I joined Irad and Yuval in San Francisco for the holiday weekend while they are here for business. San Francisco alternates between thrilling and horrifying: there are so many beautiful parks, neighborhoods, architecture and magnificent views of bays, bridges and mountains—but every time I walk somewhere I am stumbling over homeless people, junkies and crazies. It is as if someone opened the doors to a giant asylum somewhere and all the inmates took to the streets. I counted 5 per block this morning as I walked for half an hour from my hotel to the Hayes Valley stores. It is hard to stay upbeat in the face of such abject misery and acute human pain.
However, the food here is amazing, and since Irad and Yuval have been working too much for any real expeditions I have mostly been sticking to the hotel where I am enjoying the views from our windows. On the 28th floor with a corner room and ceiling to floor windows it is something like being in a glass boat in the heavens:
The expeditions we have taken so far have been confined to meal times and have hit on several foodie spectaculars.
The first amazing experience was walking to the Ferry Building and eating at the Slanted Door, one of San Franciscos favorite Vietnamese restaurant. But the part of the meal that will stick in my mind (and my waistline) was ice cream at Humphrey Slocombe.
I chose (clockwise from the top) Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee, Malted Milk Chocolate and Black Sesame. I couldn't finish this enormous bowl, but I certainly did my best.
It was accompanied by more stunning views:
My favorite was the Crusted King Trumpet Mushrooms - really delicious! As usual, I enjoyed the appetizers more than the mains. I think my approach to dining should just be to always eat a collection of appetizers, tapas style. I enjoyed this kind of eating as a one-time interesting and tasty food adventure, but I wouldn't go here every week if I lived here, or even every year. It is over-constructed and heavy-handed for my taste. I like simple dishes that feature the natural flavors of food. This was a lot of bells and whistles and the palate and brain simply tire and it all blurs into one enormous amount of food.
Speaking of simple food, this morning's breakfast was an absolutely fabulous five star experience. Blue Bottle Coffee! Wow! If I lived here I WOULD eat there every morning. Simple space, big windows, bright light, excellent coffee and amazing food. Line out the door.
I supplemented with a little raspberry compote jam, ladled out of a pot. I am going to try and make this at home.
Nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning!
However, the food here is amazing, and since Irad and Yuval have been working too much for any real expeditions I have mostly been sticking to the hotel where I am enjoying the views from our windows. On the 28th floor with a corner room and ceiling to floor windows it is something like being in a glass boat in the heavens:
The expeditions we have taken so far have been confined to meal times and have hit on several foodie spectaculars.
The first amazing experience was walking to the Ferry Building and eating at the Slanted Door, one of San Franciscos favorite Vietnamese restaurant. But the part of the meal that will stick in my mind (and my waistline) was ice cream at Humphrey Slocombe.
It was accompanied by more stunning views:
Dinner was at a restaurant I have been hearing about for years: Millenium, a vegan superstar, creating vegan food before the east coast even knew what the word "vegan" means. Its goal is to create complex, layered, rich food that makes meat obsolete. Yuval brought me the cookbook several years ago as a gift after his first time there, and though I often look at the pictures I have never had the courage to take on any of the amazingly detailed and complicated recipes. I was looking forward to someone else cooking them!
Our experience there was somewhat curtailed by the singularly bad luck that the light right over OUR table was burnt out, so that the food was mostly in deep shadow. For that reason my photographs did not really come out after the appetizers, because as the day got darker, so did our table. But since the appetizers were my favorites anyway, I will post them.
Crusted king Trumpet Mushrooms
Arborio rice & sesame dredge, cabbage & carrot salad with lime vinaigrette,
toasted red lentil chaat, methi-sweet soy Manchurian dipping sauce
Braised Romano Beans
charred cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon zest, bread crumbs, chile
Pistachio Stuffed Dates
orange, cinnamon, Aleppo chile
orange, cinnamon, Aleppo chile
Stuffed Squash Blossoms
lemon-sage tofu cheese, zucchini & nopales escabeche, corn masa sope,
smoky black bean puree, strawberry-habanero salsa, avocado
lemon-sage tofu cheese, zucchini & nopales escabeche, corn masa sope,
smoky black bean puree, strawberry-habanero salsa, avocado
At this point my pictures are not very attractive but we had:
| Braza De Reina Tamale chard & corn masa, toasted pumpkin seed, chile poblano & Christmas lima bean filling, sweet corn, roasted pepper & cherry tomato stew, lambsquarter greens, tomato-habanero sauce, avocado, radish & jicama salad, cumin toasted pumpkin seeds |
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| Cornmeal & Thyme Crusted Zucchini mousakka spiced mushroom & pistachio duxelle, whipped roasted garlic butterbeans, shaved fennel, orange & red frill mustard salad, green olive salsa verde, pistachio-cinnnamon toasted bread crumbs | ||||||||||||
| and for dessert: |
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My favorite was the Crusted King Trumpet Mushrooms - really delicious! As usual, I enjoyed the appetizers more than the mains. I think my approach to dining should just be to always eat a collection of appetizers, tapas style. I enjoyed this kind of eating as a one-time interesting and tasty food adventure, but I wouldn't go here every week if I lived here, or even every year. It is over-constructed and heavy-handed for my taste. I like simple dishes that feature the natural flavors of food. This was a lot of bells and whistles and the palate and brain simply tire and it all blurs into one enormous amount of food.
Speaking of simple food, this morning's breakfast was an absolutely fabulous five star experience. Blue Bottle Coffee! Wow! If I lived here I WOULD eat there every morning. Simple space, big windows, bright light, excellent coffee and amazing food. Line out the door.
Starting with the basics, coffee and a "strawberry buckle"
According to my barristo, Blue Bottle's creator and coffee roaster, James Freeman, married a premier SF pastry chef, Caitlin Freeman, and she now provides all the pastries. Now THAT is a marriage made in heaven.
Strawberry Buckle (seasonal) was so good I bought two more before I left, boxed them and sent them to my foodie sister.
Poached eggs on thick bread were to die for. Simple IS best
I supplemented with a little raspberry compote jam, ladled out of a pot. I am going to try and make this at home.
Nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning!
And great companions to enjoy it with. Good Morning San Francisco!
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