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.