Food review: Memphis sweet-smoked pork

Restaurant: Memphis Minnies (San Francisco)
Food description: Barbeque pork shoulder smoked for 14 hours, side of macaroni and cheese
Food rating: 7.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

Food review: Penne guillamo

Restaurant: Squat and Gobble (Fillmore St., San Francisco)
Food description: Penne with grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, onions, and artichokes in a pesto cream sauce topped with shaved parmesan and parsley
Food rating: 7 out of 10
Times ordered: 5

This dish is on my "Great Pasta Under $10" list. It's nothing gourmet, but it hits the spot when I'm in the mood for a simple pasta that's tasty but won't break the bank. This recipe normally includes chicken apple sausage and black olives, but the dish is better off without them. Same with the artichokes (as much as I luv 'em), they over tang-ify the dish when combined with the sun dried tomatoes. I know I've completely butchered the chef's original vision, but it's ok, because I doubt the chef had much of a vision anyway (it's a sidewalk cafe). So the best part of this pasta is the pesto cream sauce. I'm sensitive to garlic, and though it's pretty heavy on the garlic, it's done in a way that enhances, not overpowers. The cream helps mellow out the garlic, and it's not so much cream that you can't get out of your chair afterwards. The sun dried tomatoes add the citrus element that cuts the heaviness of the sauce, and the onions are subtle
and tender. As far as the chicken goes, it's usually pretty good, but sometimes can be bland. This time it was great: fresh off the grill, tender, and marinated nicely. By the way, it's a huge portion (enough for dinner), so be prepared if you're ordering this for lunch because you'll be tempted to eat it all (but trust me, you won't). I haven't tried any of their other pastas, but probably would after my positive experience with this dish. It's a straightforward pasta that's a great alternative to people like me who are sick of having burgers, burritos, and pizza.

Food review: Tom kha gai soup

Restaurant: Thai House Express (Larkin St., San Francisco)
Food description: Traditional Thai soup made with coconut milk, ginger, lime, lemon grass, red onions, scallions and boiled chicken
Food rating: 8.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 2

I had been told repeatedly that Thai House Express had some great grubbin and the people weren't lying. I am a tom kha gai fanatic and this is some TASTY soup! I dislike when this dish is prepared too sweet, and they didn't do that. I dislike when its too lemony (is that a word?) or too oniony (i repeat...), and they didn't do that. And sometimes it is prepared with overcooked chicken and this chicken was tender (read: 'teeeaander' in that southern sing-song voice). Also they didn't destroy the flavor with too much spiciness, I ordered it medium and it was - thank you! It's interesting how they can take such major opposing flavors and mix them together into a good soup. I've definitely had tom kha gai that wasn't good and these guys have their stuff together. This place also happens to be pretty cheap, although it doesn't deliver (boooooo!), and the neighborhood (its the loin) is... well... interesting right?

Food review: Manicotti pasta

Restaurant: Mondo Caffe (San Francisco)
Food description: Pasta tubes filled with ricotta cheese topped with mozarella and marinara sauce
Food rating: 6.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

I always order the same old panini sandwiches at Mondo Caffe (the bresaola is my fave), but today I was feeling experimental and noticed a little sign with "Manicotti" scribbled on it. Since it's an Italian cafe I figured they might be able to hold their own in terms of pasta. Well overall, the manicotti was just about as good as you can get for a busy lunch spot: nothing amazing, but it beats a sandwich any day. If you look at the photo, you notice that none of the pasta was left exposed for the oven to dry out--something I always watch out for in pasta. Who wants to break their teeth on burnt chewy pasta, you know? Anyway, the pasta ended up being a little overcooked and soft, but still tasted ok, especially with all that cheesy ricotta goodness. It was hearty and rich and just the right portion size. My only gripe was the canned tomato flavor in the sauce. Using canned tomatoes is fine as long as you add enough other stuff to make it work, which was not the case for this dish. This is the second time this week I've complained about this...sigh. If you factor out the tomatoes, there was nothing glaringly wrong with the manicotti, and I definitely enjoyed it more than the ole sandwich-4-lunch routine, so I can see myself ordering this again.

Food review: Prosciutto e pomodoro sandwich

Restaurant: A.G. Ferrari (Mission St, San Francisco)
Food description: Prosciutto di Parma, lettuce, tomato, and extra virgin olive oil on an Italian baguette
Food rating: 6 out of 10
Times ordered: 2

Updated 3/7/07
After having such a positive experience with this sandwich the first time, I ordered it again and was extremely disappointed with it the second time around. As a result, I'm adjusted its rating down to a 6 to reflect its average score. At this point I would not recommend this sandwich. What changed? The bread was going stale and was hard and crumbly on the outside instead of soft and chewy. The prosciutto was almost 50% fat, which I had to painstakingly remove from each slice. There were also stringy pieces throughout the prosciutto, which were impossible to chew and is an indication of lower grade meat. Very little of the sandwich was actually edible, and I was off to the vending machine for a Snickers bar and bag of Doritos 2 hours after lunch. Sigh...

Original post from 2/24/07
Prosciutto lovers need to try this sandwich at A.G. Ferrari. It's 100% authentic Italian prosciutto di Parma sliced razor thin and perfectly tender. This isn't your everyday cheapo prosciutto that's hard, stringy, and overly salty, so it's worth the $9 price tag. The sandwich keeps it simple and doesn't interfere with the flavor of the prosciutto: no cheese, just lettuce tomato and a drizzle of olive oil. The sandwich is served on an Italian baguette, which is chewy by nature, but I'm just not a big fan of the chewiness factor. It was so good, I wished there was even more prosciutto on the sandwich. It's light and not very filling, so you'll need a side of chips or something else to complete the meal.

Food review: Steak sandwich

Restaurant: Sellers Markets (San Francisco)
Food description: Niman Ranch grilled steak sandwich seasoned with cracked salt & pepper topped with grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions, and melted provolone cheese, side of mixed greens
Food rating: 7.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

This was my second visit to Sellers Markets, a bustling new lunch spot that I wasn't very impressed with my first visit (as well as my coworkers) . Every place deserves a second chance, so I thought I'd check out one of their hot sandwiches. I usually expect steak sandwiches to be a little tough, so boy was I surprised when I bit into this sandwich and it was tender as can be. The flavor was also very impressive thanks to the flavorful Niman Ranch beef and delicious grilled mushrooms. The grilled onions were just the right amount, thankfully, since I can only handle them in moderation. The provolone cheese worked perfectly with the rest of the sandwich and the bread was toasty and warm, and the right texture for the meat. All of the ingredients worked really well together, but there wasn't enough meat for the bread. This is a common issue for me, as the last sandwich I had here was also lacking in meat (as well as Toaster Oven). For 10 bucks, I shouldn't have to go to the vending machine for a Snickers bar at 4pm because I'm starving. Plus, I couldn't eat more than a bite of the salad, as it was drenched in garlic, and that's really not my thing. But for what it was, this steak sandwich blows away others I've had in this neighborhood (aka Thirsty Bear) so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone local.

Food review: Cheese steak

Restaurant: Metro Caffe (San Francisco)
Food description: Thinly sliced beef chopped up and topped with American cheese, grilled onions, and hot peppers, served on a long roll
Food rating: 6.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 7

Being from Philly, the cheese steaks at Metro Caffe have some work to do before I'd consider it a "Philly" cheese steak, but not bad for San Francisco. I come here occasionally since it's local, but if I want a Philly cheese steak, I'll trek to Cheese Steak Shop for the real deal. Metro Caffe's version has some issues. First, the meat has some hard chewy tendony things in it, which are gross and could be solved by using better meat. Sometimes they use way too much black pepper, so the meat gets too spicy. There's also never enough cheese on it, so I have to order extra cheese. The roll is too soft and should be crustier, and there's too much roll compared to the amount of meat they put inside. If you don't mind those things, the actual flavor is decent overall, but very heavy. The bottom line is if you're in the mood for a cheese steak, but can't get to Cheese Steak Shop for whatever reason, this place is an acceptable alternative.

Food review: Caesar salad

Restaurant: Squat and Gobble (Fillmore St., San Francisco)
Food description: Romaine lettuce hearts with shaved parmesan, herbed croutons, and caesar dressing
Food rating: 6.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 2

I'm not that much of a salad person except when it comes to caesar salads. I can't help it, I just crave them constantly, which also makes me a real stickler. The caesar salad at Squat and Gobble (my regular brunch spot) was definitely below par. I've had it with chicken too, but that didn't help. The good thing about the salad was the lettuce was very fresh and crispy, no wilted or brown leaves, which I hate. The dressing was decent, not overly garlicky, but there wasn't enough of it and it was a little thin. The recipe didn't include anchovies, which was very unfortunate since it's a key ingredient to anything I consider a real caesar salad. The croutons were ok, homemade I think, but too small, too sparse, and too bland. The shredded parmesan was tasty, but again, not enough of it. Overall, for a caesar salad in this price range, I'd prefer the one at Harvest and Rowe.

Food review: Eggs benedict

Restaurant: Squat and Gobble (Fillmore St., San Francisco)
Food description: Poached eggs atop Canadian bacon and English muffin topped with Hollandaise sauce, side of rosemary home fries
Food rating: 7.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 10+

I like the eggs benedict at Squat and Gobble. The sauce is not to sweet, the canadian bacon is cooked correctly and the english muffin is not too hard or too soft - perfectly toasted. The eggs themselves are usually done just right, but sometimes they have that slightly runny white issue in the middle, which is a sign of an imperfect poaching. Also the rosemeary potatoes have come a long way since I first started going here, they used to SUCK. Now they are pretty good, somewhere along the way they changed the recipe and made the slices thinner and cooked them crispier. Oh they also got a fresh OJ machine, which has made OJ something I order every breakfast I eat there -- very tasty.

Food review: Italiano Sandwich

Restaurant: Toaster Oven (San Francisco)
Food description: White bread, mortadella, capicola, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, hot peppers, onions, pickles, mayo, mustard, oil, and italian seasoning
Food rating: 8.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 10+

First off, let me say that I don't order this sandwich with the hot peppers, but I'm sure it would be excellent with that extra spiciness too. I also get light mayo, because I hate it when people drown my sandwiches in condiments. As far as the quality of this sandwich, I'm loving it. The ingredients are all fresh, the toasting is not overdone to the point of "so crunchy that it hurts the top of my mouth" or underdone to the point of "why is this bread so damn soggy". The mix of meats has an great flavor. And at $4.99 its great value. I always get chips with the sandwich because it's not that big, so you need the filler to go with it, but the chips they have there are good, and not the run of the mill stuff. This is a tasty, quick lunch to grab before a meeting or if you are lunching at your desk.

Food review: Thai chicken wings

Restaurant: Thai House Express (Larkin St., San Francisco)
Food description: Thai chicken wings deep fried with dipping sauce
Food rating: 4 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

I'm always up for trying wings at different places, but I would not order the wings from Thai House Express again. They were not my style at all-no breading, no crispiness, and no sauce (aside from the dipping sauce which I didn't like). The skin was really thick and fatty and I had to pick all of it off. Once I got to the meat, it didn't really have any flavor and overall it didn't really seem like they put any effort into this dish at all. At least there's other things on the menu worth trying, such as the tom kha gai soup or the Thai House beef. Stick with what you know here...

Food review: Pad see ew (chicken)

Restaurant: Thai House Express (Larkin St., San Francisco)
Food description: Thai pan-fried rice noodles with chicken, scallions, and sweet soy sauce
Food rating: 7 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

I'm definitely not the authority on Thai food, since I don't really like curry or overly sweet dishes. I've had pad see ew at several other places and I have to say the kind at Thai House Express is pretty good. One thing I hate is overly greasy dishes, and the pad see ew was definitely not drenched in oil (unlike the pad see ew from Osha) . It's a nice introductory dish if you're not very daring, but perhaps a little boring for those looking for a bolder flavor. There was only little bits of chicken and should have been more generous in the meat department. But as pad see ew goes, Thai House Express is a top choice.

Food review: Thai House beef

Restaurant: Thai House Express (Larkin St., San Francisco)
Food description: Grilled beef with sweet dipping sauce and white rice
Food rating: 7.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

This is a popular dish at Thai House Express, and for good reason. The beef in this dish is of a better quality than you'll find at most Thai restaurants. It's lightly marinated then grilled until almost blackened and served in slices. Slicing the beef too soon will release the juices and become dry, which unfortunately happened with this dish. It was still perfectly tender and quite tasty, just a bit too dry. The sauce was lacking though, and for a dish as plain as this, the sauce needed to come through. It was sweet but too bland, and didn't complement the meat at all. Something with a little more kick would've been better. Overall, a pretty good choice at Thai House Express.

Food review: Kitchen sink sandwich

Restaurant: Toaster Oven (San Francisco)
Food description: Sandwich with salami, ham, roast beef, turkey, and provolone on a wheat roll
Food rating: 8 out of 10
Times ordered: 10+

For a top-notch sandwich joint that's also quick and cheap, Toaster Oven is your place. I've tried most of the sandwiches on the menu, and the kitchen sink sandwich is my favorite. I actually modify the recipe a bit, leaving out the roast beef. It clashes a little with the other 3 meats plus it's too stringy and requires some post-lunch floss action which ain't really my thing. They're a little stingy on the meat, but you can add more for a buck. The way they make sandwiches here is they put the meat and cheese on a roll, put it through a toaster and then comes the toppings . The cheese is perfectly melted and it's not like those fake panini sandwiches where the meat is all cold in the middle. I don't know where they get it from, but their bread is ridiculous. It's probably the best part of the sandwich: not too chewy, not too thick, toasted on the outside and soft on the inside. Every time I walk by this place, the scent of fresh bread reminds me to keep coming back.

Food review: Firenze pasta

Restaurant: Crepevine (Church St, San Francisco)
Food description: Penne with grilled chicken, eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, red onions
Food rating: 6 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

It might sound a little weird to order pasta at a creperie, but I've actually had a few of their pasta dishes (couldn't resist). Their pastas are ok if you're looking for something quick, cheap, and basic. It's more of a lunch/takeout style thing. This was my first time trying the firenze pasta, and the overall experience was pleasant. I'd consider ordering it again for lunch or dinner on-the-go. In terms of flavor, it's definitely better than the Roma or Palermo pastas. The downsides? The sauce wasn't really a sauce at all, just some leftover juice from the vegetables. It was too watery and splashed around when I stirred it. The penne and eggplant were overcooked and the zucchini was undercooked, creating a feeling of both crunchiness and sogginess in your mouth at once. But, if you're not a stickler for texture, the flavor's not half bad, especially after adding some grilled chicken to the mix. And unless you really really love garlic, I'd avoid the garlic bread.

Food review: Cheese burger

Restaurant: Burgermeister (Church St, San Francisco)
Food description: Grilled burger with cheddar and avocado, side of curly fries
Food rating: 8 out of 10
Times ordered: 10+

Burgermeister has built up quite the reputation for having the ultimate burger, so I've been putting them to the test over the past year (I just happen to live nearby). The verdict? Great, but definitely not the best I've had. The best part about their burgers is the meat: high quality primo Niman Ranch beef. They use the good parts so you'll never bite down on any mysterious crunchy things, and the texture actually resembles meat, not sponge. Because of this, their burgers are somewhat leaner, so a medium or medium-well is going to turn out way too dry for most people. If you get that part down, you'll never have a bad burger at Burgermeister (they're very consistent). The bun is nice and squishy, not too bready and the toppings are nice and fresh and plentiful. Sometimes I think the burgers are over grilled, meaning too burnt-tasting, but that's probably just me. Also, if you're picky about bacon being crunchy (like me), you won't like it here, thought it's still tasty. Oh, and make sure to substitute the fries for curly fries. They're positively addictive!

Food review: Buffalo wings

Restaurant: Burgermeister (Church St, San Francisco)
Food description: Tangy spicy buffalo-style chicken wings
Food rating: 5 out of 10
Times ordered: 10+

I have to admit, these wings are not very good at all. I think I've even gotten food poisoning from them once. Why have I ordered them so many times, you ask? Well being from the east coast, a girl's gotta have her buffalo wings regularly, and these were the closest I could find (near my house at least). I've come to the conclusion that San Francisco doesn't have a clue what real buffalo wings are supposed to be. This puts me in desparate situations where I have to settle for mediocrity and eat wings at Burgermeister cuz at least they've got the sauce kinda close. What I hate about their wings is that they taste old, they're way over-fried and dried out, and some wings don't look like wings at all. But on Mondays they're half price (like $3 for a dozen), so it ends up being 3 bucks well spent.

Food review: Smoked cajun andouille sausage

Restaurant: Memphis Minnies (San Francisco)
Food description: Spicy smoked barbeque pork andouille sausage
Food rating: 6 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

You've gotta be really into sausage to eat this much sausage by itself--which I'm not--but I wanted to try something other than the same old pork ribs and beef brisket that I always get at Memphis Minnies. It was definitely way too much sausage, especially given how greasy it was. There was a little puddle of orange grease that was left after I squeezed it out of the sausage before I could eat it. Yes, I'm also one of those people who blot their pizza with a napkin. I can handle some grease, but not when it's the only thing you taste. Such was the case with this sausage. It tasted like spicy barbequed fat, and that's about it. Like I said before, I don't think it was meant to be consumed this way and prefer it mixed into something like an omelette or jambalaya. So that being said, I will not be ordering this again (the mac-and-cheese was good though).