed an order for this celebratory
beverage to ring in the holiday. I’m not up for green beer either,
it seems to me that the color would make you more prone to the delayed
rejection of this liquid in the most undesirable way.
When it was my turn to pay for my parking, the cashier was Ethiopian. I asked her which local restaurant serves the best interpretation her native cuisine, she said “Café Colucci.”
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contents copyright ©
2006 by BunRabCo. All rights reserved.
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