Live Blog: Happy B-Day Meat Guy (DAY3)

Since the O/G Live Blog for L.A. was a ginormous Wall of Text, I made the executive decision to break it down into 3 posts for each of the 3 days. That should make it a little more palattable. If you didn't read the first two days (SAT & SUN), scroll down & read them first.

11.08.10 (MON)

11:40 - The NomNom Truck hates us and, once again, has no lunch service today!!! >_<
Granted, with lunch plans @ one of Esquire's Best New Restaurants of 2010 we wouldn't have been able to squeeze much in but, still, The Foodie would as least like the opportunity to make that call. Oh well, maybe next time?

12:17 - Feeling VERY L.A. munching cupcakes in the warm Califonia sun (despite it being NOV) @ Sprinkles. We double lucked out as A)They've got a sweet (no pun intended...seriously) Cupcake of the Month: Pumpkin and B)It's also the one week a month they make their Salted Caramel variety. We get a half-dozen to-go and munch on one of each and wash it down with "Mexican" Coke. The Meat Guy, however, makes the brilliant tactical decision to go back for seconds AND down it with Sipping Chocolate - ALWAYS a good choice when you're planning on lunch in 30 mins...

12:41 - Culina is truly slick from the hostess crew wearing asian-inspired stewardess uniforms (complete with scarves) to the sleek crudo bar and the expansive outside seating complete with gardens & waterfall. It feels big and expensive because, well, it IS big and expensive. Sadly, my teamates have seriously let me down today. They were completely down with getting the Genovese Pizza (an awesome combo of Pesto, Buffalo Mozzarella, Baby Artichockes & Squash Blossoms) and the Crudo Sampler (Yellowtail/Star Anise Oil, Lobster/Grapefruit & Salmon/Blood Orange) but pretty much bailed when the food arrived. The Hottie gets a pass as she's a size four but The Meat Guy straight up refuses to even TRY the pizza and barely touches his Ahi Tuna Panini or the fries that accompany them. FAIL! Next time, maybe show some self control @ Sprinkles?!? I help The Hottie polish off her oddly extra-sweet pumpkin pasta & take half of my Prosciutto di Parma Panini to go. For what it's worth, the Hottie loved the rather substantial salad that came with it.

2:36 - Sadly, the plush uber-theatre with reserved seating and concessions brought to your seats is no more. It was a rather kewl, Only-In-L.A. kinda of thing but I suppose the recession took it's toll even in a city powered by The Industry. Annoyingly, even with less customer service, the ticket prices seemed no less expensive than last time. /fistshake

2:59 - One of the worst things about seeing a 3D movie these days (in this case, Megamind) is that you have to watch the trailers for all the OTHER Hey!-3D-Movies-Make-Money-Lets-Toss-A-Concept-Together-Real-Fast-And-Cash-In Movies. Yogi Bear? Seriously? This movie needed to be made...and in 3D no less? Oh yay! A bizarre 3D Nutcracker too? And let's not forget that 3D Justin Bieber flick when Oscar time rolls around. Just kill me now.

6:07 - Hey self-important efftard with the toddler. Yeah, I'm talking to you! WTF made you think it was a good idea to buy your precious little bundle of entitlement shoes that squeak WITH EVERY %&*#$%ING STEP HE/SHE/IT TAKES and then letting him/her/it loose in LAX? Seriously, I'm sure you're immune to the dog toy squeak every other second by now much as you don't go insane watching Yo Gabba Gabba and baby poop barely registers on your nasal palette but the other HUNDREDS of passengers aren't!!! So take off the noisy shoes, put on some normal ones or, imagine this, have your kid sit still in an airport. If the idea of paying attention to your child and books with pictures & colors & stories is too low brow for you, there's this amazing new invention called a Dee-Vee-Dee Player...you might want to look into it? Jeez!

Read more...

Live Blog: Happy B-Day Meat Guy (DAY2)

Since the O/G Live Blog for L.A. was a ginormous Wall of Text, I made the executive decision to break it down into 3 posts for each of the 3 days. That should make it a little more palattable. If you didn't read the first day (SAT), scroll down & read that first.

11.07.10 (SUN)

10:58 - The Meat Guy is 30 mins late picking us up and blames it on OBI SHWN. No seriously, Google OBI SHWN and look for the Honda that looks like a Rebel Alliance Vehicle. I'll wait...

...

...so yeah, either Shawn lives in Tinseltown (which would make sense with all the F/X jobs here) or there's some sort of Sci-Fi con going on, cause he was on the road this AM and, well, The Meat Guy was speeding up and slowing down alongside him to take it all in.

Regardless we're on the road again to yet another Food Truck and we brought The Meat Guy's nemesis, Gemma (a.k.a. our GPS), mostly for entertainment value.

11:24 - It doesn't take long for a payoff as Gemma's pronunciation of La Brea annoys The Meat Guy. I'm not sure where "Lay Bree" Avenue is but it seems to be near La Brea Avenue. Silly Gemma!

11:33 - The champagne "brunch" organized by Domaine L.A. is a bit of a clusterfuck as it seems that you can't actually GET the brunch unless you pre-ordered. Of course that wasn't stated ANYWHERE on their site or announcement of the event and, if you could ONLY buy tix in advance, why would you put down that "savings" you were getting by buying advance tickets? That kinda implies buying tix the day of event is possible. FAIL!

In spite of the confusion, the Lardon end of the event is fine. We can't order the Brunch Bento of Pumpkin French Toast but the rest of the menu is available and...NO LINE! The Egg slut that she is, The Hottie gets the B-Fast Sando on a Cibattia Roll and I try their signature Baco (A B-Fast Taco with a Bacon "Shell"). It's a challenge to eat, for sure, as the shell lacks any real structural integrity but they get an A for effort. Plus, any combination of eggs, fried potatoes & good, quality bacon is going to taste yummy after a late nite out, amirite?

11:55 - The theme of the trip continues as we're now in line @ Pink's. Yes, this wasn't really planned but the Lardon Truck was only a few blocks from Pink's and I'm always down with Meat in Tube Form. Plus, I went for the classic Chili Dog last time & want to try one of the wacky creations this time. Sadly, the Wendy Williams Dog is no more so we opt for the Ultimate HoffDog: 2 Dogs, 1 Bun, Kraut, Swiss & Pastrami. The Hottie wants some of their Orange Neon Fries and, at the last minute, I order a Chili-Cheese Stretch Dog too cause that's how I roll. The Meat Guy orders a behemoth construct called The America The Beautiful Dog with Bacon, Pastrami, Lettuce & Tomato on a Jalapeno Dog that isn't a hot dog at all...it's a friggin sausage. It's yummy but waaaaaaaaay more than anybody should be expected to eat, especially 30 mins after a visit to the Lardon Truck.

1:11 - The Meat Guy somehow breaks Gemma who now refuses to show anything in front his BMW. The route and surrounding DO get drawn in...AFTER he passes them. Since she's never exhibited this behavior before, he's convinced that our GPS is out to get him.

1:47 - We stop @ Santa Monica Hooters to watch the Raiders/Chiefs game and while it's hardly a Foodie destination it IS a great place to watch football. The Hottie's decked out in her Raider's gear and, since LA was home to the Raiders for a decade, there are plenty of Raiders fans to cheer on the Silver & Black. Layoutwise, this Hooters is the best I've seen: A big circular bar along with a large, funky, multi-leveled layout and a crapton of TV's. $12 Shocktop pitchers don't hurt either.

4:23 - I've been in Santa Monica Place (an upscale, outdoor "mall") less than an hour and just saw my FIFTH dog wearing clothing! Seriously SoCal, WTF is up with dogs in clothing? It's friggin' 70+ degrees in NOV FFS. Your dog aint cold (it has fur, after all) and it now dreams of killing you in your sleep. And, honestly, no jury is going to convict Prince Puppykins when he tears out your larynx - you deserved it!

6:33 - Gemma tells The Meat Guy to turn at Lay Ti'Jerra Blvd. I think he's developing a nervous tick at this point.

6:39 - Here's the truly amazing thing about L.A. Traffic, there's a 24-hour, dedicated carpool lane PLUS six regular lanes and the 405 is STILL jammed on a SUN nite? There's a reason you pull up a Goggle Map for directions and while it says the distance is 20 miles, the time, in traffic, is over an hour to get there. W. T. F.

7:07 - When people said that Animal had no decor, they weren't kidding. No color, nothing to speak of on the walls, there's not even signage! Oh, and the Men's Room was positively scary. Seriously, the crapper at your local AM/PM was in better shape than theirs o_O. Layoutwise, it reminds me of SPQR and Commis: A long, narrow space, crammed with tables and a tiny bar with no place to wait for your table (barely a host stand, for that matter). But, it's Animal. You're not here for the amazing view, the decadent marble tiled loo or white truffles shaved tableside by Garcon. You're here for Pig Tails "Buffalo Style" & Pig Ear with Chili, Lime & topped w/a Fried Egg. Personally, I went for the Poutine with Oxtail Gravy & thought it was the best dish of the night. Long story short, Poutine is (more or less) a Canadian version of Chili Cheese Fires with Gravy instead of Chili. Not upscale by any means, but Animal elevated it to ZOMGBBQ status. The "gravy" wasn't gravy so much as oxtail braised to fall-apart-to-the-touch status (think braised short ribs) in a thick, rich sauce. There was definitely more meat than gravy in this "gravy", but one should expect no less from Animal. I also got to check another dish off my Best Thing I Ever Ate List (The Bacon Chocolate Crunch Bar), but it wasn't. It's good, but you're talking to a guy that has at least a couple of Vosges Bacon/Chocolate bars on hand @ any given time, so the 'WOW' factor of the Bacon/Chocolate/Salt combo is long since gone for me. Tasty, yes. Best. Thing. Ever? Hardly.

8:37 - On my way back from the Scariest. Loo. Ever. I see not one but TWO flashes as people take pics of their food. Okay people, I know it's a Foodie destination and J-Gold called Animal the most influential restaurant in L.A.,"...the one where visiting chefs go when they have time for only one dinner in town" but, seriously kids, KNOCK IT OFF WITH THE EFFING FLASH! You want a pic, fine? I take pics too. But I don't need to be blinded in the process.

8:52 - We arrive at our most disappointing stop of the trip, The Tar Pit, for some drinks, but the surprisingly smallish bar is packed and what looks like open lounge seating is oddly unavailable. No matter, The Hottie doesn't really care that some self-important douche is trying to "save" 3 seats for his buddies and squeezes into the bar. The drinks are good enough, but the Pickled Deviled Eggs pale next to the Wayfare Tavern version we had last month and, frankly, the live music is meh & too loud for such a small space. Also, the band clearly invited all their friends (and co-workers & neighbors & twitter followers & that guy the on the corner they talked to once before...) to see them play, so all the overly-loud, fake enthusiasm is annoying. We bug out quickly as everybody looks at us like we're crazy. Sorry people, we came to the bar to drink (novel concept, I know) & I don't really care about your friend/co-worker/dude you talked to once.

Read more...

Live Blog: Happy B-Day Meat Guy (DAY1)

This weekend, The Foodie is using The Meat Guy's B-Day as an excuse to head to SoCal and check off some more squares on the Culinary Bingo Card. Target #1 is Animal which, for some bizarre reason, THE MEAT GUY has never gone to. Let me repeat that...somebody that happily wears the moniker of THE MEAT GUY hasn't gone to Animal, easily the single most carnivore-tastic, meat-centric restaurant in L.A. if not the entire West Coast. I suppose it's because he's a social retard but, come on, he's been to Simon L.A. on his own and that place is waaaaaay more trendy/douchebag than Animal. I have no words.

Also on the Hit List: The Tar Pit, Culina, Wurstkuche, Villains Tavern and, since it's IS L.A., as many Food Trucks as we can track down (I'm talking to YOU Ludo Truck, Nom Nom & Lardon! Grill Em All can Die in a Fire for all I care...).

NOTE: If you want to check out The Hit List (or just stalk us this weekend) here's a Google Map for the trip:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104410773067872259158.000494444fef7f11b1fab&ll=34.000304,-118.296318&spn=0.241078,0.467262&z=12)

11.06.10 (SAT)

9:31 AM - Normally weekenders, by their very nature, run FRI-SUN, however by flying SAT-MON we gain a few more hours (and, thus, another meal) in L.A. and saved a huge chunk of $$$ on airfare (and, thus, $$$ for another meal). Also, Cal is playing Washington State today, which means we're not missing much on the College Football Front. As trips go, I have surprisingly few OT reservations although that has more to do with our destinations being Bars and Food Trucks. That and, for some bizarre reason, L.A. has a freakish amount of bars & restaurants that are closed on SUN & MON. Seriously: The Edison, Tiki-Ti, Villains Tavern, Cana Rum Bar and a lot of the Food Trucks are ALL closed SUN & MON? WTF L.A.?!? MON I can kinda get...but SUN??? Yeah...nobody wants to drink on the weekend. This just means that The Meat Guy & The Lush -err- The Hottie will end up getting smashed today as they cram all their bar hopping into 6 hours and then spend the rest of the trip recovering.

Anyways, I'm quickly having to change my gameplan as the Food Trucks are bailing on me! Seriously, Ludo Truck has a private event & Nom Nom has nothing listed for today, so it looks like they're taking the day off >_< We CAN get to a Kogi Truck but, well, there are FIVE of them these days so that's not a shocker and the Grilled Cheese Truck is supposed to be parked by the 69 Adult Toys Shop on Ventura. Yes, there's a Food Truck that sells nothing but Grilled Cheese. Yes, it's parked outside a Porn Shop. No, I couldn't make this sh|t up if I tried. Dogtown seems M.I.A. & the Venice Beach Mr. Beef is temporarily closed, but at least we've got a hook-up for Lardon tomorrow, so I'm not worried about them ATM.

9:44 - Note to Southwest: Don't call people to start lining up and then disappear for ten minutes. If we're boarding, we're boarding...otherwise let us sit with our wireless devices that we won't be able to use for the next hour and a half.

Also, somebody is bringing a crapton of Sourdough to La-La-Land cause I can easily smell the loaves even though I can't see them.

11:58 - First stop in L.A. is the aforementioned Grilled Cheese Truck and the line is GINORMOUS! We drop The Hottie off in the mass of humanity as we try to shark a parking spot.

12:14 - Not only is the line long, but this line is S.L.O.W. SLOW! Seriously, 15 minutes in line and we've moved 10 feet as most. It's not just us noticing either, pretty much everybody else in line is wondering what's up.

12:43 - STILL in the line to nowhere, so The Hottie heads across the street to Walgreens to get some Zeroes...not like there's anything else to do, amirite?

1:11 - I just spent $26.50 on 3 Grilled Cheese Sandos after waiting over an hour in line. Mind you, we don't HAVE them yet - that'll prolly be another 15-20 mins - we just have the order in. At this point Thomas Keller could be crafting the sandwiches with cheese made from Christina Hendricks breast milk and using the searing hotness of Angelina Jolie to melt the damn things and it STILL wouldn't be worth it.

1:29 - 90+ minutes since we arrived, we've got our Sandwiches & Tater Tots. My Cheesy Mac Sandwich is a nice blend of Mac & Cheese and, well, Cheese Cheese. It's gooey but not too messy and it has a really nice crust. The Hottie got the Special of the Day (Turkey, Cheddar & Apples on Walnut Bread) and thinks her sandwich is better than mine. She's wrong...but it's still tasty. Worth 90 minutes? No...but still yummy. The Meat Guy, naturally, opted for the Fully Loaded which was my sandwich with the addition of BBQ Pork & Carmelized Onions. He doesn't like it and claims he can't really taste the pork and didn't see that it had Mac & Cheese on it. IDK on either count. It's plenty porky and we TALKED about how his sandwich was mine with pork and onions while standing in the Line From Hell. I didn't get it simply because it seemed like overkill, and it was. The flavors got too muddled with THAT much stuff crammed between 2 pieces of "sourdough". Sounds good on paper but, in the end, it doesn't deliver. Oh and the Tater Tots were soggy and yucky. We had two orders and left about an order and a half in the garbage...and the Meat Guy loves Tater Tots! Bottom Line: For a Food Truck it's got some tasty product, but it's simply not worth the wait. Honestly, I can't think of much that's worth an hour and a half in line...

2:24 - We're @ the Tory Burch Outlet Store in Camarillo. Why? Well, it's the only one on the West Coast and The Hottie has thousands of dollars of Tory Burch Product. Then again, we're talking shoes, tunics, purses & dresses in the $200-$500/range, so thousands of $$$ isn't that hard to reach. Let's put it this way, The Hottie is WEARING her new Neiman Marcus Exclusive Tory Burch Camo Jacket (because military it totally showing this season...no, I'm not making that up) as we walk INTO the store. Let the shopping begin.

5:01 - Two Tanks, One Polo, One Tee, One Ring, One Necklace, One Kimono Dress, One Bracelet, One Purse, One Set of Cufflinks & One Pair of Flip Flops later we're finally done at what The Meat Guy called 'A Mall Amusuement Park'. It is a massive, impressive, sprawling center to be sure. Even The Meat Guy bought stuff and dude RARELY buys new clothes. Sadly, 1.5 hours @ Grilled Cheese + 2.5 hours @ the mall have left my feet in serious pain. The hour plus ride back to our hotel sounds pretty good right about now.

5:11 - I'm eating a McRib...deal with it. I was thirsty & the food court @ the outlet shops made The Hottie queasy, so we headed to McD's for a $1 sweet tea (a guilty pleasure of The Foodie) before heading onto the freeway. Anyways, they're plugging the McRib and it's been all over the news and practically viral on the web so I got one for the first time in...well...at least a decade? I'm sure the 'pork' is of dubious quality and the closet it ever got to a BBQ is when the frozen patties were driven past a genuine BBQ joint but it's still messy, tasty & oddly satisfying. Granted, there isn't much there, there but, then again, there isn't much to Megan Fox or Best Thing I Ever Ate and I still like them.

6:40 - In line @ the Kogi Truck in Inglewood and it smells sooooooo good. We found an amazingly close parking spot, which is good cause the area seems to have The Meat Guy a little freaked out: "I really don't trust street parking here." Whatev...at least this line moves.

6:51 - 10 mins later & our order is in. We opt for the Kogi Dog, a BBQ Pork Taco & Chicken Taco for less than ten bucks. Cheap eats, ftw!

7:07 - The Hottie is really digging the Kim Chi Slaw on the Kogi Dog and barely lets me get a bite of it before it's gone. POOF! It's tasty, but I prefer the sweet/savory combo of the BBQ Pork taco. I've had it once before, but this time it wasn't the end of service, so the meat's a little fresher and they were far more generous with the slaw. The chicken taco was a chicken taco /shrug. Not bad, but it didn't really have the Korean/Mexican fusion aspect of the dog and the pork.

7:28 - We got the Short Bus Room. No really, it's the handicap accessible room which means it's actually a little bigger than a normal room, so not a bad thing at all. It's kind of like a mini-suite & much nicer than our disappointing Four Points room last trip.

9:44 - I learn what a Ghetto Bird is (apparently it's a Police Helicopter). Even in the 510 we don't see Helis flying overhead with spotlights shining down on the streets like you see in the movies but, in The City of Angels, it's so common they've got a nickname for them. Who knew?

10:06 - After trying to shark a spot for over 10 minutes The Foodie makes the executive decision to bail on Wurstkuche in favor of Villains Tavern. There's simply no parking in a 4-5 block radius and it's not like we're the only people looking for parking either. Wurstkuche is open on SUN, so we could always try them manana.

10:10 - Villain's Tavern is very loud (live music you can hear a block away) and very kewl. A new kid on the block, VT went for a vintage, Steampunk vibe and managed to pull it off without coming across too Goth or cheesy. Their "thing" is Shots & Beer (about a dozen of each, so TONS of combinations) in 3 different sizes and served in mason jars along with handcrafted cocktails with obscure ingredients & villainous names like Cerberus, Poison Apple & Belladonna.

10:49 - Although the outside of Villain's Tavern can hold about five times the amount that the inside can, seating in both places is virtually non-existent and highly sought after. Somehow we managed to snag an inside table though our luck ran out there as they were out of two different beers we wanted as well as the Bourbon Bacon Caramel Corn. Instead we got the Wicked Fries with Parm & Parsley which were okay, but lacked any real flair. The deep-fried Chickpeas with Chili-Lemon Sea Salt were a much better choice.

11:26 - JACKPOT! We left VT in hopes that we could find a spot near Wurstkuche & we did. It may not matter to The Hottie though as the overproof whiskey shots & beer have clearly taken their toll.

11:58 - The theme of the day continues we we stand in a long @$$ line...again! I opt for the duck & bacon sausage that tastes like neither duck nor bacon but is tasty nonetheless. The fries aren't what I expected (skin on and not uniformly cut) but are seriously good frites! The walnut/blue cheese dipping sauce is equally good but I'm not feeling The Meat Guy's selection of Curry Ketchup. As for The Hottie, she's passed out on the bench complaining about the cucumber infused H20 they serve. Lesson learned, next time Food THEN Shots. Vice versa doesn't work nearly as well...

Read more...

Feel Free To Call Me A Genius

Savant. Soothsayer. Prognosticator. Oracle. They all fit ^_^ Around this time last year, The Foodie was quite excited about Luce getting a Michelin Star. Not JUST because he felt they deserved it but, also, because he predicted it. See, it doesn't take a genius to know that a Thomas Keller restaurant will get favorable reviews or that Mary's Pizza Shack won't make the Michelin Guide. Those are a given. But knowing what places deserve a star -rather than merely a mention- is a far more subtle thing. Last year, I argued that Chef Crenns cuisine was as creative as any in the city and she deserved a star, which she got. This year, I wrote the following about the Michelin-Starred Range:

"Range left The Foodie a bit confused. More often than not, when you're dining at a place with a Michelin Star, you KNOW it. From the moment you walk into a place like Quince, Madrona Manor, Michael Mina or Ritz-Carlton you KNOW you're about to have a high-end dining experience. To a lesser extent this is true at slightly more casual/business friendly places like Boulevard, Commis, Luce, One Market, Redd & The Village Pub. Range seemed MUCH more like a "mention" than a true Star. Now, don't get me wrong, the food we had was good BUT nothing about Range (the space, the service, the creativity/technique of the food - the 'stuff' Michelin normally loves) screamed Michelin Star. The overall experience was no more Wow-worthy than recent trips to Chez Papa Resto & Thermidor and, honestly, if I'm going to go out of my way to dine in SF I'd much rather go to mere Michelin Mentioned spots like SPQR or Baker & Banker (which, yes, isn't technically rated yet but will be). And, yes, The Foodie realizes he didn't mention ANYTHING about the actual food. He's okay with that."

Fast-forward to today when the 2011 guide hit the shelves and, predictably, Range lost their star and was relegated to a mere mentioned status. So HOW did I know? I can't really point to any one thing and it might simply be a function of going to so many Starred places that I have a pretty good feel for what they look for. It's not like Range had telltale signs like chef drama (e.g. Aqua & Fifth Floor) or moving locations (e.g. Michael Mina & Quince) that caused their stock to drop, they just didn't have "IT". When discussing it with The Hottie, I compared it to the NCAA Tourney and said that Range MUST have been the last team in. In other words, they were the lowest rated place to still merit a Michelin Star and, clearly, they were.

And while I'm busy basking in my teeny-tiny sliver of glory don't give me "Well, why didn't you predict that Meadowood would get a 3rd star?!?" or "You didn't say Chez Panisse would lose THEIR star too!!!" as I haven't been to either. Simply check the list on the right. The Foodie has been a busy boy this year but even HE can't go to EVERY Michelin-Starred place in a year...or CAN he??? /queue foreboding music.

Read more...

Tasting Notes - SEP 2010

09.06 - Since The Meat Guy still has dreams about the Buffalo he had a couple of years ago @ miX, I knew we'd have to return once I saw that it was now a regular menu item. Would it be as good as he remembered? Of course not. Once you elevate something to Best Thing I EVER Ate status, you've doomed it. It will most likely be very good, maybe even awesome, but the surprise and 'WOW!' factor are gone - you now know what to expect.
Best part of the meal? The service. We got the SAME server from our JUL trip (who had remembered us from a previous trip), so we once again got the V.I.P. service & bonus courses (Rock Shrimp & Dayboat Scallop Ceviche + the Warm Coconut Foam/Mango Puree pallette cleansing concoction). Also, our table wasn't quite ready upon arrival, so we waited in the lounge which, oddly, The Foodie had never done before, but now highly recommends. The views in the bar area (of both the landscape and the ridiculously hot servers) are awesome and while Bauer The Cheapskate might whine about the cocktail prices, we happened to be there during Happy Hour (which, in Vegas, is, like, 8-10...Prime-time everywhere else), so we got a deal on the drinks too. miX remains The Foodies Go-To Vegas Restaurant.

09.07 - After MANY failed attempts, The Foodie FINALLY got his Best. Eggs. EVER. again. I sadly found out that the Oeuf Au Gratin are too labor intensive to serve on weekends (which is the majority of our Vegas excursions) & the last time we showed up on a weekday we missed b-fast by fifteen minutes & ended up eating a box lunch by the Venetian Pool -_-

Much like The Meat Guy's miX Buffalo, I KNEW it wouldn't be AS good as the first time (and it wasn't) but it didn't matter, the eggs were still spectacularly creamy and worth getting up @ 8:00 AM for (yes, they're THAT good). The Hottie had the Bouchon French Toast which, of course, was nothing like French Toast as you or I know it. In The Kellerverse, "French Toast" is about 3 or 4 rounds of custard soaked brioche with layers of baked, caramelized apples in-between each layer sitting in a pool of warm maple syrup. Each bite prolly had about a thousand calories and it's even better than it sounds. It's "Breakfast" only in the technical sense, kind of like the classic Bill Cosby Chocolate-Cake-For-Breakfast Routine.

Read more...

Food Porn: 4505 Meats Fritolicious Dog

As many of you know, The Foodie has a tendency to go to the Ferry Building on THU's & spend way to much coin in a very short amount of time. One of the main culprits is Ryan Farr's 4505 Meats & his ridiculously good Chicharrones. ANY time I hit his stand I need at least a bag for me & a bag for The Hottie (maybe 2) plus whatever wonderful concoction he's dreamed up for that given THU. On this THU, it happened to be the Fritolicious Dog: A SF Golden Dog topped with Beef Brisket AND housemade corn chips DUSTED in Chicharrones Powder!!! He had tweeted earlier in the week that he was working on the Chicharrones Fritos earlier in the week and I knew THEN what I'd be doing on THU afternoon ^_^

Read more...

Tasting Notes - AUG 2010

AUG left The Foodie wondering how Range haz a Michelin Star, exactly how much StarCraft one has to play to disable ones hand & if Marlowe will ever get sick of slinging burgers.

08.06 - Range left The Foodie a bit confused. More often than not, when you're dining at a place with a Michelin Star, you KNOW it. From the moment you walk into a place like Quince, Madrona Manor, Michael Mina or Ritz-Carlton you KNOW you're about to have a high-end dining experience. To a lesser extent this is true at slightly more casual/business friendly places like Boulevard, Commis, Luce, One Market, Redd & The Village Pub. Range seemed MUCH more like a "mention" than a true Star. Now, don't get me wrong, the food we had was good BUT nothing about Range (the space, the service, the creativity/technique of the food - the 'stuff' Michelin normally loves) screamed Michelin Star. The overall experience was no more Wow-worthy than recent trips to Chez Papa Resto & Thermidor and, honestly, if I'm going to go out of my way to dine in SF I'd much rather go to mere Michelin Mentioned spots like SPQR or Baker & Banker (which, yes, isn't technically rated yet but will be). And, yes, The Foodie realizes he didn't mention ANYTHING about the actual food. He's okay with that.

08.08 - Since Range left The Foodie feeling gypped this weekend, so a trip to Ad Hoc for brunch was in order. For the first time in...well...forever nether Katie NOR Trevor was our server and, ironically, as we were telling our waiter this, Katie swung by with two House Special Sangrias to welcome us back. Trevor (sporting an arm brace from playing too much StarCraft - no, I'm not making that up) also popped over to say hi and explain his injury.
Foodwise, the menu was extraordinary. We started with the Ad Hoc version of a Breakfast Pizza which was much like the vaunted version down the street @Redd, just minus the scrambled eggs. Redd's might be better, but nobody's going to kick the Ad Hoc version out of bed, especially with the deft addition of Chili Oil that added just a t-o-u-c-h of heat. We then moved on to Housemade Waygu Corned Beef that was brined for 7 days and THEN sous vide for over a day!!! That means that, over a week ago, the back of the house had to start making food they were going to serve in, like, ten days o_O Served with fluffy, velvety eggs and crispy potatoes roasted in duck fat it might well be the best meal I've EVER had at Ad Hoc.

08.10 - SF Chefs Week ran a promo where participating restaurants offered special deals (think Dine About Town) featuring pork & thus The Foodie found himself tucked into one of those novelty-sized white booths @ XYZ. The Fig & Pig Salad with crispy pig parts was well balanced as a starter, but The Hottie's Pork Tenderloin was a bit overcooked for the main (for the record, mine wasn't nearly as dry, thought it was still on the well-done side of the meter). But the star of the nite (aside from the remarkably stellar service for a "hotel restaurant") was the Warm Nectarine Tart with Corn Ice Cream & Candied Bacon. They had me at the mere mention of Corn Ice Cream but the surprisingly complexity of what was essentially jumbo bacon bits dipped in simple syrup added a contrast of textures and flavors with it's salty/smokiness w/o overpowering the dessert. Just a very well though out dessert that XYZ should consider putting on their regular offerings.

08.19 - First off the Burger @ Marlowe might well be worth all the hype if you're looking for a hi-end restaurant burger. It's certainly better than the more hyped (and more expensive) burger @ Father's Office which many consider to be the best patty in La-La-Land. And they are BEYOND popular to boot. I didn't see a single table that didn't order at least one and, in some cases, the entire table got burgers. The Foodie actually felt a bit guilty ordering the burger but since that's what they're known for, why fight it? I promised our server I'd order something different next time. FYI, the Brussels Sprout Chips (if available) are not to be missed. The Hottie, who hasn't voluntarily eaten a brussels sprout in the last 20 years, was stuffing her face with them as she tried to explain how there was something not quite right with them. MUNCH*MUNCH*MUNCH* The Foodie is not big fan of said Sprout either, but they were terribly addictive & creative although I sincerely feel for the poor cook that has to take apart each sprout leaf by tiny leaf...

Read more...

Tasting Notes - JUL 2010

Any month that starts with SPQR and ends with Commis is going to be a good month :D Throw in a Vegas Road Trip, TWO visits to newly opened joints and a "themed" dinner @ Orson and you're pretty much guar-damn-teed an awesome month! Did I mention we saved about $75 using Blackboard Eats to boot?

07.01 - Finally tried SPQR sans Appleman and was happy with virtually everything about the place (except maybe the uber-cramped seating - but it is what it is). The prices were EXCEEDINGLY reasonable which was good because The Foodie couldn't decide which pasta he wanted so, predictably, he got both: Tagliatelle with Sea Urchin & Spicy Tomato Sauce AND Pappardelle with Lamb's Quarter & Summer Truffle. Of the two, the Pappardelle with the better choice (the spiciness of the sauce NUKED the Urchin into submission and was barely noticeable) but both paled compared to The Hottie's choice, Beef Cheek Pyramids which was the daily special. Just imagine tender, falling apart short ribs tucked inside pyramids of lightly sauteed pasta in a browned butter sauce. If you're lucky enough to see it as a special, get it! Ditto on the fried-to-order Cherry Pie Thingies...they were awesome. Also worth noting, this was the first SF location to be on Blackboard Eats and it's v-e-r-y simple to use (no "embarrassing" coupons to hand over) and saved us well over $30 on the meal.

07.08 - The Foodie broke the Unwritten Rule about not going to new restaurants until they've had a chance to iron out the kinks and had lunch at brand spankin' new Thermidor @ Mint Plaza. As it was lunch, there was no Lobster Thermidor to be had BUT The Foodie still got his lobster fix in the form of a very tasty Mini Lobster Roll. Better still, it came with airy Pommes Dauphine & Lobster Butter which meant I didn't have to order them as my app. Instead I got the Goat Cheese Fritters with Summer Peaches which was an interesting, well balanced dish. The sweet/savory hot/cold & crunchy/creamy contrasts all left me wanting more. Cocktails are a big part of Thermidor and The Hottie LOVED her 1865 Cup (Pimms, Gin, Blackberry Syrup, Lemon, Soda & Cucumber...I told you they were serious about their cocktails) which sounds weird but tastes...well...delightful and refreshing. Also, don't miss their signature dessert: Coffee, Cigarettes & Doughnuts - Coming Soon to a Food Pron post near you!

07.11 - The Foodie got to check off another box on his To-Do List by visiting Baker & Banker. The old-school space (formerly occupied by Quince) is very nice, if a bit small, and filled up quickly even on a SUN nite. The namesake Baker (the pastry chef...no joke) was running the front of the house and while The Foodie HAD planned on doing the tasting menu, there were simply too many good items to try on the regular menu. The Duck Liver Pate w/Roasted Fig Jam was our fave starter and both mains were worth getting again: Black Cod with Foie/Shitake Sticky Rice and Sausage Stuffed Quail served atop a Wild Rice Pankcake that the Hottie absolutely loved. Worth noting that I got bonus Bok Choy as the chef wasn't happy with what got sent out but didn't want our meal to be delayed, so a few mins after our food arrived I got a plate of beautiful, freshly prepped Bok Choy that, I must admit, really made the o/g look kind of sad. Finally, Baker knows her s#|t! The PB&J (Strawberry Filled Doughnuts with a Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce) and Giant Creme Brulee Cupcake were both awesome! Even though we were both stuffed by the end of the meal, we MADE room for dessert (and it was worth it).

07.16 - When the new Mandarin Hotel in Vegas announced that Pierre Gagnaire (pronounced gon-YAIR - you may now duly impress all the Food Geeks you know) would open a restaurant for them all the North American Foodies collectively drooled on their keyboards. Not only does his namesake restaurant have 3 stars, but Pellegrino ranked it #13 in the entire WORLD ahead of other 3 star places like Le Bernadin, L'Astrance, St. John and French Laundry. The food @ Twist is both extraordinary AND overwhelming. When you first sit down you're not presented with an amuse bouche so much as a TASTING of amuse bouches (Five to be precise) and that, in a nutshell, was The Foodie's evening: Lobster Five Ways followed by Foie Gras Four Ways followed by a Food Coma so intense that it kept The Foodie from both the Cheese AND Dessert courses. Sadly, the richness of THAT much Lobster and THAT much Foie was simply too much to take. I actually couldn't finish my foie gras and, seriously, that's something that has NEVER happened before. The Foodie blames the Lobster-Kobe-Bacon-Avocado Burger (@ Burger Bar) from lunch :*(

07.17 - The Vegas Trip continued with a visit to one of The Foodie's fave places, miX. I noticed the new menu and, upon mentioning it to our server, got tabbed as a "regular". Turned out he spent some time in The Bay which led to talk of the local food scene which led to extra mystery courses (a re-imagined Pina Coloda with Mango Puree and warm Coconut Foam) and wine pairings to go with dessert (their signature miX Candy Bar). See, sometimes it's good to be a Foodie! While the new menu no longer had the insanely good re-imagined southern style BBQ (Pork Three Ways) it did have half portions of some appetizers which we both took advantage of in the form of Bigeye Tune Tartare w/Taro Chips (had before on the Tasting Menu - very tasty) and a Charcuterie Sampler (New to the menu and well worth getting for the Duck Prosciutto alone - just awesome). Also, the Bison Tenderloin that The Meat Guy had many moons ago as a special is now on the regular menu as well. To this day he still salivates in a very Pavlovian manner upon merely mentioning that dish. It's amusing.

07.21 - Beast, Booze & Backs was FAR more crowded than last month's Pig + Booze @ Orson. The concept is the same - 4 courses of meat paired with booze - just not purely pork AND the addition of backs (the trendy drink that you have with your drink 'cause Xhibit heard you like drinkin'). For example, "Road Kill & Cavatelli" (a.k.a. Rabbit Sugo w/Pasta & Leek Ash) was paired with Bacon Infused Bourbon which was paired with a Pickle Back (a.k.a. sweet watered down pickle juice). It may sound out there but, then again, Out There -wherever that is- is where Susan Falkner has a Summer Home, so it fits. The aforementioned pasta and Black Sugar-Glazed Eeel w/Watermelon and Sake Rice Cream (paired with Citrus Vodka & a Kombucha Back) were the clear winners tonight. Sadly, the "Cookie Monster" failed to live up to the name: 2 cookies randomly iced together with a tulle top was disappointing given that Orson rarely fails to impress in the Dessert Department (where Falkner has a Beach House).

07.24 - Broke the Unwritten Rule by going to yet ANOTHER brand spankin' new place - the much hyped Prospect. In general we liked the apps more than the mains (the best thing about my Chicken dish was, sadly, not the protein, but the Cheddar Broccoli & Grits). The Hottie's Green Goddess Salad (which TOTALLY sounds like it should be on Thermidor's menu...make it happen Mr. Binn) was very well done and re-imagined while my Heirloom Beets w/Manchego & Spiced Walnut Brittle was the best thing I ate that night. The Hottie also loved the Petit S'mores so much that she felt complelled to tweet about them. In the end, while I liked Prospect well enough, there are simply too many other places in the same general area (One Market, RN74, Boulevard, Town Hall) that I'd go to before heading back. Sorry.

Read more...

Chicago Gets a Michelin Star (or Two or Three)

It's all over the Foodie Blogosphere, but Chi-Town will be getting their own Michelin Guide later this year. Can't say I'm surprised as I always thought Chicago was more of a Food Town than L.A. (which got and then immediately lost it's guide after only one year). Sadly, Vegas will remain without a guide for at least another year /cry.

Read more...

The Twenty Ten Halftime Report

JUL 1 marks the halfway point of Twenty-Ten and, thus far, even without the impetus of an A to Z type challenge, The Foodie has had a rather epic six months. Looking at the tally on the right hand side, even I was amazed at how many times I'd gone out to “Noteworthy” places 49 times in 6 months?!? That's an average of 8+ places a month or a little more than twice a week - that's just not right. Somebody OBVIOUSLY has a problem, if you know what I mean. Plus, the train aint slowing down: #50 happens tonight when I head into The City to try SPQR for the first time.

Speaking of which, The Foodie has been particularly good about trying new places this year. Both in terms of existing places I simply hadn't gotten to yet (Absinthe, Commis, Fifth Floor, Cheese Board Collective, The Artist Formerly Known As Taylor's Automatic Refresher, etc.) and brand spanking new places that don't even rate ratings yet (American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Baume, Smuggler's Cover, Humphry Slocombe, etc.). Not only does that trend continue tonight with SPQR, but The Foodie would be shocked if Thermidore, Baker & Banker, Marlowe and Boot & Shoe Service weren't knocked out this Summer (if not this month).

But Foodie? How does one find places that are so new that they aren't in the guides when your blog is named after said guides? Good question! The answer: The Blogosphere! And I aint talkin' about Yelp. In my humble but deadly accurate opinion, Yelp is a poorly constructed weapon of last resort leaking waste all over the interwebs. The resources I use -and have the shiny icons right on my Chrome toolbar to prove it- are Eater SF (which isn't quite as good as it used to be), Inside Scoop (which is basically run by the guy who USED to run Eater SF...which explains why it isn't quite as good as it used to be) and, to a lesser extent, OpenTable and the brand spanking new BlackBoard Eats. I would have included Michael Bauer's Top 100 List too, but since he's part of Inside Scoop it's a bit redundant. If you're a serious foodie, I'm aware you already know about these sites. Nothing to see here...move along to the next Blog Entry. But if you don't scour the Information Super-Highway on a daily basis for restaurant dirt, 411 and deals then they can definitely point you in the right direction, because when places like American Grilled Cheese Kitchen or Plum (The Coi Guy + The Ubuntu Guy) even think about starting up, Eater SF & Inside Scoop will be all over it like an Avatard on a limited edition replica chunk of Unobtanium signed by J-Cam.

The Foodie's Twenty Ten Halftime report has been brought to you by: Duck Fat, Popcorn Ice Cream and The Vuvuzela of Knowledge.

Read more...

Tasting Notes - JUN 2010

06.01 - Started off Dine About Town 2.0 with lunch @ Luce and had the typical Luce-ian experience: Beautiful plates of fresh food served by Remind-Me-Again-How-These-People-Are-Servers-At-A-Michelin-Starred-Place help. They were bad today. Really, really, XXL Bad. Like, server apologized twice, the maitre d' once and then took the Wine and Pellegrino off the bill bad. At least they realized their own mistakes and took measures to rectify it. We didn't gripe or ask for anything comped - they did that on their own. Regardless, the food was photo-worthy (and, no, I took no photos for Food Pr0n). The Hottie had Sardines with Potato Confit as her app and followed with Artic Char, Figs and White Asparagus in spite of her disdain of asparagus (she REALLY likes Artic Char). My "Garden Soup" did, in fact, taste like Chef Crenn had raided a faeries garden and pureed it into a bright green liquid. As old-school, o/g (i.e. Japanese Fuji TV) Iron Chefian as it sounds, it truly did Speak of Spring. It's prolly the healthiest TASTING thing I've ever consumed.

06.04 - Dine About Town continued with a FRI trip to One Market which means we had THREE special menus to choose from: The standard DAT, their Deluxe DAT menu ($10 more for more choices of higher end dishes) AND their FRI/SAT regular special $50/5-course Weekly Beast that, this week, featured lamb. The Hottie went for the Deluxe mostly on the basis of the main, a Smoked Black Cod dish with Pork Jowel, Pea Puree and Crispy Pork Skin. Both The Foodie & The Meat Guy unsurprisingly went for 5-courses of meat with the earlier courses (Lamb Tongue & Cheek Salad and Lamb Neck Cannelloni) outshining the later "main" courses (Lamb Loin with Mint Couscous and Morroccan-Spiced Spit-Roasted Leg of Lamb). The "Deluxe" DAT may not be as big a bargain as other menus (basically five bucks off the manufacturer suggested retail price), but The Weekly Beast remains the best bargain in The City at a Michelin Starred place.

06.08 - So The Foodie finally made the trek out to Berkeley to try out the supposedly awesome pies @ Cheese Board Collective. As you may know, they make only 1 type of pizza per day. Period. If it's Summer Squash, Onions w/Basil Pesto day and you don't like Summer Squash, Onions OR Pesto, well, you're S.O.L. The interwebs claimed that parking and lines were terribad, so we took BART, which turned out to be unnecessary - lots of parking available (at least this time of year). Line was non-existent when we arrived (though out-the-door-and-down-the-street when we left) but tables were packed. Spotted one, lone table right away and had The Meat Guy lay claim to it while I ordered. Now, I never-EVER would have ordered a Corn, Onion, Pasilla Chiie and Feta Pizza given a choice BUT, that being said, it was a r-e-a-l-l-y good pizza. The corn was fresh and you could really taste it. The Meat Guy complained about not tasting the pasilla, but he's a bit of a spice/heat junkie and if his lips aren't tingly he aint happy, so feel free to discount his opinion. It was good pizza and, at $2.50/slice, a good bargain to boot.

06.10 - Went to The MUCH hyped American Grilled Cheese Kitchen with The Meat Guy and, well, it's still very hyped. We got their 5 mins after opening and, by the time we ordered, there was a line out the door. By the time we left, there was a line out the door, onto the street & down to the end of the block - maybe 50-60 people. And all this for a place that serves NOTHING but grilled cheese sandwiches. Either way, the grilled cheese is prolly the best I've had (not that I really order a lot of grilled cheese when I'm out, but still). I had the Red, White & Blue Plate Special with the Piglet (Tilamook Sharp, Artisinal Ham, Apple Mustard and Rosemary Butter). It was SUPPOSED to be a half sammy to go with my tomato soup, but I got a whole sandwich. This annoyed The Meat Guy who got the Mousetrap (Tillamook Sharp, Havarti & Jack) w/Bacon and paid the same price as me, but got no soup. As for the meal, the butter laden toasted bread left my fingers shiny and my tummy happy, plus you could REALLY taste the rosemary in the butter. It's not hard to see why their Commander-In-Cheese (their title, not mine) is a big deal on the Competitive Grilled Cheese Circuit.

06.16 - Had a rather eventful Pig+Booze Dinner @ Orson that saw The Hottie get hammered and Chef Elizabeth Falkner spend about 10 mins at our table talking about celeb chefs, reality TV and what makes people do things like take a completed Monte Cristo Sandwich, batter it, deep fry it and blanket it in powdered sugar. That, btw, was our dessert. Made with house cured Canadian Bacon and served w/Smoked Almond Ice Cream (think Blue Diamond in a creamy, frozen form)...it was even more awesome than it sounded. That and the misleading labeled "Amuse" - a Mini Pork Tounge Bahn Mi - were the stars of the night. MUCH bigger than an amuse, it was pretty much a Spicy Bahn Mi Slider...and should be on the regular menu along with the Monte Cristo! Also of note, when the waiters @ Orson offer to pour you a little more Riesling while you wait for your next course...they mean another full glass. Which is always a good idea when each of the 4 courses comes paired with booze (even the "amuse") AND you've had 2 Happy Hour cocktails (+Duck Fat Fries, of course) @ the bar while waiting for your table.

Read more...

Food Porn: Father's Office Fries

Okay, so their vaunted burger may not have won The Foodie over, but the fries (both shoestring potato and sweet potato) at Father's Office are something special. First off, the baskets they come in are straight up cool. I mean, look at them! They're friggin miniature fry baskets. As soon as The Foodie finds out where to purchase them *BAM* done deal. The second thing (which isn't very noticable in the extreme close up) it that they really ARE shoestring fries. Not McD's "shoestring" fries that most people think of, but truly, teeny, tiny, thin-thin-thin fries that they manage to fry up perfectly WITHOUT being overly crispy. So try the famed F.O. Burger if you want, but DO NOT skip the fries.

EDIT: *BAM* Done deal. Found the Mini Fry Baskets on eBay less than 10 mins after posting this. Gawd, I love eBay!

Read more...

Tasting Notes: MAY 2010

05.01 - Went to the closest thing The Bay has to Alinea tonight and, not surprisingly, had a mixed bag @ Baume. First off, the concept is just, plain kewl: 5, 10 or 15-course menu...but you don't know what you're having - just a listing of possible ingredients. For example, early in the menu you have a savory, bite-size scallop dish served in a spoon and then, a few courses later, you have a sweet lychee dish that looks IDENTICAL. The main component, condiments and plating are manipulated to look EXACTLY the same, but the flavor profile is completely different. We also had a frozen licorice cloud that tasted like nothing until AFTER it was gone and an amazing pinapple/foie gras dish that they paired with pineapple wine. With ten, small "experimental" courses - a couple of our dishes had debuted JUST that weekend - you're bound to miss occasionally (yes, I'm talking about YOU, bizarre Thai influenced "salad" with coconut water and an offputting granola texture that looked just plain unappetizing when mixed together), but at least there are plenty of opportunities to make up for it later...

05.14 - Landed in L.A. and bolted to Campanile to make our nine-o-clock reservations. It was good, not great and I was expecting a bit more...something, although the "space" is a great place for a restaurant. On FRI they have a Friday Night Flights (3 wines paired with 3 small plates all served at once) for around $30, so we pretty much knew what we were going to get. The Burgers & Beers pairing went much better than the German Wines/Raw Seafood one but the star of the nite was the Sauteed Trenne Pasta which is an app that I wanted to try but our most excellent (if slow) senior server suggested getting a main-sized portion and split it 3 ways. It was the right call as it was easily the best thing we had that nite. Dessert looked uninspired and overpriced, so we headed out the have Pink's for "dessert".

05.14 - [Copy/Pasted from the LA Live Blog]
The Foodie just spent thirty minutes in line for a Hot Dog, so you can prolly guess where he is. Resisted the urge to try the Wendy Williams, Lord of the Rings and Hasselfhoff 'Hoff Dog' and went for the classic 10-inch Chili Dog (along with their battered, off-putting orange-hued fries and a bottled pink drink that claims it's peach...which it isn't...it's just really, really sweet). I must say it IS a really good, snappy dog with a good hot dog chili to boot. Better yet, unlike Taylor's Automatic Refresher where a burger runs you ten+ bucks, the Pink's dogs are all reasonably priced - mine was three bucks and change. Seriously, The Hottie would pay a lot more for the same thing in Downtown Frisco that wouldn't be nearly as good. And, unlike TAR, the wait in line is kinda fun. It's an interesting mix of tourists, locals, hipsters, businessmen, people coming FROM a bar and people headed TO a bar. The Foodie didn't really "get" Taylor's, but he definitely "gets" Pink's.

05.15 - The newer, larger Father's Office is supposed to have the best burger in LA...but I'll keep looking. Known for their beer and burgers, I was expecting a variety to choose from, but there's only one burger available. It's good, moist and flavorful but it just wasn't ALL that. I'll still take a Taylor's (now Gott's) or Nation's Burger thank you very much. Beer however wouldn't disappoint ANYBODY unless they wanted a Corona, Heineken or Bud. If you're looking for an obscure, limited production microbrew on tap, this is the place to go. Seriously, the Beer Loving Meat Guy was in Hoppy-Malty Heaven with the dozen of choices. IMHO, small plates are the way to go here: Fries (both micro-shoestring and sweet potato), Bone Marrow and the Soft-Shell Crab with a spicy asian sauce and corn salad all get thumbs up.

05.15 - I'm very sorry to say the Providence didn't bring their A game tonight. Sat us v-e-r-y late and, even then, we still didn't have a menu (or a visit from anybody save the sommelier - and he met our menu-less status with indifference) for a good 15 minutes. The Hottie finally asked a suit "Could we possibly trouble you for something resembling a menu" and got going...about an hour after we arrived. Fortunately, whatever bad juju the front of the house was having didn't spread to the back. Both my choices (Spot Prawns baked in salt and Foie Gras Raviolis with shaved Black Truffles) were 'WHOA!'-worthy. I had the Steamed Lobster @ RM Seafood (another Seafood 'Place' helmed by a Seafood 'Guy') a few weeks back and this DESTROYED that lobster - Like, LA Lakers vs. LA Clippers level of destruction. Should you ever be fortunate enough to see either of those dishes on the menu, I can't recommend them highly enough :D

05.15 - By blowing off dessert we had j-u-s-t enough time to jet across LA and make it to the Kogi BBQ Truck @ Abbot Kinney before they stopped service. This wasn't THAT big a sacrifice as we'd had the seven-course dessert tasting @ Providence before. Kogi was parked next to the very popular Brig along with the Dogtown truck. There were several other Food Trucks parked on the street (about seven total), so next trip I'll have to make a special visit JUST for the trucks and hit them all up - but I digress. I got the Kogi staple, the Short Rib Taco, and I must say it deserves the hype. It was, however, missing the "Asian Slaw" that people rave about (or, if it was there, it was such a small portion that it was invisible in the poorly lit parking lot), but I have a feeling that service @ noon to businessmen lined down the block is different that service to drunk people in Venice @ midnight, fifteen minutes before they're about to close. Regardless, the Korean-Style Beef, cooked twice and chopped up carnitas style is pure genius when paired with two tiny corn tortillas (even w/o the slaw). I <3 the old-school Taco Trucks in the 510 & I've got nothing bad to say about the Upscale Food Trucks in the 310, there's room for both in my world :D

05.22 - I Haz a New Favorite Restaurant (sorry Luce) and it's name is Commis!!! Been there twice in the last month and both experiences were transcendent (particularly for a tiny restaurant in the shadows of the Kaiser Oakland parking lot). Much like The Fifth Floor, there's too much to write in a short space, so I'll post an OT/Director's Cut Review later with all the juicy details. Mmmmm...Pork Jowl Salad...

Read more...

Live Blog: Weekender in La La Land

Since The Foodie has already lamented the fact that there was no Live Blog for last year's rather eventful trip to SoCal (The Clusterf*ck that was The Bazaar, 3 Michelin-Starred Restaurants in one afternoon (Gordon Ramsay @ The London, Sushi-Zo and Providence), Dodger Dogs @ Chavez Ravine, etc.) and the snazzy new phone has a Blogger app, this mistake shall not be repeated! Note: This is a short trip. As in, The Hottie gets off work and we IMMEDIATELY book it to the airport for a Seven-o-clock flight short. Our total time in SoCal will be less than 48 hours, but we're still going to Campanile on FRI and have rather hard to get SAT reservations @ Providence. Also on the menu, a trip to the LA “institution” Father's Office, an A's/Angels game in Anaheim and Iron Man 2 at one of those swanky, hi-end LA theaters. Plus, Tiki-Ti's, Pink's and some of those LA Food Trucks that are all the craze (I'm talking about YOU, Kogi BBQ!). So sit back and see just how much “stuff” The Foodie can cram into 48-hours in The City of Angels...

05.14.10

3:56 P.M. - Red Bull + Mountain Dew is Made of Win!!! Seriously, it may sound nasty, but it's actually a tasty concoction that's loaded with Vitamin Ca (as in, Caffeine - try and keep up with me here, it's going to be a fast paced trip!) which I'm definitely going to need tonight as we prolly won't be checking into our hotel until Midnight...

5:58 P.M. - Good News: OAK has free Wi-Fi. Bad News: It comes with a constant 100 pixel banner ad that really, REALLY blows when you're on a Netbook with 800x460 rez. Seriously, my browser is, maybe, 300 pixels tall >_< On the upside our flight is on time for the first time in the last six+ months. If only the line @ Gordon Beirsch wasn't so frelling long...

9:12 P.M. - We get a very nice seat @ Campanile and go for the Friday Night Flights which are 3 wines paired with 3 small plates. Except tonight is The Meat Guy's Lucky Night as they have a B&B pairing going on: Burgers and Beer. Long story, short, we split an entree potion of an interesting, sauteed pasta (Trenne w/a Bolognese that was reduced to, basically, a-lump-of-falling-apart-braised-meat) and the boys get the Beer & Sliders (Duck Confit, Beef & Lamb) while The Hottie opts for the German Wine & Seafood pairing - I posted a .PDF of the menu here.

11:29 P.M. - The Foodie just spent thirty minutes in line for a Hot Dog, so you can prolly guess where he is. Resisted the urge to try the Wendy Williams, Lord of the Rings and Hasselfhoff 'Hoff Dog' and went for the classic 10-inch Chili Dog (along with their battered, off-putting orange-hued fries and a bottled pink drink that claims it's peach...which it isn't...it's just really, really sweet). I must say it IS a really good, snappy dog with a good hot dog chili to boot. Better yet, unlike Taylor's Automatic Refresher where a burger runs you ten+ bucks, the Pink's dogs are all reasonably priced - mine was three bucks and change. Seriously, The Hottie would pay a lot more for the same thing in Downtown Frisco that wouldn't be nearly as good. And, unlike TAR, the wait in line is kinda fun. It's an interesting mix of tourists, locals, hipsters, businessmen, people coming FROM a bar and people headed TO a bar. The Foodie didn't really "get" Taylor's, but he definitely "gets" Pink's.

5.15.10

12:12 A.M. - Meh. Apparently there's more than one Four Points near the airport, so when I booked our trip for the same hotel we stayed at last time, I didn't. So we tried to check into the wrong hotel at midnight and end up trudging off to the OTHER Four Points that is, well, older and dingier and has no parking for The Meat Guy. The Hottie is not pleased...

11:18 A.M. - While it might be the Charlie Brown X-Mas Tree of hotel rooms, apparently there's nothing wrong with the beds. We w-a-a-a-a-y oversleep and let The Food Guy not to pick us up @ 11:30 as planned. IDK what's up with that either, we NEVER sleep in that late. Even on Vegas trips when we're up to 2 or 3 in the morning we're always up before 10. I'm blaming jet lag...

12:47 P.M. - We make it to the newer, shinier Father's Office @ Helms Bakery a little later than planned, but still manage to snag the last remaining four-top. Their extensive beer list is as advertised and they still have some of the extremely limited (and bizarre) sage, rosemary, thyme Saison brew on tap that they tweeted about last week. The fries (both sweet potato and shoestring) are killer and they have w-a-a-a-a-y more small plates than their on-line menu mentions - it could use an update. Predictably, The Meat Guy would like another beer, but we need to get going and he IS the driver this trip.

2:35 P.M. - Only in L.A.: Our popcorn and drinks are delivered to us as we watch the trailers before Iron Man 2. I guess when the city is pretty much powered by "The Industry" I shouldn't be surprised, but multiple restaurants and bars (along with the aforementioned reserved seating - like a ballgame or ACTUAL theater) is still kinda weird. As for the movie, it's good, not great and needed more Scar and less Gywnn.

5:42 P.M. - Sienna, our British GPS (No, I'm not making this up...we set the voice to 'UK Female' and had a couple of options. The one we chose was called 'Sienna') with whom The Meat Guy has a Hate-Hate relationship starts literally sending us in circles as we try and get to Tiki-Ti in time to still change for Providence. For some reason we never figured out, Sienna KNEW the addy of Tiki-Ti but, whenever we pressed 'GO' she plotted a course back to where we had just been. Maybe it was her idea of a practical joke, but I think it's more likely that Sienna's just a bitch.

6:40 P.M. - Only in L.A. Part Two: Between Sienna's hijinx and L.A. Traffic (possibly caused by a Jonas Brothers concert at a mall. No, really. The Jo-Bro's are really playing at a SoCal Mall tonight and it snarled up already terribad traffic) it took us just under an hour to travel 7 miles!!! As a result, we only have time for one drink (Shark Tooth & Cobra Fangs, for the record) at Tiki-Ti's before heading back out. So we spent 50 minutes getting to a bar that we only spent 10 minutes at. Making our 8:30 reservations @ Providence is going to be a real challenge at this point and for the second time today The Meat Guy r-e-a-l-l-y wants another drink, but we haven't the time and, again, he's driving. Oh well, at least we got a souviner Coconut Mug...

8:55 P.M. - The maitre d @ Providence brings over a small marble table to sit our drinks on and assures us that out table will be ready in a few moments, but I don't believe him for a second. We DID make it in time for our 8:30 reservations, but it's a moot point while we wait in the tiny bar area. Same thing happened last trip to Providence too. Maybe it's an L.A. thing but that sh|t wouldn't fly in NorCal - if you can't seat your table at the time of the reservation, don't take the friggin reservation. Simple. So I sit there watching my opportunity to hit Kogi BBQ slowly slipping away minute by minute. Urge...to...kill...rising...

9:26 P.M. - Providence did not bring their A Game tonight. Even after we were seated we didn't get menus for a good 10-15 minutes after we were sat (in fact, The Hottie finally just asked the manager looking dude if we could trouble him for some menus in a rather snarky tone) but we DID have the wine list...that was missing the Wines by the Glass section which made us think they didn't HAVE Wines by the Glass. That made for a rather awkward exchange when the sommelier came over and we had no idea what kind of wine we wanted because A)We didn't want an entire bottle and B)WE COULDN'T "PAIR" ANYTHING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE EATING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FRELLING MENUS!
When things finally got on track, the food was what you'd expect from a Two-Star restaurant (Clam "Chowda" re-invented with broth poured tableside, Foie Gras Ravioli with Black Truffles shaved tableside and an intermezzo of Margarita and Greyhound "Bubbles" served in saw-off spoons), but it's pretty hard to come back when the front of the house has dug such a deep hole. The star of the show ended up being my Spot Prawns which were completely buried in salt, baked in a large copper skillet and then the whole thing was wheeled out to the dining room where the manager expertly dug up and "carved" the prawns with surgeon-like precision. We ended up skipping dessert in favor of going to a Food Truck parked outside a bar in Venice. Yeah, it was that kind of night for Providence.

11:56 P.M. - Even dressed for Providence we weren't the best dressed people at the Kogi BBQ Truck - there as a dude in a tux and a girl in a wedding/bridesmaids gown (she had a mens jacket draped over it to stay warm - so hard to tell) mixed in with all the drunk and soon-to-be-drunk people popping out of The Brig looking for some good, cheap, eats. Again, I didn't give into temptation of their other offerings and went for the Kogi Classic: The Short Rib Taco. The spicy, sweet flavor was distinctively Korean but the chopping of the meat to a carnita-like consistency combined with the two, tiny corn tortillas that served as it's base gave it the mexican spin. It was tasty and lasted less than a minute. Ironically, this means I've now been to more of EaterLA's top 38 restaurants (8) than EaterSF's top 38 (6) even though The Foodie has been to LA only twice in the last five years, but LIVES in the SF Bay Area. Weird.

05.16.10

2:43 P.M. - The A's have tried their best to put a damper on the entire trip. They lost 4-0 to the Halos and only had four hits the ENTIRE game, so there really wasn't anything to cheer for. Even worse, the lack of runs made for an incredibly short game, so we're stuck in the O/C with nearly five hours to kill because The Meat Guy suggested we fly out of John Wayne instead of LAX. If you're eight years old (or the parent of an eight-year old) Anaheim has lots of ways to spend your time. If you're a Foodie...notsomuch. Seriously, it's a fine dining black hole. There's a reason the SoCal Zagat Guide has 304 pages devoted to Los Angeles and 12 for all of Orange County. I'm serious! Twelve! I counted (it didn't take long). Urge...to...kill...rising...

3:13 P.M. - The Meat Guy has re-established his Hate-Hate relationship with Sienna as we head to a SoCal MegaMall to kill some time. Sienna wants him to turn right on Shoppertainment Drive which he refuses to acknowledge as an actual street name. He's yelling at her and wants to know the 'real' street name. Sadly, the name of the street actually is Shoppertainment. Nonethless, we do manage to kill some time at said mall even thought The Hottie is creeped out by the whole Disneyland vibe of it's design and decor. It's Anaheim, I think they only have the one speed. Regardless, we leave with a pair of shoes, jeans and three shirts we don't really need. Thanks A's!

4:44 P.M. - Our weekender comes to an end on a rather un-foodielike and anti-climatic note as we head into Hooters of Anaheim. Even two hours after the game, the place is PACKED with Angels fans, but honestly, we took more grief from Dodger fans last year and they aren't even division rivals! At least it's easy to kill time drinking mid-grade beer and so-so chicken wings while watching the same three channels on twenty+ tv's. At this point, I don't even have anything snarky to say about the tiny orange shorts or surprising lack of cleavage our servers are sporting. Yes, I did manage to hit ALL the spots I wanted in rather limited amount of time, but at this point Anaheim has drained me of my will to live...I just wanna go home.

Read more...

Food Porn: Saag's Big Atomic Dog

So The Foodie got a new phone (not an iPhone, as The Foodie has issues with touchscreens) which meant taking the old, dusty files off the old phone and saving them to the PC. And what image files do you suppose The Foodie found? Trips to the beach? No. Amazing art from a historic museum? No. Wedding/Bar Mitzvah/Concert footage? No. Extreme close-up shots of Sous Vide Steak & Eggs from the Las Vegas Bouchon? I think you're getting warmer :D

And so I kick off the new Food Pr0n feature with the single best thing you can get at an A's game: The Saag's Big Atomic Dog. Besides that fact that meat in tube form is awesome in general, both the cost (seven bucks - pretty fair pricing for a place where a 12-ounce beer costs nine bucks and a Pepsi runs you five) and exclusivity (you can ONLY get it at the Coliseum) make it noteworthy. Oh, that and the fact that's it's A WHOLE FRELLING POUND!!! The image doesn't do it justice, it's a massive freaking piece of meat over a foot long [Insert off-color penis joke here]. That isn't a regular old hot dog bun pictured...that's a Hoagie style roll you'd normally have a beefy sandwich on and it STILL can't contain the Big Atomic Dog! Bonus: Saag's makes good product. Just ask Hofbrauhaus, the o/g, Michelin-rated beer & sausage King of Germany. When they built their first Beergarden outside of the EU, they tabbed Saag's as their sausage provider [Insert second off-color penis joke here].

Read more...

Tasting Notes: APR 2010

Even people that get PAID to eat out would envy The Foodie's APR Hit List: Amber India, RN74, Ad Hoc, Smuggler's Cove, Commis, Jardiniere, 4505 Meats, Fifth Floor & Humphry Slocombe among others - Bon Apetit!

04.02 - After a long day at WonderCon, we blew off a late dinner @ Slanted Door for an earlier seating @ RN74 (The Hottie r-e-a-l-l-y wanted to go home after 5+ hours of fanboys and cosplayers, but I digress). First off, the bar @ RN74 on a FRI nite @ 5:30 is PACKED, the dining room nearly empty. @ 6:30, the dining room is PACKED and the bar is I-Hope-The-Fire-Marshall-Doesn't-Stop-By-For-Drinks-Packed. If there's a recession going on, Michael Mina wouldn't know it.
As per our previous trips, the Small Plates and Apps looked MUCH more appealing than the Mains (which isn't surprising since Small Plates was the restaurant's o/g concept). The Maitake Mushroom Tempura is one of my favorite starters ANYWHERE ATM and the Smoked Sturgeon Rillettes are not to be missed. The Meat Guy loved his light Hamachi Sashimi, while The Hottie got the daily special -an Octopus Salad- that, literally, sold out within an hour of the restaurant opening. She also took advantage of the wine-by-the-taste and tried something she'd never seen before, let alone consumed: a German Red Wine (Zweigelt)!

04.05 - We took The Meat Guy to Jardiniere for one of their MON "Themed" wine dinners. The APR theme is former chefs returning, and we got Gonzalo Guzman of Nopalito. Bonus: The food was paired with cocktails instead of wines! The Duo of Ceviches was paired with Milagro Margaritas, the Carnitas came with an upscale Michelada and the Tres Leches Cake was paired with a Kahlua & Chocolate Coffee Shot with Brandied Creme that The Meat Guy thought was way too small. Actually, he wanted more of everything (Carnitas, Ceviche, Chips to go WITH the Ceviche...) except the Michelada, which I guess means he liked it all? I already had Nopalito on my radar, but the tortillas ALONE bumped it up a few notches on the Must Visit List...

04.05 - We double-dipped and took the tiki loving Meat Guy to Smuggler's Cove despite being pre-lubricated from the Cocktails @ Jardiniere. His love of rum and all things tiki cannot be underestimated, so this was right in his wheelhouse. Seriously, he hid his loud tiki shirt in his jacket and then changed into it as we left Jardiniere - I couldn't make this sh|t up if I tried. The tables were pretty much all taken by the time we got there, but there were spots at the downstairs bar which was fortuitous since we ending up spending about 2 hours with our new favorite bartender, Marco. Long story short: The Meat Guy had FIVE rum/tiki drinks plus several swigs of the rarer and more obscure rums to be found (and, believe me, Smuggler's Cove EASILY has the widest selection of obscure rums in The City if not The State) and practically had to be pried off the barstool to leave. He's already planning a return trip. For the record, The Hottie had 2 drinks plus a swig of the beer that Thirsty Bear makes for them. She might have had some swigs of rum as well, but it's unlikely she'd remember at that point. And since they both had the munchies AND a designated driver (Yours Truly) we stopped at Nation's for Chili Cheese Fries and Pie before heading home. Again, I couldn't make this sh|t up if I tried.

04.12 - Best. Meal. This. Year!!! Fifth Floor. Too much to write about in such a small space, so I'll post an OpenTable Director's Cut shortly, but I'll leave you with these three words: Popcorn Ice Cream ^_^

04.18 - Since Humphry Slocombe Tweeted that they'd have Foie Gras Ice Cream this weekend, we decided to BART into The City for an early brunch @ farmerbrown before heading to The Mission for ice cream. First off, the decor and vibe of the place is awesome. Their urban take on a southern joint goes well beyond the menu, from the drinks served in mason jars to the weathered aluminum siding to the jazzy playlist. More places should take their concept and just run wild with it. The food selection was kinda small for a buffet brunch, but read like a Greatest Hits of the South: Biscuits, Sausage Gravy, Grits, Home Fries, Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Pie along with the requisite brunch staples like Bacon, Scrambled Eggs and Pancakes. Everything was at least solid (no low-points to speak of) with the Fried Chicken, Red Velvet Cake, Sweet Tea and Bloody Mary being the stand-outs of the AM.

04.18 - Sad Panda Face. Humphry Slocombe Tweets are Made of Fail! We got there about 15 mins after they opened but there was no Foie Gras Ice Cream to be found!!! >_< If we wanted to wait a couple of hours, they would have some Foie Gras Ice Cream Sammies, but after getting up at the crack of dawn to make it to brunch, The Foodie didn't feel like hanging out in The Mission for another two hours. Even worse, the Best-Thing-Chis-Cosentino-Ever-Ate, Prosciutto Ice Cream, was disappointing. It was savory and it was salty and, yes, even fatty, but not particularly prosciutto-y. They could have called it Pork Belly Ice Cream, Crisco Ice Cream or Chinese BBQ Pork Ice Cream because it tasted as much like those items as it did like prosciutto. It was okay and I'll go back to try more flavors, but with ALL the hype (and mind-blowing Popcorn Ice Cream just a few days earlier), it was rather disappointing. /sigh
On the upside, The Hottie's Secret Breakfast Ice Cream -Bourbon & Corn Flakes- was stellar and pretty much tasted like, well, Boubon and Corn Flakes.

04.22 - How big a foodie is The Foodie? Well, The Professional Liar forwarded us an e-mail from Ad Hoc that they'd be doing a special Bone Marrow offering today so I IMMEDIATELY made early reservations and The Hottie took a half-day off so we could get there early (before they ran out of Bone Marrow). As always, Ad Hoc was awesome and, apparently, we're incapable of being served by anybody other than Trevor or Katie (whom we had this time). Seriously, 6-7 other servers on and we ALWAYS get one or the other...it's kinda freaky. Anyways, the frisee salad with boutique Ham and a light vinaigrette was one of the best green salads I've had in months (prolly this year) and the Hangar Steak Main was served atop Red Quinoa with a long, rustic tube pasta with Kalamata Olives and House-Cured Bacon as a side. Plus, of course, the tasty, tasty Bone Marrow with Paladin Toast and Orange Marmalade. It was good by itself, with the toast or with the marmalade (i.e. it was just, plain good!) and, for the first time ever, The Foodie actually took food home (along with a STACK of their new coasters that might have fallen into our to-go bag - Silly Katie). We were also informed that SUN will be Chicken & Waffles the entire day, but since we're going to Commis the night before, I'm not sure we'll make it : /

Read more...

OT Review: Dinner @ Fifth Floor (Director's Cut)

As posted in the Tasting Notes, The Foodie had his BEST. MEAL. THIS. YEAR. at Fifth Floor. What made it so fre||ing good? Well, read on and find out...

REVIEW OF FIFTH FLOOR AS POSTED ON OPENTABLE:

"Despite a change at the top (Jennie Lorenzo replacing James Beard Nominee, Melissa Perrello), Fifth Floor remains one of the top spots on the SF culinary map. The menu is small (a handful of 1st, 2nd & Main) but well thought out. Twice (2nd Course & Dessert), I couldn't decide what I wanted and just ordered both! Virtually every dish is a work of art showcasing technique and attention to detail & with 100's of selections, the wine list is more like a phone book. Stand out dishes were the Waygu Strip with amazing "Tater Tots", perfectly cooked Hen Breast with Risotto, Prawns & Lobster Sauces poured tableside & the Fifth Floor Sundae with Popcorn Ice Cream. I will DEFINITELY be returning with friends to try the 6-course,$72 tasting menu!"

Overall: 5 Stars.
Food: 5 Stars.
Ambiance: 4 Stars.
Service: 4 Stars.
Noise: 2 (Moderate)

THE DIRECTOR'S CUT/COMMENTARY:

The first thing I had to cut was the Wines by the Glass: The selection is small but, like the menu, well thought out and had interesting choices while remaining affordable (at least by SF standards - several choices in the $10-$12 range).

Also, I had no space to mention the decor, which is nice enough in a modern sort of way, but nothing special. Then again, it's on the 5th floor of an old-school hotel, so it's not like they can have a vaulted ceiling or giant windows. The most annoying thing about the Fifth Floor's layout was the entrance to the restaurant is w-a-a-a-a-a-a-y past the bar/lounge and isn't readily apparent unless you've been there before (which we hadn't).

As for the dishes The Foodie couldn't decide on, one was the Kobe Beef Tartare with Wasabi and Ponzu that you scooped up with Taro Chips and the Foie Gras with Almond Pain Perdu and Orange Cardamom Gel. They both kicked serious @$$ (The Hottie liked the sweet/savory Foie Gras on French Toast so much, she said she'd get it for dessert if there wasn't anything that caught her eye, but since there were Fried Donuts with Stout Ice Cream, that didn't happen) and The Foodie would make the same choice again (i.e. no choice made...get both!). For dessert, there was no possible way to pass up on a "Sundae" with Molten Chocolate Cake, Popcorn Ice Cream and Malted Foam but the Strawberry/Banana dessert with Tapioca (they call them "pearls" but we all know it's tapioca), Fried Bananas, Plantain Chips, Banana Cake Croutons and Strawberry-Muscat Sorbet was too appealing to ignore. In the end the Sundae was the better of the two and, yes, the Popcorn Ice Cream really tasted like popcorn, just in a very cold, semi-solid form. It was a trippy, delicious dish that, like everything else that came out of the kitchen, reeked of the high-end modern cuisine (with j-u-s-t enough molecular gastronomy tossed in) that makes you re-think what food can be.

Suffice to say, Fifth Floor is in no danger of losing their Michelin Star.

EXPANDED ZAGAT-STYLE RATINGS:

FOOD: 27
DECOR: 22
SERVICE: 25
PRICE: E

Read more...

Tasting Notes: MAR 2010

MAR was a pretty solid food month with an Anniversary Dinner @ La Fondue and a Weekender in Vegas for March Madness:

03.06 - We've wanted to go to La Fondue for quite some time but, for us, it truly is a destination restaurant since it's a good hour plus drive. First off, the funky, artsy decor/ambiance is amazing even down to the water glasses and salad plates. We started with a Buttermilk-Bacon-Cheddar-Beer Fondue (1 of 20 or so cheese choices) and went for the Korean style grill-it-yourself entree: Jumbo Shrimp, Teriyaki Beef, Calamari, Wild Boar, Buffalo & Duck. And we didn't even touch the tip of the exotic meat iceberg - Kangaroo, Alligator, Ostrich and Elk were other options. The dessert fondue (we went for the Chocolate Turtle) was amazing not just for the smooth chocolate lavaness, but for items you dunk into it. Snickers Bar, Cream Puffs, Frozen Cheescake and Rice Krispy Treats accompanied the more mundane Strawberries, Mandarin Oranges and such. Bonus: it's cheap! All that, plus a healthy portion of salad while your cheese course is melting, runs under $100 for two and we were Absosmurfly stuffed too! Did I mention the free champagne with dessert since it was our anniversary?

03.19 - March Madness = Vegas Road Trip, so tonight we found ourselves celebrating Cal's victory @ Nobu. Even with a late (9:30) reservation, the place was completely PACKED with it's typical hot and noisy crowd, but service never faltered. The Lobster Tacos and Kumamoto Oysters were awesome (as always) and the Miso Cake with Edamame Ice Cream remains the Single Best Dessert You Will EVER Consume At An Asian Restaurant. Period! It's not even close. New items we tried included the signature Yellowfin Sashimi w/Jalapeno (which had just the right balance of heat) and the Tasmanian Ocean Trout Yakimono which was 2 nice chunks of perfectly cooked fish over a delicate teriyaki sauce so you could enjoy with or w/o said sauce. Nobu is quickly becoming one of my Go-To Places in Vegas :D

03.20 - Vegas Road Trip = B-Fast @ Bouchon because (as you might have heard me mention once or twice (or fifteen times) before) MY BOUCHON IN YOUNTVILLE - THE FRIGGIN ORIGINAL FFS - DOESN'T SERVE BREAKFAST!!!!! Not that I'm bitter or anything >_< Anyways, everybody but The Much Better Half got the same thing: Chicken & Waffles and it did not disappoint. First off, it starts with THE. BEST. CHICKEN. EVAH. - the same one they serve @ dinner - and adds savory waffles with herbs and bacon to the mix. And, when eaten they way our server instructed us to (chicken. waffle. chasseur sauce. syrup. mouth.) it was a damn near a Flavorgasm. The individual components were awesome but even better when combined and The Foodie NEVER puts syrup on ANYTHING either. Oh...and we had an order of Frites of course...DUH!

03.20 - Went to B&B before seeing Lion King and we decided to try their Pre-Theater Menu. Honestly, it was lacking in both selection AND value compared to other Dine-Early-Save-$$$ Prix Fixe Specials you can find in Vegas although they did offer The Much Better Half a veggie option for her main (which, honestly, should have been there to begin with). High points: The Charcuterie was stellar, The Hottie got more 2-Minute Calamari than she could possibly eat, the portions on the gelato were quite generous and the service (as always) was impeccable. The Deceitful One even said he wished he loved his job as much as the servers clearly loved theirs. Low points: My Bolognese and The Liar's Short Ribs were just okay and The Better Half wanted more sage on her pasta.

Read more...

JACK & COKE BBQ SAUCE FTW!

I'm posting this here for three reasons. 1) Many consider me to be a BBQ Master and this is my "Go-To", crowd-pleasing sauce, so I figured I share. 2) Many consider me to be a BBQ Master and ask for various recipes. This will keep me from having to copy/paste this recipe into an e-mail EVER again! 3) With this posted on the Information Super Highway, I can load it on The Hotties Mini PC and have it handy in the kitchen. Enjoy!

JACK & COKE BBQ SAUCE

1 1/4 C COKE (1 CAN MINUS 1 SWIG)
3/4 C KETCHUP
1/4 C JACK DANIELS (2 SHOTS - NO SWIG)
2 TBS WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
2 TBS STEAK SAUCE
2 TBS DARK BROWN SUGAR
1 TBS LEMON JUICE
1 TBS PREPARED YELLOW MUSTARD
1/2 TSP ONION POWDER
1/2 TSP GARLIC POWDER
1/2 TSP LIQUID SMOKE
1/2 TSP BLACK PEPPER
1/2 TSP CHILE POWDER
HOT SAUCE TO TASTE (THIS SAUCE HAS ZERO HEAT - IF YOU LIKE SPICY SAUCE, THIS ISN'T FOR YOU)

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS IN SAUCEPAN EXCEPT THE JACK DANIELS OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT UNTIL MIXTURE COMES TO A BOIL. REDUCE TO LOW HEAT AND SIMMER UNTIL REDUCED TO A GOOD CONSISTENCY (ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES). ADD WHISKEY AND CONTINUE TO SIMMER ANOTHER 10-20 MINUTES, ADDING WATER TO THIN IF SAUCE BECOMES TOO THICK. COOL AND STORE IN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER IN FRIDGE FOR UP TO A MONTH.

Read more...

Tasting Notes - FEB 2010

FEB was a pretty food intense food month with a weekender to Napa with The Professional Liar and The Much Better Half, a quick visit by The Meat Guy and a rather disappointing V-Day :(

02.05 - So we're kicking off FEB with a weekender in the Wine Country with The Professional Liar and The Much Better Half in spite of thunderstormy weather. First stop, Ad Hoc (The Liar's Fave Place in the Universe ATM) for Chicken & Dumpling Soup, Lamb Sirloin with Red Pepper Jelly, Sweet Potato & Black Garbanzo Hush Puppies and Sticky Toffee Pudding. As always, service was awesome and the fare was even better. Katie's suggested wine pairings were on point and she even brought me and The Liar a second helping of Lamb (and The Liar normally DISTAINS lamb)! Also worth noting - the ultra-picky Better Half seemed duly impressed with her pescatarian options (Veggie Dumpling Soup and Steelhead Trout). Off to a good start...

02.06 - Cross another restaurant off my 'On The Radar' List, I just went to Taylor's Automatic Refresher for "breakfast" @ 11:00 AM even though we've got reservations @ Bottega in 2 hours. ProTip: If you want to go to TAR and not wait in a horrific line, go @ 11 AM. Only 1-2 people in front of me. 2 hours later - a line 30 people deep even in the pouring rain. Is it worth it? Honestly...no. Prices are steep ($10 for my burger), the lines are insane and you're still waiting 10+ mins for your food AFTER you negotiate that line. Don't get me wrong, it's a DAMN good burger, but I'd MUCH rather grab an Ole Cheeseburger @ Nation's for a fraction of the price.

02.06 - So, yes, I double-dipped again by going to Bottega for lunch after TAR for breakfast (triple-dipped if you include my crossaint from Bouchon Bakery). Went 2 for 2 with The Much Better Half this trip - she loved the house cured olives and her Squash Filled Tortelli with Sage Browned Butter. I generally l-o-a-t-h-e polenta, but my "Polenta Under Glass" was easily the best I've ever consumed. The Professional Liar ate himself into a food stupor of EPIC preportions. Seriously, after he had the Burrata & Butternut Squash app and a Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab main he could barely communicate. He absolutely LOVED both his choices but had that total I-Can't-Believe-I-Ate-The-Whole-Thing thing going on.

02.06 - Third post today and we finished with a trip to Bistro Jeanty. Everybody had the signature Tomato Soup en Croute except for The Professional Liar who (still reeling from Bottega) opted for the ruffage of a Butter Lettuce Salad. He then wanted to stay away from "heavy" dishes like Cassoulet and Coq au Vin and opted for a "lighter" option, the Sole Meuniere - LOL. I'm not sure where they get their ginormous, mutant sole filets, but this was a truly massive portion of fish. On the upside, it was spot on and he finished it. The Much Better Half also had the Sole while I went for the Ham and Leek Quiche. Shockingly, The Hottie went for the Bone Marrow special...the same special they have EVERY night and she orders EVERY time they feature it as a special. I'm 3 for 3 on my restaurant picks so far!

02.07 - Finished the Napa Weekender with brunch @ Redd which was e-a-s-i-l-y the Most-Likely-To-Disagree-With-The-Better-Half place of the trip. Luckily, they were more than happy to make a quarter of their signature Breakfast Pizza prosciutto-less for her. Even better, the Sweet Onion Jam that came with the Pretzel Croissants was so OMGWTFBBQ good that we asked if we could get some to take home and left with a friggin pint of the tasty stuff! Other highlights - The Pork Buns, Chicken Hash and Lobster Club. Also, the evil bastards now have Dessert To-Go so, even when you're stuffed to the gills, you can take home a 1/2 lb. bag of Saltine Toffee with you (which, of course, we did). Bottom Line: I went 4 for 4 on my restaurant selections this trip although The Professional Liar said it felt more like 6 for 4.

02.08 - Yes, even by MY standards the last few days have been culinary overkill, but Jardiniere had their three-course Bocuse d'Or (i.e. the Culinary Olympics) Benefit Dinner tonight, so give me the Metamucil iv drip and bring on the food! Like their 'normal' MON prix fixe dinners, each course was paired with a wine that matched perfectly. I found the Brioche Rounds that came with the Foie Gras Terrine a little too dry/crispy for my taste (to the point that I thought it was MUCH better just spread on the french rolls they bring to the table) but that was the only 'miss' of the night - and a minor one at that. Truffle Stuffed Hoffman Hen and Basque Cake with Kumquat Preserves and Creme Fraiche Anglaise rounded out the meal. The latter paired SO well with the Ey Muscat that The Hottie wanted to just dunk the cake INTO the wine!

02.11 - Long story, short: The Meat Guy is up for the Holiday Weekend, so my culinary Tour de Force continues. Two things were re-enforced by going to the Ferry Building today. 1 - I CANNOT leave for under a Benjamin (SF Golden Dogs, Chicharones, Lardo and Cheese were the main culprits this time). 2 - The Meat Guy has his name for a reason. See if you can spot a trend in his purchases: Beer Sausage (topped with Kim Chi and Chicharones), Maple-Bacon Beinet, Housemade Sausage (purchased from a cheese vendor) and Spreadable Salami. Oh, and he had the Steak Frites @ Chez Papa Resto for lunch too (as did I).

02.14 - The Foodie is once again reminded why we dislike dining out on V-Day. The combination of annoying, photo-taking diners who only eat out once-a-year, packed to the gills dining rooms and in-the-weeds kitchens make even normally solid restaurants look like jittery opening night rookies. Such was the case at the Michelin-starred Madrona Manor. This place was my #1 Dining Experience of 2009 and I even lobbied for them to receive a second star during my Foodie Awards but they were really, r-e-a-l-l-y off their game today. Thirty minutes between courses (or visits from our server), wine pairings not poured for their respective courses were a couple of the culprits. I'm still giving them a pass...The Chronicle's Food Snob reported he had to wait an HOUR between courses @ his V-Day choice, so apparently it's an industry standard. Next year: romantic dinner for two @ home FTW!

Read more...

The Foodie Awards: 2010 PART II

A pox on you if you missed Part I of the 2010 Foodie Awards. Go read them now so you can be one of the kewl kids and don't end up sitting with the chess club in the crapeteria.

Like Part I, I'll add a new award each day this week. Unlike Part I, these are all new, shiny categories. Bon apetit...

FRIGGIN' AWESOME FRITES AWARD:

WINNER: HOBNOB

In general, Yelp is about as useful as a splotchy pile of steaming poo. This poo over here might be a different color or texture than the poo over there but, in the end, it's all the same sh|t. That being said, once you get thought the 'OMGWTFBBQ THIZ IZ THE BEST PLACE IN THE UNIVERZ!!!' and the 'This place kicked me out for no reason, the server stole my baby and the cook spit in my food and then ran it over with a car' bu||sh|t you will find a VERY common thread about HobNob: Order the Truffle Fries or you are a retarded noob. Even if you're there just drinking, you can't help but see order after order of these fries leaving the kitchen and being delivered to salivating customers. Imagine a substantial batch of piping hot fries pulled from the Fryolater then IMMEDIATELY dropped in a bowl with grated parmesan and truffle oil and tossed until well coated and then put into a serving bowl the size of Christina Hendricks breast (or a small chicken if you live in a cave and don't want to Google Christina Hendricks). As a result, the cheese has melted BUT then re-hardened so the fries are stuck to one another in tasty, crispy fry clusters, but not to the extent that they're overpowered by the cheese or oil. It's friggin' genius is what it is! And it comes with a super tasty Truffle Aioli to boot! Trust me, get whatever the nightly four-dollar drink special is and an order of Truffle Fries and you will be a very Happy Panda.

FIRST RUNNER-UP: BOUCHON

Now I've heard people crack on Thomas Keller's french fries, saying there's nothing 'special' about them. He||, I've even talked to a former employee who claimed they're little more than McD's frozen spuds fried up in peanut oil. To that I say,“I don't care...they're friggin' awesome dude”. Whatever is happening in the back of the kitchen @ Bouchon, it's French Fry Sorcery, because you have to look long and hard to find spuds better than this. Plus, there's very little in this world better than a cone of piping hot, salty pomme frites...especially at breakfast. I swear, if “The Most Important Meal of the Day” came with TK's fries then Americans would stop skipping breakfast. And, for what it's worth, Orson's Duck Fat Fries prolly would have had this spot but, inexplicably, The Foodie didn't go to Orson in 2009. INORITE!?!? I didn't believe it myself, but I checked out my OpenTable history and nada...my last visit there was DEC of 2008.

IN THE CONVERSATION: ANY FRENCH PLACE THAT SERVES THEIR FRIES IN A PAPER CONE.

BEST QUOTE ABOUT THE GREEN/SUSTAINABILITY TREND:

WINNER: BARTON SEAVER (BLUE RIDGE RESTAURANT)

“You want to save the oceans? Eat more broccoli. Change the topography of your plate. Sixteen ounces of shrimp on a plate is not the best nutrition. And you don't have to eat farmer's-market organic broccoli or participate in some green revolution. Just eat broccoli. They have it at Wal-Mart.”

FIRST RUNNER-UP: NATE APPLEMAN (FORMERLY OF A16 & SPQR)

"In San Francisco the audience is easy. You put tripe in a bowl and tell them it's from a humanely raised cow and they're going to eat it."

IN THE CONVERSATION: DAVID CHANG (KING OF THE MOMOFUKU EMPIRE)

“I call bullshit on San Francisco ... There's only a handful of restaurants that are manipulating food ... fucking every restaurant in San Francisco is serving figs on a plate with nothing on it."

Yeah...so...I don't really have much to add here as those quotes r-e-a-l-l-y speak for themselves. I could quibble with Chang's oversimplified vision of Frisco, but he already took his lumps from the cranky locals with cyber-pitchforks. Plus, he does have a point: we're geared more towards Alice Waters and less towards Grant Achatz. It is what it is /shrug. Also, that “They have it at Wal-Mart” line is just effing priceless. It's like people that buy a third car and think they're being “green” by buying a Prius. Dude, you really wanna be green? Get rid of the other two cars or, better yet, walk more.

Read more...

The Foodie Awards: 2010 PART I

If it's FEB, it must be awards season, so it's once again time to give out some Foodies! If you're familiar with this blog then you know I visit a mind-numbingly, how-can-you-afford-that, dude-do-you-ever-NOT-eat-at-Michelin-starred-places number of restaurants during the year - it's just how I roll (c.f. NomNomNom 2010 and Foodie: A to Z). And, just like last year, awards are for restaurants The Foodie dined in in 2009 EXCEPT for The French Laundry. TFL is in a class by itself. The whole bringing-a-knife-to-a-gunfight thing. It just wouldn't be fair. Also, restaurants that received Foodies last year CANNOT repeat in the same categories this year. We want new blood...

This week I'll be posting an award in a returning category every day, and the following week will feature posts in all new categories. So, if you're the type of person who likes checking blogs daily for new stuff, you're in luck. If, however, you think it's a lame gimmick well...come back in a couple of weeks :p

HOTTEST HOTTIE HOSTESS AWARD:

WINNER: STACK

It should come as no surprise that a corporation that operates some of the hottest clubs in Vegas (The Bank, Haze and Jet among others) stocks their restaurants with some of the hottest front of the house personnel known to man. And this award could pretty much go to ANY of The Light Groups dining properties (particularly Fix) but since Stack is where we went, Stack gets the award. I could talk about the smoking hot blonde cocktail waitress that was 'filling' in as the hostess until the actual smoking hot brunette hostess showed up and the, third, equally hot front-of-the-house-manager-type who moved at speeds normal humans should never reach in heels, but I'll just leave you with this quote from the ZAGAT guide (circa 2009, since ZAGAT bailed on LV for 2010), “...service is mostly 'helpful', though some wondered if 'stacked referred to the hostesses' and not the layered mahogany decor”

FIRST RUNNER-UP: SIMON

Frankly, last year, it was a bit of an upset that NEITHER the Winner or First Runner-Up in this category was from Vegas. No such upset this year and, if you've EVER been to a Kerry Simon restaurant you know that, like The Light Group, you're going to have sleek, modern décor a kewl, club-like atmosphere and a young, hip staff. We went there twice last year and even though the hostesses were different both times, they were ridiculously hot both times. It's worth pointing out that for their SUN Pajama Brunch (where the staff all wears pajamas and the customers are encouraged to do the same) that the hostess outfit is an oversized mens dress shirt, tiny boxer shorts...and pumps. Now, either this offends you or makes you go “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Either way, now you know and...wait for it...wait for it...Knowing is half the battle.

MOST BANG-FOR-YOUR-BUCK:

WINNER: JARDINIERE (MON PRIX FIXE DINNERS)

I'll admit it...I've been holding out on you. Not intentionally, mind you, but for some reason I've gone to at least a half-dozen of Jardiniere's “Themed” Monday Dinners and never really mentioned it in the blog. My Bad. There are a lot of things to like about these dinners, but number one with a bullet has to be the price: Three courses, $45 and that INCLUDES a wine pairing with ALL three courses (yes, even the dessert) from their extensive cellar. The bizarre thing is that this is a place where a main EASILY runs $30-40 on a regular day and I'm not talking a kobe beef or lobster main either. I'm talking Steelhead Trout with Savoy Cabbage, Rose Finn Potatoes and Rock Shrimp - $36. And since you'd be hard pressed to find ANY decent wine for nine bucks, that one course with a glass of wine is going to cost you more than the ENTIRE three-course menu on a MON. I'm honestly not sure how they do it.

The other kewl thing is that it's the ONLY menu they have AND they always have a “theme”. To give you an idea, I've been to a Tiki Dinner (with Smuggler Cove's Martin Cate as guest bartender), A T-Day Dinner (described as a “Plymouth Dinner”...but it was Thanksgiving), A Swedish Holiday Dinner (that coincided with St. Lucia Day) and a German Dinner that was paired with rare, obscure beers instead of wines, among others. So, basically, you're trying a lot of stuff that has NEVER been on the Jardiniere Menu and won't EVER be on the Jardiniere menu. It's almost like being in an Iron Chef/Top Chef event where you have top flight chefs doing things out of their comfort zone...and it's awesome! How many other times are you going to get the chance to see a chef the caliber of Traci des Jardin's re-create a Pu-Pu Platter?

Anyways, it's a steal, It's got a Zagat , it's a gorgeous Pat Kuleto designed restaurant AND since they don't serve anything BUT the $45 special on MON, there's zero chance of feeling like you're a bottom feeder that the help will look down upon – EVERYBODY'S having the exact same thing :D

FIRST RUNNER-UP: ONE MARKET (THE WEEKLY BEAST)

So in contrast to Jardiniere running their special menu on the s-l-o-w-e-s-t night of the restaurant week, One Market has their steal on the BUSIEST nights: FRI AND SAT. The Weekly Beast features “Dining from Head to Hoof” of a different animal each week with five courses for $49 (and a mere $20 more for wine pairings). They haz a . It's a steal. Make your OpenTable reservation now...I'll wait...

…

Anyways, even though five courses of a single animal (and, yes, even the dessert) might sound overwhelming, it's not. While some courses will feature the protein front and center (like Spit Roasted Leg of Lamb with a Coffee Rub and Black Trumpet Mushrooms) others will use the animal in a more supporting role (Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnocchi or a Sheep's Milk Ricotta Tart with Mandarin Honey Gelee). I've personally had the Lamb and Pig but the promotion also includes boutique beasts from local ranches and farms including Duck, Rabbit, Goat, Suckling Pig and Steer. Now aren't you glad you've made your reservations already?

IN THE CONVERSATION: MICHAEL MINA (PRE-THEATER MENU)

DON'T MOVE MY CHEESE AWARD:

WINNER: JOEL ROBUCHON

The Hottie has this habit of saying “I'll take one of each, please”. It doesn't matter if she's in a Tory Burch Boutique, Sephora, Bouchon Bakery or BevMo. When the help asks her what she'd like, more often than not, that's her joking response. So when we were @ Joel Robuchon in Vegas with The Meat Guy and our server brought out the cheese cart that had 26 different french cheeses (which he described each in detail – what region of France it was from, what type of milk, how it was made, etc.) The Hottie gave her “normal” response. Except we were @ a restaurant so he thoughtfully laid out the cheeses on multiple plates, organizing then by their type and we tried twenty-six different french cheeses in the middle of a tasting menu. I couldn't make this sh|t up if I tried!

FIRST RUNNER-UP: MADRONA MANOR

Honestly, I though that Josef had this one in the bag UNTIL The Hottie pulled her little “I'll take one of each” stunt. Seriously though, if you should ever have the good fortune to find yourself @ Madrona Manor do NOT opt out of the optional cheese course. Not only is their resident cheese expert a character-and-a-half but he is RIDICULOUSLY passionate about his cheese. I'm talking about a wide variety of domestic and imported cheeses and insane knowledge behind them. He||, he even had a wheel of cheese that the local artisanal cheese-maker made exclusively for him (that, of course, he was sharing with his guests)!

IN THE CONVERSATION: GUY SAVOY, QUINCE, DINING ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, CYRUS

RESTAURANT THAT MOST DESERVES A MICHELIN STAR (BUT DOESN'T HAVE ONE)

WINNER: BOTTEGA

I like this particular category because, frankly, I nailed it last year by calling on Luce to get a Michelin Star...and it did! I also called for Bouchon (Vegas) and B&B Ristorante to get stars but, since Michelin bailed on the Las Vegas guide this year, we'll never know if I was right about them as well. No matter, I can happily rest on my Luce laurels for now.

To me, Bottega is an easy call for a star and, frankly, I was surprised they ended up with merely a mention. Granted, Michelin isn't big on giving out stars right out of the gate, BUT that didn't stop them from giving Commis a star in it's first year of operation. Anyways, the chef has a pedigree, it's located in the epicurean center of the Wine Country (if not all of California), has a solid wait staff, interesting and colorful décor and, most importantly, incredible cuisine that elevates antipasti and pasta to something otherworldly. It's the Adriana Lima or Marisa Miller of the Italian Food Scene – it's what all the other Italian Ristorantes and Tratatorrias want to grow up to be.

FIRST RUNNER-UP (TIE): MADRONA MANOR & QUINCE

Yes, they both ALREADY have stars but, dammit, they both deserve more! I'm not saying they're French Laundry/Joel Robuchon level, but they both need that second star. I've been to more than enough starred places to have a good feel for what separates a one-star place from a two-star place and both Madrona Manor and Quince have “it”. Superior fawn-all-over-you service (which isn't supposed to play a part in the rating...but it does) and breathtaking locations (Quince is now in the old Myth space on Pacific and Madrona Manor is a gorgeous mansion built in 1881 on 8 acres of grounds in Healdsburg) certainly help the cause, but both feature the type of refined, creative, OMGBBQ cuisine that The Guide tends to drool over. Seriously, if either place DOESN'T get a second star in 2011 I'd be surprised.

IN THE CONVERSATION: THE DINING ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON

MOST DISAPPOINTING DINING EXPERIENCE:

WINNER: THE BAZAAR

If you read my rant back in June, you could see this one coming the proverbial mile away. I was really, REALLY excited about going to Jose Andres' L.A. Hotspot, but it blew chunks. Not the food, mind you. What little of it I had was tasty and inventive, but virtually EVERYTHING else was a pricey (but really pretty) clusterfuck. From seating us an hour after our reservations, to there being nowhere to sit while we were waiting because there's a club in the middle of the restaurant, to closing the kitchen on us because we had to wait so long and service was slow (and inaccurate) on top of that. Worst of all, we weren't an isolated case. There were plenty of other people with the same experience which simply says to me that they think they're hot sh|t and don't really care. I'm quite happy that they didn't get a Michelin Star or I would have had to change the name of the blog to I Can Haz Good Yelp Ratingz and that name sucks almost as hard as their front of the house.

FIRST RUNNER-UP: CYRUS

It pains me to say this because, much like The Bazaar, I really, REALLY wanted to like Cyrus, but the experience simply didn't match the hype – and that was the crux of the problem. Now, don't get me wrong, Cyrus is an awesome restaurant that deserves to be mentioned among the best restaurants in NorCal, the problem is that SO many people talk about it being the equal (if not superior) to The French Laundry that, well, I expected something the equal to TFL and it simply wasn't there. And since this isn't the 'Worst Place I Ate' but, rather, 'Most Disappointing', it sadly qualifies. The champagne/caviar cart that started the meal was awesome and the flaming rum sauce that got tossed on the first dish was a spectacular touch but, after that, the courses were either unmemorable or what I DO remember was bad (like the Kobe Beef dish that was a total waste of Kobe Beef). Sorry, but at least I'd go back and give it another shot (unlike, The Bazaar which The Hottie wants to Die In A Fire).

Read more...