tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26022890185838773712024-03-13T19:57:19.694-07:00Food review blog: I Food U FoodI Food U Food: Food review blog from San FranciscoUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-64670703006392384412013-04-03T05:09:00.001-07:002013-04-03T05:09:07.177-07:00Best Chef Cathal Armstrong <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Chef Profile: Cathal Armstrong </span><br />
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<a href="http://bestchefs1.blogspot.com/search/label/Cathal%20Armstrong" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Cathal Armstrong"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C8dQJRq0OGbTLDPoADjmqzX4oYBsLH-T3QkZhAKoiVX54vUmsDvxoI17_PXGUALxcoaxWzkFemo9kisPwpR7-sp1x42YKNUYcU8dMcpeMUEgFKQ80NpSxR2sveIFeHxj0GErgVNUpq8N/s640/cathallarmstrong_490x225.png" width="480" /></a></div>
Today's featured best chef is Cathal Armstrong, Dublin-born chef now living in Virginia as chef-owner of Restaurant Eve. Cathal Armstrong was named Food & Wine's Best New Chef of 2006, Best Rising Star Chef December 2007 from StarChefs, and was nominated for the James Beard Foundation's Best Mid-Atlantic Chef nominee in 2007 and 2008. Currently, he is nominated for Eater's Hottest Chef of 2013 (<a href="http://dc.eater.com/archives/2013/02/14/vote-now-for-round-4-of-hottest-chef-2013.php" rel="nofollow">vote here</a>). For complete info on Cathal Armstrong, including his bio, interviews, and recipes, check out:<br />
<a href="http://bestchefs1.blogspot.com/2013/04/cathal-armstrong.html">Cathal Armstrong Biography</a><br />
<a href="http://bestchefs1.blogspot.com/2013/04/cathal-armstrong-interview.html">Cathal Armstrong Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://bestchefs1.blogspot.com/2013/04/cathal-armstrong-recipes.html">Cathal Armstrong Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://bestchefs1.blogspot.com/search/label/Cathal%20Armstrong">Cathal Armstrong</a> </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-69846837815853327962013-04-01T12:06:00.000-07:002013-04-10T03:15:56.607-07:00Molecular Gastronomy Chefs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://enthusio.com/best/11456/The-World-s-Best-Molecular-Gastronomy-Chef" imageanchor="1" title="Molecular Gastronomy Chef"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIqbWbRGFnF_Nar8hBOfCAtvJOqQfEjZIXVcMFU4p9WvvI1LfALFuwQ81dC19OQCZxLmuNEQq47Fdy20013TgjGrOvsU0BrqZQunOyviY4fOyA2y6wUeVYJOBHxzHBpUvH2tlLH9dOh-q/s400/heston2.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 10px; width: 488px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://enthusio.com/best/11456/The-World-s-Best-Molecular-Gastronomy-Chef" imageanchor="1" title="Molecular Gastronomy Chef"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDfGlKgYvwXDMZ8ZX9E_W64cIFsxhdMyKwm9JOnoi8eSbAAwB_xEvwKoPF-K0Fc5FDyCNMFsPfQLMJa7HVTujqQud-dfPB5NXaML4uapIFz6A8Im3aZQaPtBrlWNMf_hb1Ynb9gD_35na/s400/flamingsorbet.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 10px; width: 488px;" /></a>
Molecular gastronomy chefs have taken the world by storm, using the principles of science as well as new culinary technology to present some of the innovative dishes ever conceived. Also known as avant-garde cuisine, modernist cuisine, new cookery, the molecular gastronomy revolution was spearheaded by chef Ferran Adria at his 3-Michelin starred restaurant El Bulli, who would close his restaurant for 6 months every year to conduct thousands of molecular gastronomy experiments to create the menu for the following year. Although Adria is the orginator of this style of cooking, an entire movement of molecular gastronomy chefs have followed his lead, including El Bulli alumni Andoni Luis Aduriz, Jose Andres, Paco Roncero, and dozens of other chefs around the world including Heston Blumenthal, Grant Achatz, Homaro Cantu, David Chang, Wylie Dusfresne, David Kinch, Yoshihiro Narisawa, Rene Redzepi, Seiji Yamamoto, Bruno Chemel, Davide Scabin, Sat Bains, Richard Blais, Marcel Vigneron, Sean Brock, Homaro Cantu, Michael Carlson, Wylie Dufresne, Pierre Gagnaire, Will Goldfarb, Adam Melonas, Randy Rucker, Kevin Sousa, Sean Wilkinson, Will LaRue, and Laurent Gras.<br />
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Of all the talented molecular gastronomy chefs who have embraced molecular cooking, which chef do you think is worthy of the title of 'World's Best Molecular Gastronomy Chef'? <br />
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<a href="http://enthusio.com/best/11456/Worlds-Best-Molecular-Gastronomy-Chefs" title="Molecular Gastronomy Chef">Vote for your favorite molecular gastronomy chef</a><br />
<a href="http://pinterest.com/enthusio/molecular-gastronomy/" title="Molecular Gastronomy Photos">Molecular Gastronomy Photos</a> on Pinterest<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-90270882694537035082009-08-14T17:18:00.001-07:002009-08-14T17:18:33.142-07:00Blueberry Muffin Hall-of-Famer<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41334578@N05/3821220855/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3525/3821220855_8051d032ef.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 10px ; width: 488px;" alt="Blueberry Muffin Hall-of-Famer" /></a><br /></div><p>An unexpectedly amazing house-made blueberry muffin from the new morning cafe at Salt House. Fresh, moist, blueberry-chocked-lemon-zesty goodness drizzled with just the right amount of glaze. Even more impressive when paired with a cup of their Ritual coffee.<br /><br />First the soft shell crab BLT from Anchor & Hope, then the BBQ from Town Hall, these guys continue to impress me over and over and over...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-66883672380570065372009-08-12T16:25:00.001-07:002009-08-12T16:53:08.815-07:00Bucatini alla Carbonara at 54 Mint<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41334578@N05/3812618421/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/3812618421_dcf93775af.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 10px; width: 488px;" alt="Bucatini alla Carbonara" /></a><br /></div><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.54mint.com/opening/temporary.html">54 Mint</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Durum grain pasta with pork cheek, egg, and parmesan<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 9 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1</p><p>This is my new favorite pasta dish, hands down. Yes, I'm aware of the current love affair we all have with the pasta at Incanto, but the bucatini alla carbonara from Mint 54 has completely blown me away. It's one of the tastiest pasta dishes I've had in ages and screams perfection, a carbonara finally done right: tasty bits of pork cheek lardons-style with a touch of smokiness, that stays delightfully crispy until the last bite. Bucatini cooked perfectly al dente coated with a thick eggy-creamy-parmesany carbonara that binds everything together without being overly creamy while refreshingly salty (though some might disagree)--all in a perfectly sized portion. To make things even sweeter, everything else about my dining experience was almost equally impressive, from perfectly crafted focaccia, octopus carpaccio, homemade limonata, and chocolate cake to impeccable service. Ok, so I was slightly unimpressed with the gnocchi, but then again anything would suck next to the bucatini. I predict 54 Mint will go really far, and far exceeded my experience at their sister restaurant Il Buco in NYC. Nicely done, 54 Mint, see you again! <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41334578@N05/sets/72157621899593353/">See all photos</a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-50158545894465776052009-08-11T12:51:00.001-07:002009-08-11T12:51:24.445-07:00Town Hall's BBQ ribs To-Go<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41334578@N05/3811668769/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/3811668769_a96fd25c49.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 10px ; width: 488px;" alt="Town Hall BBQ ribs" /></a><br /></div><p>Hot damn! Town Hall's BBQ ribs: The best takeout lunch in San Francisco by far. Available on random days behind the restaurant, follow @townhallbbq on twitter for updates.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-84871626604319513372009-03-18T23:38:00.000-07:002013-04-01T10:59:47.407-07:00Food review: Paris burger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/426431875_2f847e4812_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/426431875_2f847e4812_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://bistroburger.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=49">Bistro Burger</a> (Mission St., San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> 6 oz. Niman Ranch burger with brie cheese, sautéed mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato, side of curly fries<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 6 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Text hereUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-84507070793392584122009-02-18T15:49:00.000-08:002013-04-01T10:59:47.404-07:00Food review: Spicy string beans (dim sum)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/409378175_28d346e1ff_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/409378175_28d346e1ff_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.cantonsf.com/">Canton Seafood & Dim Sum Restaurant</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Sauteed stringbeans with onion, soy sauce, and chili oil<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 6.5 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />A little overcooked, patches of extreme spiciness, sitting in puddle, decent flavorUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-51258928063599906722009-02-18T15:45:00.000-08:002013-04-01T10:59:47.400-07:00Food review: Steamed meat dumplings (dim sum)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/409378269_2bb45ed0db_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/409378269_2bb45ed0db_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.cantonsf.com/">Canton Seafood & Dim Sum Restaurant</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Chinese steamed dumplings with pork, beef, and shrimp (dim sum)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 6.5 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Meat flavor clashed together too much, nothing distinct about it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-27666206454940008782009-02-11T21:40:00.000-08:002013-04-01T11:01:49.365-07:00Food review: Memphis sweet-smoked pork<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/407556723_e6963ffe6e_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/407556723_e6963ffe6e_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.memphisminnies.com/">Memphis Minnies</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Barbeque pork shoulder smoked for 14 hours, side of macaroni and cheese<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 7.5 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-56226298016504144422009-02-11T15:28:00.000-08:002013-04-01T11:01:49.369-07:00Food review: Fire ball nigiri<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/407556520_d0247b3101_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/407556520_d0247b3101_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sushidelight.net/">Sushi Delight</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Spicy tuna deep fried and topped with maguro tuna sashimi and spicy sauce<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 6 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-78366034675274465112007-10-29T21:48:00.000-07:002009-08-13T18:02:36.000-07:00Calf's brains<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2304/1801798927_55f34bc6e7_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2304/1801798927_55f34bc6e7_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.incanto.biz/">Incanto</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Calf's brains with white chanterelle mushrooms, capers, and lemon<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 8.5 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Sorry if brains gross anyone out, but I think it's fun to get a little avant-garde with my cuisine. I had all these bad brain jokes lined up for this post, but then I remembered I actually want to keep my readers. So for those of you who never had brains, here's your chance to live vicariously through mine (I couldn't resist). I've been dying to try them for a while but was advised against it by a chef friend of mine cuz of all the mad cow nonsense, not to mention my organ of choice has typically been sweetbreads, which I thought would be hard to beat. But dowse anything in chanterelles & gravy and it's tough to go wrong, no? Anyway, after first cutting into a brain, the inside was white and soft like silken tofu--no muscle fibers to speak of. The texture was incredibly smooth and basically melted in your mouth the same way uni does. It's extremely fatty and rich like pâté, but milkier and only a tad livery. With the wonderful chanterelle gravy and a little lemon and capers to cut the heaviness, it turned out fantastic! I'm sure there's places where you should and shouldn't order brains, but Incanto can definitely be trusted with a tricky dish like this. I encourage all you squeamish ones to try it just once here. Just close your eyes and you won't be disappointed!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-40001147364048069192007-10-29T21:45:00.000-07:002013-04-01T11:01:49.366-07:00Braised pork shoulder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2158/1801799205_35a3534f1d_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2158/1801799205_35a3534f1d_o.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><br /><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</font> <a href="http://www.incanto.biz/">Incanto</a> (San Francisco)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</font> Braised pork shoulder with grilled watermelon, tarragon, and onion<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</font> 6 out of 10<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</font> 1Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-52786877415916509122007-10-21T20:35:00.000-07:002007-10-25T23:47:30.839-07:00Food review: Andouille sausage eggs benedict<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2360/1573333813_d41a710589_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2360/1573333813_d41a710589_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sfmaverick.com/">Maverick</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Two poached eggs atop grilled andouille sausage, crawfish and jalapeno hollandaise, English muffin, side of home fries<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 9 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Wow--what can I say--yet another <span style="font-style: italic;">superb </span>brunch dish from Maverick. Not only did it taste amazing, it was inventive and I'd say the best seafood eggs benedict I've had in San Francisco. I loved the creole flair of this dish, and the meticulously-balanced ingredients. To allow the crawfish to really shine, the chef knew exactly how much to tone down the smokiness and spiciness of the andouille and jalapeno. The creamy hollandaise and egg yolk brought out the flavor of the crawfish and tasted like fresh crab drenched in butter. Add a little kick to that plus some smoked meat, and life is good. I've been looking for a loooooong time for an eggs benedict that's worthy of a 9.0. I wouldn't change a thing about this dish aside from maybe the home fries. They were just slightly crispy and not greasy, but just a tad dry here and there. That's just filler anyway and I'm not really rating those. But as far as eggs benedict is concerned, this is the reigning champ. Anyone up for a challenge?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-71764209027332377702007-10-21T19:32:00.000-07:002007-10-25T23:23:57.929-07:00Food review: Duck confit hash<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2074/1573335885_8fad9c668b_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2074/1573335885_8fad9c668b_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sfmaverick.com/">Maverick</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Two poached eggs atop duck confit with crisp hash browns, oyster mushrooms in a mushroom cream sauce<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 9 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />How 'bout I cut to the chase and just say 'Holy crap! This dish was f*#&n incredible!' Definitely the best breakfast <span style="font-style: italic;">hash</span> dish I've had in San Francisco. It's what happens when chefs put the same about of effort into brunch as they do for dinner. In case you didn't know, mushrooms and duck melt together like hot-butta-on-a-breakfast-toast. Something about the gameyness of the duck and the funginess of the mushrooms really work amazing together to create this deeply rich and hearty flavor without the grease of fattier meats. To make things even better, they threw in some crispy hash browns which retained their crispiness despite being drenched in mushroom sauce. This is a feat very rarely accomplished in a hash brunch dish! And mix all that together with the two poached eggs and it's simply perfection. Ok, nothing's perfect, and I'll admit that one of my eggs was slightly over-poached, but I'm a forgiving person and they can get another chance at that. There were also pieces of duck here and there a tiny bit dry, but it wasn't a big deal after the mushroom sauce kicked in. What really amazed me about this dish is that, given how heavy the ingredients were, how non-greasy the whole thing tasted. It was nice to finally eat a hash where your face and didn't end up covered in grease. Absolutely loved it, and what a 180° from the <a href="http://blog.ifoodufood.com/2007/10/food-review-maverick-donut-holes.html">donut holes</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-49908880483669847342007-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:002007-10-25T22:58:33.818-07:00Food review: Maverick donut holes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/1574223400_cf3511a40a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/1574223400_cf3511a40a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sfmaverick.com/">Maverick</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Five doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and sugar<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 5 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />After just eating at <a href="http://blog.ifoodufood.com/search/label/Maverick">Maverick</a> for dinner, I remembered someone telling me their brunch was rumored to be great, so I made a second trip to scope it out. As I walked up, I noticed a 7x7 award for "Best Brunch" in the window, which typically is a good sign, not to mention the exiting restaurantgoers raving about how awesome it was. I perused the menu and, after resisting donuts all week after a workout marathon, I finally caved and ordered the donut holes. Now that my expectations had been all built up, I was assuming they'd be amazing, but sadly, that was not the case. I was expected an airy, light-and-fluffy donut that was delicately dusted with powered sugar. What I got was a heavy, doughy, 1/4 inch-of-granulated-sugar-coated donut hole--well actually...five of them! They were so dense that they were scalding hot in the center, so I burnt my fingers pulling it apart! Ouchie! I had to brush off a good portion of the sugar before they could be in edible form. There was also too much cinnamon for me (I'm not a huge fan). So the donuts ended up being a total upset and wasn't a very good start to brunch...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-11099206613640942312007-10-17T19:25:00.000-07:002007-10-25T22:42:07.962-07:00Food review: Grilled Broken Arrow Ranch antelope<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2160/1573338183_4957a0904a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2160/1573338183_4957a0904a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sfmaverick.com/">Maverick</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Grilled peppercorn crusted Broken Arrow Ranch antelope loin with grilled black mission figs, creamy Texas long grain wild rice with carrots and leeks<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 8 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Well...as an antelope virgin I'm not totally qualified to review this dish, but I'll definitely give it a shot. The flavor of antelope falls into a happy-medium spot somewhere between venison and steak--not too gamey and not too bland. The texture of the loin cut was excellent, tender and gristle-free, and on the lean side. It was cooked medium, which turned out juuust right, very pink and juicy but not bloody. The portion was sizable, and larger than expected, given the modest price of $28. Though the antelope was grilled, I prefer a little more char and felt that the grilled flavor was completely overtaken by the intense sweetness of the mission fig reduction. I learned to avoid overdrenching each bite with the fig sauce--it only needed a teeny smidgen and could've been toned down a lot. So you can imagine what it was like eating the figs braised in their own reduction. I had to pass on dessert after that. I actually enjoyed the rice because it was a refreshing alternative to those heavy sleep-inducing mashed potatoes typically served with steak dishes. Definitely a winner in my book.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-55333716160745362172007-10-16T19:22:00.000-07:002007-10-25T22:22:39.244-07:00Food review: Creekstone Farm short ribs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/1573335233_b1ab868f6a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/1573335233_b1ab868f6a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sfmaverick.com/">Maverick</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Braised Creekstone Farm beef short ribs with homemade tater tots, Vedure Farm cherokee tomato slices, watercress, and braising reduction<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 7.5 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Short ribs always hit the spot on those brisk nights when you're in the mood for some comfort food. Such was the case at Maverick, with their California-cuisine-meets-Southwest rendition of this dish. The dish was hearty and heavy but I thoroughly enjoyed everything in all it's fatty glory. The the short ribs had a little crispiness to the edges but juicy and tender inside, giving it a unique but nice texture contrary to what I was expecting. The flavor was basically what you'd expect from short ribs: savory, salty, and buttery goodness. Though fatty, it was definitely not overly greasy. The braising reduction was thin but potent and added that necessary gravy requirement. I was excited about the homegrown tater tots, which were crispy and tasty, but came out a little on the greasy side. I get what the chef was trying to do with the tomatoes but I didn't think it really needed them. I guess it was necessary to appease the veggie complainers. Overall, the dish was simple but very well done and worthy of a second go.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-60123026814981033042007-10-14T20:19:00.000-07:002007-10-15T00:13:29.039-07:00Food review: Baltimore crab fluffs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/1574224226_9ffc74ebb3_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/1574224226_9ffc74ebb3_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sfmaverick.com/">Maverick</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Fried lump Maryland blue crab cakes with tartar sauce<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</span> 6 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Being from the east coast, I'm going to be a little hard on this dish because I've had Maryland blue crabs straight out of the Chesapeake and know how good they can be. That being said, I don't feel these crab cakes represented properly, but it was a good try. On the good side, there was a lot of crab meat and hardly any fillers. On the bad side, the meat was more shredded than lumpy. I was looking forward to some big old chunks of crab and instead got more of a crab mashup. That wasn't a huge deal though, it was actually the flavor that was the dealbreaker for me. The sad thing about blue claw crabs is if the meat is more than a day old, the flavor suffers and becomes more fishy than sweet. I noticed this immediately because I am used to eating whole blue crabs caught fresh that day, compared to crabcakes which are processed. I also thought that deep-frying the crab and serving it with tartar sauce was overkill on the heaviness. Perhaps something lemony instead could work better. Maybe I'm being too critical, but this dish not live up to my expectations and I know that Maverick can do better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-53860145285834780752007-10-14T19:14:00.000-07:002007-10-14T23:51:52.379-07:00Food review: Sweet corn pudding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/1574221290_c6e82e51fe_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/1574221290_c6e82e51fe_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.sfmaverick.com/">Maverick</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Sweet corn pudding with roasted red pimiento peppers over bed of baby lettuce and anchovy vinaigrette<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Food rating:</span> 8 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Corn pudding is one of those simple pleasures in life that Maverick really nailed. It's California cuisine, so the secret was in the super-sweet local corn. The corn was so good, I was immediately hooked and demanded a side of grilled corn-on-the-cob to accompany my entree. Not only was it sweet, but it was also decadently creamy. I liked that the sweetness came naturally from the corn instead of adding a ton of sugar. The chef tried to balance things out with an anchovy-dressed side salad, but I felt that it was fine by itself. I did like the addition of roasted red peppers. It helped give the dish a little character. The texture of the pudding was thick and held its shape, and neither pasty nor soggy. The corn was perfectly cooked--crisp and not chewy or mushy. As a side note, this is one of the few dishes that I refrained from adding salt to. It's a shame that I rarely see corn pudding on the menu at other restaurants.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-27108754779920634952007-10-14T18:01:00.001-07:002013-04-01T11:04:27.689-07:00Cheese review: Parmigiano Reggiano<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/1572368423_08eb41a311_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/1572368423_08eb41a311_o.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</font> <a href="http://www.zunicafe.com/">Zuni Cafe</a> (San Francisco)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</font> Hard cow's milk cheese from Italy aged 12-36 months served with dates<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Rating:</font> 10+<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Times eaten:</font> 10+<br /><br />TheUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-24162307660389430492007-09-11T17:15:00.000-07:002007-10-14T18:05:19.712-07:00Food review: Halibut salad crostini<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/1572369541_144be2c638_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/1572369541_144be2c638_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.zunicafe.com/">Zuni Cafe</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Halibut salad crostini with niçoise olives, kumquats, crème fraîche, shallot vinaigrette, with side of lamb's lettuce salad<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Food rating:</span> 7 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />The halibut salad crostini highlights the benefits of California cuisine with its freshness and fusion of ingredients. I always like it when a chef gets creative and can combine unlikely ingredients in a complementary way--in this case--kumquats, olives, and fish. I really liked how the acidity and sweetness of the kumquats balanced the saltiness and strength of the olives. The halibut and crème fraîche mellowed everything out and the crostini supplied the necessary crunch. I'd describe the flavors as light, tangy, salty, clean, and citrusy. I also loved that there was no mayo used in this dish, but a light shallot vinaigrette instead. It was the perfect alternative to a salad and didn't weigh me down afterwards. Although there was nothing bad about this dish (aside from an oily side salad), after having the amazing <a href="http://blog.ifoodufood.com/2007/09/food-review-burger.html">burger</a> and other dishes at Zuni, I've come to expect more from them, especially for $13 they were charging. It's a shames because I really enjoyed and appreciated the uniqueness of this dish <span style="font-style: italic;">but,</span> for what it was, I don't think it's worth ordering again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-19860674494211760542007-09-10T15:35:00.000-07:002007-10-14T18:03:59.484-07:00Food review: Zuni burger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/1572371663_a46d34e92e_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/1572371663_a46d34e92e_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.zunicafe.com/">Zuni Cafe</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> Mesquite-grilled house-ground chuck burger on rosemary foccacia with gruyère, garden lettuce, red onion, aioli, and Zuni pickles<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Food rating:</span> 9.5 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Ok, so I'll get right to the point on this one: As of right now, this is the best (insert expletive here) burger I've eaten in San Francisco. Period! I've never had a burger so juicy, flavorful, and of this quality until now. I have since become obsessed with finding out the secret to these burgers and <a href="http://www.diaryofafoodie.org/recipes/6/5.html">learned</a> that Judy Rogers (the chef and owner) grinds the chuck in-house after marinating it with salt for 24 hours and voilà! The perfect burger. Sounds easy enough, so I intend on getting my hands on a meat grinder and testing it out myself.<br /><br />So anyway, let me attempt to describe why this burger was so good. #1: The texture. This was by far the juiciest burger I've ever had, and when I say juicy I'm not talking about <span style="font-style: italic;">greasy.</span> Huge difference there. The meat wasn't overground, resulting in a delicately constructed patty that was tender and easy to chew. I was worried about the foccacia not being able to support the weight of the burger, but it held strong and was a welcome variation on the traditional burger bun. #2: The flavor. It was deep and smoky with a touch of char, amazingly fresh, and didn't leave the palate greasy at all. Made from pure chuck, the flavor was greatly improved, and free of any sketchy bits of cartilage or other questionable beef parts typically found in ground beef patties. I'm not an Atkins fanatic, so when I say the burger patty was tasty enough to eat by itself, I mean it! No need for any cheese or onion or bread messing up this masterpiece! In all seriousness though, this burger is truly amazing and no matter what you put on it, it'll still be great. I've heard people complain that the burger was too rare, and my response to that would be: think of this burger as you would a steak. It's not your average bacteria-ridden ground beef, but premium house-ground chuck with very little processing, so you can afford to eat it a little rarer (the chefs know best). So sorry, if you're waiting for me to say something negative about this burger, you won't find it here!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-68897990995653027952007-09-08T13:14:00.000-07:002013-04-01T11:03:43.228-07:00Pappardelle with faraona sugo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2346/1802642808_ab6b0d45e1_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2346/1802642808_ab6b0d45e1_o.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</font> <a href="http://www.incanto.biz/">Incanto</a> (San Francisco)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</font> Pappardelle with faraona sugo (guinea hen), escarole, and grapes<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</font> 8.5 out of 10<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</font> 1<br /><br />Pasta too thick, hard to fork<br />Crispy skin awesome and stayed crunchy but very oily and rich (deep fried)<br />Hen was shredded, tender, but heavy, darker gamier meat but flavorful<br />Got boring after a while<br />grapes very sweet but couldn't overcome oilyness<br />No sauce, just juices from veggies and meat<br />endive crunchy and added nice flavor to meat<br />Overall very unique combo of ingredients, but left my mouth too oilyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-55231805954727130962007-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:002013-04-01T11:03:43.225-07:00Chitarra al nero with braised octopus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/1801808649_28a727c822_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/1801808649_28a727c822_o.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</font> <a href="http://www.incanto.biz/">Incanto</a> (San Francisco)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</font> Chitarra al nero (squid ink pasta) with braised octopus and cherry tomatoes<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Food rating:</font> 8.5 out of 10<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</font> 1<br /><br />This dish was the star of the evening<br /><br />Sauce was thick and just salty enough, seafoody, thick and hearty but light finish, ink not bitter, tomato added just right amount of acid to balance<br />Octopus tender and fatty (not oily) and copious, delicious!<br />Tomatoes a little awkward, pushed those aside<br /><br />and for a nominal $16 bucks, who'd have thunk it?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2602289018583877371.post-66843936364951338602007-09-05T21:55:00.000-07:002007-10-14T15:34:34.720-07:00Food review: Mussels poulette<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/487544442_9151993d5a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/487544442_9151993d5a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Restaurant:</span> <a href="http://www.ploufsf.com/">Plouf</a> (San Francisco)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food description:</span> <span class="unders">Steamed Prince Edward Island mussels in a shallot, bacon, and white wine cream sauce</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Food rating:</span> 6 out of 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times ordered:</span> 1<br /><br />Plouf is one of the better joints on Belden Lane because they know how to do one thing well: mussels. Plouf's mussels come straight from Prince Edward Island, which are cultured (farmed) rather than wild. Because they never touch the ocean bottom, the mussels end up sweeter, more tender, plumper, and sand-free. Yum! So now that you've got the low-down on P.E.I., let's get into the sauce. Since Plouf serves mussels galore, you can choose from a selection of seven sauces, from traditional to mariniere, to even <a href="http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/gratinee.html">gratinee</a>. I wanted to try something different and chose the "<a href="http://www.cooking2000.com/us/sauce/uspoulette.htm">poulette</a>" sauce, which I unfortunately would not choose again. The mild flavor of the mussels was no match for the heavy smokiness of the bacon and the intense sweetness of the shallots. Not to mention the heaviness of the cream. I prefer a sauce that's much more subtle because I actually wanted to <span style="font-style: italic;">taste</span> the mussels, ya know? That's not to say the sauce wouldn't be great on a pasta or something else, just not with this dish. It was a shame too, since the portions were very generous and the sauce just got too sickening for me to finish it. So there you have it: great mussels + not-so-great sauce = a 6.0. Better luck next time!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0