Tasting Notes - JAN 2010

Here's a re-post of Tasting Notes from JAN 2010 just in case you missed something. JAN was a pretty terribad month for me, BUT it did feature Dine About Town and a trip to the Ferry Building's Farmer's Market, so there were some bright spots. Bring on FEB!!!

01.15 - Went to Amber India with The Professional Liar, The Much Better Half and Two New Friends From Across The Pond. Butter Chicken and Frontier Lamb kicked @$$ (as always), the Tandoori Sea Bass and Stuffed Alloo were both big hits and my Shalgam Nalli (Braised Lamb Shank) was the single hottest thing I have EVER consumed that was still tasty. It was blazingly hot, yes, but not simply for the sake of being Man-vs-Food-we-put-10000-ghost-chilis-in-the-sauce-and-made-it-inedible-hot.

01.18 - Sad But True: I know the One Market Daily Roasts by heart, so it's no coincidence that I chose MON (Berkshire Pork Saddle) to kick off Dine About Town. The Hottie went for the 'Deluxe' version (One Market offers a regular DAT menu as well as a 'deluxe' version with higher tier items for $10 more) with a Sardine app and Black Cod main with the wine pairing for $60. Not surprisingly, I stuck with the Pork and tried the Foie Gras Terrine which was quite good (although I AM a Foie Gras Terrine mark). Also not surprising - The Valrhona Chocolate Souffle with Baily's Whipped Cream and Salted Carmel Ice Cream was lick-the-plate-clean good.

01.28 - The Ferry Building is a dangerous place for a Foodie under normal circumstances, but it's even more lethal on a THU because it's the Farmer's Market. Long story short: The Professional Liar gave me a $50 Gift Certificate to Far West Fungi (which I easily spent) along with 4 cheeses from Cow Girl Creamery, a Maple Bacon Beignet, a 1/4 lb. of Capricious Cheese, a couple of kitchen gadgets from Sur La Table and a visit to 4505 meats. That meant Chicharonnes and Fried Mac and Cheese (the lunch of champions!). I WANTED some of their Golden Dogs to-go, but they didn't have any today, so I got some fat, chubby Chicken & Beer sausages instead.

01.28 - As I am wont to do, The Foodie dipped today (see below) by going to Luce for Dine About Town for lunch (and a pre-lunch lunch @ 4505 Meats). The beet hating Hottie skipped the Beet Salad app and went for the Kampachi Crudo with Yuzu Pudding. Her loss - the "Rye Dirt" that comes with the salad is always a winner. Not surprisingly, both mains were Chef Crenn "re-imagining" classics. The Hottie's Bouillabaisse of Prawns, Mussels, Baby Octopus and Branzini had the broth poured tableside (of course) and my Pork Belly Cassoulet was two carefully constructed piles of pork with an artistic smattering of beans and liquid. Fortunately, Luce is NOT a place where the portions are going to be huge, so the fact that I had downed a brick of Fried Mac & Cheese an hour before didn't hamper my appetite :D

01.29 - My Dine About Town Tour de Force concluded tonight at LarkCreek Steak. Easily the best "deal" of the promotion, the regular menu price of the steaks we had (the 10 oz. Strip and the 16 oz. Rib Eye) were the prices of the three-course meals so, basically, you got a free app AND dessert! The Hottie went for the Little Gem Chopped Salad and Bread Pudding while The Foodie opted for the Onion Soup and Chocolate Trifle. Everything was tasty and our "regular" server made sure to swing by and chat even though we weren't his table. Also worth mentioning, The Hottie LOVED the Merlot (Swanson, Napa Valley 2005) that came with the wine pairing. Normally $15/glass the ENTIRE wine pairing was only $18, another bargain!

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