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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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How can I feel good about myself while promoting terrible dental hygene? I even miss that obnoxious, “trick or treat for Unicef” goody-goody contingent. Ah well, guess that means it's off to work with the candy tomorrow (minus a Snickers or two.)
Spam is cool. Spam is hip. But Spam is jumping the shark big time. The delicious luncheon loaf from Hormel is already a great product with a good rep. The marketing types have caught on to Spam's cultish status and are trying to make the meat product all 21st century edgy. Edgy... I hate that word. How much more edges do they want to give something that's already shaped like a oblong cube? After reading the back of the label, my impression of Spam is that it is now much less cool: The recipe for Spam macaroni & cheese is written in the most smarmy, too-clever-by-half, know-the-words-but-not-the-tune, lame-o way. These guys shouldn't try so hard, the more plain-wrap retro they style their product, the hipper it will be. Adding all the “smart” copy diminishes what we love about Spam. That is, if you're one of those who does love spam. I actually love Spam's persona more than I actually love eating it. It enters the realm of true fetish food only when barbecued, IMHO. Of course, you could barbeque a cue ball and it would be delicious, but if it were a cue ball that was full of pork and fat and nitrites, it would be extra delicious.
Chubby got some mail:
"Hi Chubby, I love the site, particularly the creative use of double negatives. You need to try the Blue Cheese burger at Gregoire for your hamburger rankings. I haven't tried everything on your list, but I'd rank Gregoire's burger above Cafe Rouge's, no contest. Gregoire's menu changes monthly, but the blue cheese burger is on the November lunch menu. A burger, an order of potato puffs and a chocolate mousse for dessert will make the perfect decadent lunch. FYI: The Cafe Rouge burger is available all day, even though it is only on the lunch menu. You can add a slice of tomato, but only when they're in season and it costs $1 extra. gregoirerestaurant.com"
Dear Gregory, I agree. Gregoire has some yummy chow. I haven't had their burger yet, but now that you recco it, I'm going to have to give it a whirl. I wish they had more seating (since most of their food does not benefit from traveling and there are lids and cutlery to balance) but what can you do? They don't have a public bathroom, but Elephant pharmacy (across the street) has a passably clean one in the back of their store. They are opening a couple of new eateries, one in the soon to be opened food court on Shattuck and one in Oakland. So more good food is on the way, maybe even with some additional seating. Your pal, Chubby
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Uove affogate alla Fiorentina ($8.95): ... is fancy talk for poached eggs on ham, spinach and bread with some béchamel sauce. When I punctured the yolk I was happy to see that the egg was perfectly cooked, the dish as a whole was just okay though. The filone bread (a cousin of ciabatta) could have used a solid toasting, it just sort of got spongy under the spinach and eggs. The sweetness of the thinly sliced ham didn't wed with the rest of the flavors. The frittata con salmone affumicato ($7.95): ... didn't win me over either. The asparagus was nicely cooked, but this open faced omlette suffered from a toughness around the edges and the chunks of salmon were overly smoky, drowning out the chopped marjoram, red peppers, and onion. The potatoes looked like they might be crisp on the outside, but they had been kept warm beyond the limits of crispy retention. It had been a while since I'd eaten here. I remember having better food for dinner, maybe brunch is just not the thing to get here, or maybe I just ordered poorly. Piazza D'Angelo
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The Portabello Dosai ($9.00): ... at Tabla is a mixture of 'shrooms, leeks and teleme cheese in a crepe with crispy edges. The accompanying pear chutney, apple-onion relish, and guacamole with orange gilded the lily. Today's specials included sautéed kale ($6.50) with chili sauce and thin slices of garlic and a yellow and green bean salad ($6.50): ... with heirloom tomatoes, minced capers and shallots in a vinaigrette. The fresh beans were cooked to a perfect crisp tender. Tabla is always a great place to get locally farmed and wonderfully prepared casual chow. Sam over at Becks and Posh has nice things to say about this restaurant as well. Check out what Chubby has to say about his visit.
And what is up with some states deciding not to participate? What makes you so great, Arizona? I mean, sure you make a commercially available iced tea, but do you really want to be a party pooper by resisting peer pressure? Is it your form of time anorexia? By obtaining from time change are you expressing a control over time, hence space, hence the universe? Are you sitting there in your land locked smugness feeling an allergen-free superior glow? I guess you are in your own Time-azona, except that is, for the Navajo Nation within your state, which does participate. What is up with that? It's time to give it up and say you were wrong. How are the other states going to take you seriously? Especially when it turns out Arizona Iced Tea isn't even made in Arizona? (A - if you are reading this, I'm sorry about dissing your home town, but, it is really stupid)
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Picco the evening: It was 9:55 when I hustled into Picco to secure a bowl of risotto ($8.75): ... before the last possible 10:00 order. They make it on the half hour but Friday's cutoff is rigidly enforced. The creamy, sage infused, chive-topped, squash blended with the perfectly cooked Arborio. It was worth the rush to get a bowl of this comfort food. The broccoli de ciccio ($6.95): ... was delicious. These tender, fetal stems were sautéed in olive oil with garlic. Had the usual mini burgers as well as the most wonderful plum sorbet over watermelon granita with a cornmeal cookie: The pizzeria next door was jammed due in part to the glowing Michael Bauer review last Sunday and also due to the oven warmed interior on this rainy night.
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The Jeopardy Game board style menu at Asqew Grill ...encourages you to mix and match skewers, salads and starches. This is a chain restaurant with four San Francisco locations. The roast pork was cooked by someone overly wary of trichinosis, so it had little flavor and juiciness to impart to it's spicy couscous bed. The seasonal vegetable skewer with crookneck squash, zucchini, mushroom, broccoli and onion were fine alongside the tasty grilled pear salad with bleu cheese and red peppers. The sunny patio with a fun Castro crowd combined with the game show variety of choices make this a lively, sunny, lunch alternative.
And from the “say it ain't so” department:
Gully F. writes: "Hey, bunrabbies, I know any self-respecting seahorse should know about his fellow denizens of the deep, but since you're the denizens-of-the-deep-as-food expert, perhaps you know something about the following: I've long enjoyed a good swordfish steak. So much so that not even the recent disquieting news about mercury in fish has managed to cure me of my habit. But what I heard this afternoon might: I was taking my lunch at my sushi bar, when it occurred to me to ask the chef, Satou-san, why he's never served swordfish nigiri. He informed me that ALL swordfish is rife with parasites, which are killed by the cooking process. Do you know anything about this? Is it true? If so, it's almost enough to put me off my favorite repast. Say it isn't so, wise bunnies! Your
fishily, Papa (G.F.) Seahorse (Ret.)" Chubby replies: Dear Gully, How I wish I could tell you it was merely a fish story, but I found this out many years ago when I was marinating swordfish and found icky parasites. I promptly took the offending steaks back to the fishmonger who chuckled at my distress and explained that this is true of all swordfish. He was nice enough to give me my money back even though it wasn't technically "bad" fish. I have chef friends who won't touch the stuff outside of preparing it at work. They see it raw and find it unappealing. Should you make sure those critters
are dead before you eat it? Yes. Is it gross when you think about it a
little too much? Yes. But the bottom line is if you like your favorite
food enough, just say the heck with it! Your friend, Chubby
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It was all okay, but nothing that I would return for. The food had a mild sameness to it. There was no crunch to the base tortilla of the tostada, the finely shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and chicken needed a good shake of hot sauce. The rice and beans were standard issue. The enchilada didn't rise above this monotony, but to be fair, I'll bet that to some degree, they cater to their audience. The place was full so they must be giving their regular customers what they want. La Hacienda
Taqueria
One more opinion about my driving while eating rant:
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The cheeseburger ($10): ... at Kitchen is made with natural ground chuck and Shasta Greenfield Cheddar. Requested medium rare, but arrived medium. It was still perfectly tasty though. The bun was a little on the soft side, but held up to this juicy patty. I liked the red, ripe slice of tomato that came with the leaves of iceberg lettuce and thinly sliced red onion. The fries were very good. Slim, crisp and perfectly salted. Not a destination burger, but perfectly good. They have a Early Kitchen Supper from 5 til 6 that sounds like a steal. On Saturday it consisted of Spinach and Leek soup, Grilled Skirt Steak with butterbeans and cipollini onions and blackberry sorbet, all for $15. Considering their high quality ingredients, this seems like it would be worth popping by to make an early evening of it. Kitchen
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Northpoint Coffee Company is right along the waterfront in Sausalito. There's a little deck in back and a cozy interior to enjoy your coffee. The house coffee and the lattes are nice. I like the china cups and wish there were non-paper plates for the panini, both of which had crisp exteriors and melty cheese, but needed a little boost. The Prosciutto and harvarti ($7.25): ...could have used a couple of tomato slices or some acidic element to cut through the meat, cheese and bread. The Turkey with Swiss ($6.95) would have also benefited from the addition of some roasted peppers with balsamic to bring out more of the flavor of the high quality ingredients. They are new, so they are just finding their footing. I noticed that none of the tables of two got their hot sandwiches at the same time which led to polite waits with a cold reward. The people who work there are nice and they are putting in a lot of effort. It is refreshing to have a non-chain coffee alternative.
Gutenberg replies: Dear Susan, How funny, next time you see a blue and yellow rabbit snapping pictures of a restaurant, you should say “hi.” Picco Restaurant is also making risotto on the half-hour and the buzz is that it's very good. I tried to order it on Friday at 11:00 p.m., but they stop at 10:30. I'll have to get their earlier next time. Stay ahead of those Picco Pizzeria lines, -G
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Paper trail:
... a tasty grilled squid over Israeli couscous: ... and some of those
mini burgers that go down so well with a glass of red
wine.
Much love your way. Ruth"
Gutenberg replies:
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Gado Gado Hey: I asked
why the beans were called "stink beans" when
their fragrance was so mild. The (I'm guessing) owner said that when they
are raw they have a strong smell, although they don't "stink."
The Association of Stink Bean Farmers should really consider renaming
this legume. Even "trumpets of death" are called "black
chantrelles" in squeamish company. Indonesia
Restaurant
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Choked, smoked, stoked...
How is it that smoke can have so many identities? I find it really disgusting to smell cigarette smoke when I'm trying to eat. Thankfully, since I spend most of my time in the uber-liberal SF Bay Area, where smoking cigarettes is practically illegal and absolutely immoral, this isn't something that I have to deal with often. But on trips to Europe or Bakersfield, the odor of stinky cigs wafting into my face and sensitive little nose during meals practically puts me off travel. Cigarettes are dirty. You only have to see one coffee cup with a half inch of java and 5 butts, and you'll agree. I try to avoid anything with 5 butts just as a general rule. Unless it's 5 exotic dancers, I guess. In some crowded tourist spots in the Bay Area, it seems like the local merchants need to remind smokers where to not put their stinky butts. To be fair though, maybe the area's anti-smoking attitudes are backfiring, with no actual ash trays anywhere for miles, desperate smokers are bound to get creative. On the other hand, some of my favorite places to eat positively reek of smoke. Not tobacco, but from other plants, or I should say, trees. Smoking is one of the super-yummiest ways to prepare anything. Slow-cooked and tasting of hickory, cherry or cedar is how some the best barbeque is made. Good barbeque is very hard to find, and we only have a few real corkers in SF. We've spoken about the gorgeous outdoor smoker at the Buckeye Roadhouse, but I wouldn't call that place a real rib-ticklin' BBQ Shack. Nearby Star's Barbeque is a promising upstart, but it can't compare to a San Francisco barbecue landmark, Big Nate's. I went there the other day, right across from the Sports Mart near Division, to satisfy my smoked-meat jones. A half order of Pork Ribs ($7.95): ...made me think about who could possibly consume a full order in one non-competitive-food eating sitting. The hot sauce was not scorching hot, but managed to make me break a sweat. Firm, chewy with good crispy bits, charred at tips. Doused in BBQ sauce, this was definitely a “wet” preparation barbeque ready for some for some serious dipping. Bog standard cole slaw and Wonder-esque brown bread top off a lunch meat-treat. I saw Big Nate himself there. He's truly “big.” I guess he used to play hoops back in the day. Lots of pictures of him posing with sports stars up on the walls.
Big Nate's
BBQ
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Atri-yum:
I got my plasti-coated menu and asked for the octopus, but they were out. Luckily for me they had these delicious Anticuchos ($6.95.) aka beef hearts: If I didn't have
to focused like a green laser pointer this afternoon,
I would have had these with a cold cerveza. Man, these hit the spot. Simply
skewered, these marinated chunks of hearty food were perfectly grilled
and served with a slice of potato with some pepper sauce. If I had only
quit while I was ahead and ordered 2 plates of these, I would have been
a happy camper. ...were good. They
weren't my thing. Strips of perfectly good beef were
stir fried with slices of sweet onion, tomato and french fries. In general,
I am not a big fan of stir fried french fries, I think that the deep frying
takes them where they need to go and by wilting them in a liquidy concoction,
you defeat their own purpose. A fry is a terrible thing to waste.
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I should have quit while I was ahead. That 101% good tandoori fish from Monday filled me with a false sense of tandoori confishdence. I ordered the Tandoori Fish ($8.99): ...which is listed as "chef recommended" on the menu at Chutney (down the street from the mecca of good fish.) The brilliantly reddened catfish came topped with sliced sweet onions and cilantro, the fish was moist and spicy, but it didn't reach that same 101% level of goodness as Lahore Karahi. The Keema Naan ($2.99): ...was like a hamburger that has been passed through a pasta machine and put in the tandoori oven. I imagined that this naan stuffed with ground beef wouldn't have such a fine grind of meat. The texture was like a paste and the bread lacked the crusty, chewy combo that I craved. When I came up to
the counter, I asked the guy at the register what is
their most interesting/delicious preparation. I got the answer that I
always dread, Why do people always recco the tamest dish when pressed? Ah well. He said that he would sell me a half order of Chicken Tikka Masala ($3.00) which had a flavorful sauce, but the chicken was a little overcooked and dry. I wish I came on a Thursday when they have goat. Thursday is THE goat day in the Tenderloin. All the restaurants have it then. There must be some Thursday goat truck that wheels by like an ice cream truck except with braying instead of that plingy music to entice kids to run into the street. Chutney
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The worst
place to eat is in the car. Not only is it bad for your digestion,
it’s just.. wrong.
They
didn’t have their panini machine turned on so I
got a vegetarian sandwich ($7.50): ...on baguette. I
chatted with the woman at the counter as my sandwich was being
made. It turns out that she is not only the owner of this cute little
French style café, but she also owns La
Note (which Chubby reviewed) and wanted to open up a simple, little
place too. She opened this café in February with the intention
that most people would take food away. It turns out that most of her customers
like to grab one of the cute little indoor or sidewalk tables for breakfast,
lunch, or a snack. I’m
definitely coming back to check out their crepes and breakfast.
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101% Good ...was a reality
today. The owner really should put this dish on the menu rather
than confide it's wonderfulness covertly. I asked for
the Saag Paneer ($6.00) spicy and it was, but not as spicy as
the fabulous fish. ...as much as this
salted (not sweet) version. The flecks of cumin seed
(as well as the salt) brought out the yogurty taste. It was just the right
level of thickness to compliment the food without being too thick and
heavy.
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It was so
sunny out today, that a trip to Fairfax
Scoop with my friends was in order. In the process, they
looked as though they were masquerading as bunrabs. I
wasn’t fooled for an instant.
Chubby got some mail today:
Chubby Replies:
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Weekends in the Tenderloin don't have as much baggage as downtown or the Ferry building or the "nicer" areas of the City. It's just business as usual. I'm not sure what's up with my restaurant karma lately, it just seems like everywhere I go is empty. The upside, is that I don't have to wait too long for my chow. I requested my Saag Gosht ($6.50): ... spicy, but I think he took a look at me and toned it down a bit. It was punctuated with lamb and only mildly spiced, but still okay. The Onion Kulcha ($2.00): ... was a sesame seed topped, cilantro enhanced, onion stuffed bread that went well with my spinachy entree. The (I'm guessing) owner was very nice but really perked up when I pointed at the speaker and said, "I love Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan" After that, he was my best friend. He told me that next time I come in I have to order his special dish that's not on the menu, and that it's "is more than 100% good, it's 101% good!" Well, I have got to order THAT. It's his Tandoori Fish ($10.95) and I should order it with rice and raita. That's definitely on the agenda for next week.
-G
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I popped into a vegan restaurant in the Tenderloin today. It was deja vuey from my visit to Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant (that serves meat.) I guess I'm being too literal. I went in during lunchtime and it was abandoned (just like my Golden Era experience) but I was made to feel right at home by the super nice staff member. I ordered the Grilled Salmon ($7.50): ...which was a generous portion served with lime and a scallion and pepper dipping sauce. Steamed broccoli, carrots and cabbage rounded out my meal. It needed a little scoop of the pepper condiment from the little pots on the table. The fish was good, but not trip worthy unless you are heavily into Thai Vegan food whilst surfing the web (they claim to have the largest list of these T.V. options in the City, plus free Wi-Fi access.) Yesterday was Halal/Thai today it's Vegan/Thai, I guess dietary restrictions combined with an ethnic cuisine make up today's “fusion food.” Mekong
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Kang Dang Pumpkin ($6.95): ...was serious belly ballast. I am a big fan of thai basil in red curry with coconut milk (like the salmon at Royal Thai in San Rafael) but this fell a little short of hitting my curry spot. The pumpkin was starchy and dry. I cut it into bits to facilitate coconut hydration, but it was only okay. The people are very nice in this teeny little restaurant with a counter and a small grouping of tables. Even though it I didn't find this place to be a culinary Mecca, I might make another pilgrimage here again soon. All the meat here is halal which means that it is slaughtered in accordance with Islamic laws. One of the rules is that the animal has to face east during slaughter. If I were a cow, I'd get a compass and some grippy shoes.
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Yesterday’s
pho at Them Ky got me craving the version from Turtle Tower. ...and this
was vastly superior to the one up the street. Not only was there
a higher tripe to beef ratio, it was flavorful and delicious in a clear,
bright tasting broth with a couple jalapeno slices thrown in for good
measure.
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The overcast City meant one thing today - Pho. It was time to try Them Ky. Dac Biet ($5.50): ...was served with a plate of bean sprouts, basil, sliced jalapeno peppers and limes. I have a thing for hot soup with thin slices of raw beef. The hot liquid cooks it through instantly. This dish also includes brisket, flank tendon and tripe (that delicate feathery tripe that looks like seaweed.) You can order the extra large (translated as “xe lua”) for an extra .45¢ but the normal size is pretty big and there are a ton of rice noodles mixed in with the meats and broth. I'm getting my pho eating technique down. The real trick to eating this in a non-touristy restaurant it to do so with complete abandon. Chopsticks in one hand, spoon in the other, fill your mouth up with a big slurp and don't be all fussy and blot the corners of your mouth after every bite. It's not a romantic date place, it's an Vietnamese/Chinese eating station with bare formica tables and hot chow. The tenderloin
is the nabe for pho. This was good, but I prefer Turtle Tower
and Bodega Bistro.
Turtle tower serves it sans side garnishes (Northern Style) with a bright
tasting broth and tasty meats. Bodega
has the leafy sides and is mighty good too. (check
out Chubby's report.) Them Ky
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Persian Excursion:
Greek salad ($7.95): ...in a Persian restaurant? I should have known better, but the feta monkey on my back would not shut up. It was a standard greens, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, genericy combo. But to be fair, it’s not really a reasonable expectation to have a brilliant non Persian dish here… I need to stop listening to that monkey… Joojeh ($14.95): ...suffered from a
lack of umph. Although marinated in lime and saffron, the chicken
was just a little bland. ...was spiced up a
bit too. It was cooked til it reached that lovely off the bone
stage, but the broth and the meat were neglected in the seasoning
department. The basmati rice with lima beans and dill didn’t have
enough of a textural contrast between the beans and the rice, but the
dill permeated this dish nicely.
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Christmas is here: Whatever happened to waiting until Halloween to start pushing the merchandise? Do people really plan that far ahead with their Dora the Explorer advent calendars? Instead of having them only cover December, they should make 12 month advent calendars to keep us in that holiday spirit all year long. You really have to have some major Halloween spirit to get a costume for Fido: This is tantamount to animal abuse. I don't care how much of a Star Wars fan you are, if you dress your dog up like the Dark Lord of the Sith, it's disturbing. Went to Rickey's for brunch. It's right off the 101 and you can hear the freeway if you eat poolside. The smoked salmon was actually pretty good quality fish. They serve it with cream cheese, a toasted sesame bagel, capers, sliced tomato and red onion ($14.00): Nothing exotic,
but just fine. The burger ($11.50): ...is made with Angus natural beef and served with bacon, swiss, and a nice chipolte mayonnaise that had a bit of heat to it. The sesame seed bun was too wimpy for the filling and smooshed down into a doughy sheet. If they remedied the bread situation, this would be a pretty good burger overall. The fries (ordered “extra crispy”) were fine. The people here are friendly and efficient. It's nothing fancy and not a destination eatery. Just the sort of place you are happy to come across if you pull off the freeway. Rickey's
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Speaking of salt, their salt collection this evening included 2 red tinged Kona salts (with clay adding the color), a Hawaian black volcanic salt, Fleur de sel, sel gris, Jurassic salt from Montana, as well as Yokisho and Amagito salts from Japan.
Their new pasty chef crafted amazing desserts including one that tasted of fruit loops done right (the meringue composition) and one that was a high falutin’ snickers bar (the chocolate and peanut concoction.) We ate: Cheese gourges
-G
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The few, the loud…
What bugs me about them is that they are strictly a recruiting tool. There is no operation in which the Blue Angels is called to perform a rescue, attack or spy mission. They are to hook the kiddies into joining the armed forces and to make matters worse, they use over 3 million gallons of fuel annually (and guess who pays for it?) I do support our troops and all that, but it feels like a bait and switch to have this demonstration of a job that doesn't exist except for in Crazyland. When you sign up and get handed a mop it's gotta be a bummer. It was a raid-the-emergency food day. I couldn't get away from the computer and got out my suspiciously preserved food from TJ's. They must irradiate this stuff in that hollowed out mountain in Nevada so you can store it in case you need an MRE. I got out the pouch of tuna panang which wasn't really very good, but it was very in front of me, so that's what matters. I guess every meal can't be from the French Laundry.
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“Can I get some goat to go? “No goat” “But it's Thursday” “Only after 6 p.m. Thursday” I ordered the okra ($5.00) instead: I know that there are those who don't care for the slimy factor (which is present in this particular preparation) but they cook them with lots of onions and spices until they melt into a lovely (yet slippery) dish. The lamb with spinach ($6.00): ...was a tasty blend of spices, spinach and a few teeny bones hanging onto the chunks of stewed lamb. A naan ($1.00) was a necessary item to go with my veggie feast. Shalimar
I brought my lunch back to the computer and was annoyed with the blue angels roaring by on their practice runs over the city today. I know people think they are cool, but it seems like consuming a gillion gallons of precious jet fuel a second for entertainment purposes while buzzing my building and disturbing my okra consumption rubs me the wrong way. The jets' sounds are not only loud and menacing, they are distinctive as well. I'm sure that the emotion stirred in people hearing their roar overhead varies from person to person according to their experience. I wonder if any of the many Vietnamese people in the Tenderloin have a duck and cover reflex.
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Another day of refrigerator roulette. I had a hermetically sealed package of shrimp fried rice ($2.99): ...with bits of carrot,
egg, green onion and a vinegar based dipping sauce. It was very
tasty, studenty, filling food. They cleverly seal it with a plastic
fork inside so you are equipped to penetrate the shrimp laminate (yes,
it they CAN slice shrimp that thin.) ...is nothing special.
Stuffed with pork bits gathered from the animals elbows,
eyebrows (or whatever can be pulverized from miscellaneous piggy scraps)
glass noodles and a half of (an overcooked) hard boiled egg. ...is wrapped up in a banana leaf with black eyed peas and cooked with coconut milk. The banana turns purple when cooked! These were a little dryer than I prefer. The larger ones that they sell (fried without a leaf or steamed inside of a leaf) are tastier. Wrap Delight
Pretty good.
-G
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Got my Goat
...at Pakwan today. I asked for my Goat curry ($5.95): spicy and it hit the spot. The only trick is to exercise caution eating the meat around the bits of bone. The hot and delicious Nan ($1.00) was the perfect goat transport device. The place wasn't exactly jammed at lunchtime, but that's not due to the food. It was pretty sunny and everyone in the Universe seemed to be sitting or lying on the sidewalk on my walk here today. Pakwan
Café Rouge has started $1 oysters Wednesday from 7-9. You can wash them down with one of their charcutini's (it's a martini…with meat!) Luka's Tap Room has 'em Mondays: 2221 Broadway, Oakland, 510/451-4677 And of course, who can forget about Hog Island Oyster Bar's (in the San Francisco Ferry Building) happy-hour dollar oysters. Thursdays along with $2.50 draught beers. Know about any other
Bay Area oyster happy hours? Let me know. -G
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If you're not Chinese or Vietnamese you will be a conspicuous consumer at this Noodle house. If you're not into soup, you should go somewhere else. It's all about slurping in this bustling, no frills, eatery. I got the Hoanh Thanh Mi Vit Tim ($6.05): ...which is a delicious duck leg propped up by won tons and egg noodles. You get to choose thin or thick noodles (thick is the only way to go IMO.) Not only is the duck tender, juicy and exceedingly tasty, the broth is quite ducky as well.
Oh, and if you were looking for more medical justification to eat chocolate, here it is.
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So Chubby and I hop into Luka's Taproom for a brew: ... and who do we run into but Fatemeh (from Gastronomie) and Co. We last saw them at the SF food bloggers BBQ and have been inspired by her postings to refresh our croissant memory at La Farine soon. After we drank up at Luka's, we popped by Café Rouge for one of their delicious, scrape-every-microbe-of-dessert-from-the-glass ice cream toffee sundaes with chocolate sauce. They presented it with this Bunrab friendly configuration of biscotti: After Chubby's review of this restaurant, we have been treading lightly whenever we pop by for a bite, but I guess they have forgiven him for calling them bastards.
-G
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It was time to revisit Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley. The locals really fill up the place on the weekends, but luckily, there were tables freeing up around 10 p.m. We mimicked our order from Chubby's previous review and noticed some marked differences. The onion rings: ...were cooked through (not raw in the middle like last time.) The Chicken Paillard: is a thinly pounded breast of chicken, grilled and served with lemon. It is very “diety” tasting. I wish there was some sort of salsa or herby boost to this dull entrée. The burger: ...wasn't drowned in mayo this time and the brocolini wasn't overcooked like last visit's broccoli raab. Instead of a dirty knife (that Chubby got last time), I got a wine glass with lipstick on it (ew.) The bottom line is that Bungalow 44 was okay. The food has improved and the service was friendly and attentive. It appears that they are packing the place and doing very well. I hope their food continues on an upward trajectory, but if they solely react to the numbers of guests, there may be little incentive to smooth out the culinary bumps. Bungalow
44
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2005 by BunRabCo. All rights reserved.
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