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ABOUT ME:

Name: Gutenberg

Location: Somewhere near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Occupation: BRPR (Bunrab public relations.)

 
the BUNRAB blog spot
 

Do you need to answer back? You can send me comments if you want to.

If I want to, I'll post 'em in this very blog.

-Gutenberg



 

October 9-15, 2009

 

go to next week's blogs

 

  Thursday, October 15, 2009
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Beef-egg-getty


Aporiadillo ($9.75):

... is a traditional Michoacan specialty of shredded, dried beef with scrambled egg and tomato broth. El Rincon Tarazco makes this BFF (bovine, fetal and fruit) dish in their counter service cantina:

... along with wonderful, fresh, warm, house made tortillas:

Rice and beans topped with cojita and avocado slices made their way into the maize mits nestled beside my jerkey scram which was good enough to warrant a return visit.

El Rincon Tarazco
3200 Middlefield Rd.
Menlo Park, CA
650.216.9207

 

 

Mark your Calendar

Anita Chu has followed up her cookie compendium with her latest - Field Guide to Candy. Whether you are the soft ball or hard crack type, you can get some sweet advice from the author at her book signing this Saturday.


Omnivore Books on Food
Anita Chu’s A Field Guide to Candy
Saturday, October 17th 3-4 p.m
3885a Cesar Chavez St.
San Francisco, CA
415.282.4712




 

 

  Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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Dim sum drew us to Koi Palace for lunch where we devoured trays of shrimp dumplings ($4.50):

... pork buns ($3.60), chewy, well seasoned pork ribs ($6.90) and Chinese broccoli ($5.50):

I asked for xiao lung bao, but instead of the dumplings filled with soup that I expected, I got a bowl of rich broth containing a shark fin dumpling ($6.50):

Rather than fin-agling with the server about this Alice Waters approved appetizer, I koi-ly accepted the soupy swap of this toothsome treat.

We tanked up:

... during our briskly paced:

... visit to this bustling bureau of buns and sum-tuous sustenance.


Koi Palace
365 Gellert Blvd.
Daly City, CA
650.992.9000

 

 

Mark your Calendar

Consider the OysterFest

Waterbar’s OysterFest 2009 kicks off Thursday with a special oyster dinner as well as an expanded oyster selection which will be available throughout this bivalve curious weekend.

Oyster BLTs, chili lime cured oysters in a parmesan cone and raw oysters on the half shell are a few of the dishes that can be calcified as gill-icious reef-reshments during Saturday’s soiree which will feature a shucking contest and live music This benefit for the San Mateo SurfRider Foundation sounds like a shore thing.


OysterFest 2009

Saturday, October 17 noon - 3 p.m.
tickets $50 includes admission and 5 tickets each good for a small plate or beverage
Waterbar
399 The Embarcadero South
San Francisco, CA
415.284.9922





 

 

  Tuesday, October 13, 2009
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Kevin and Erin threw a little shindig at Soluna Lounge this evening.

Figs baked with blue cheese and prosciutto:

... braised short ribs on potato chips and pumpkin cheesecake pops:

... were among the noshable nuggets at this clubby cubby:

... where we got to catch up with friends at this apres storm soiree.


Soluna Lounge

272 McAllister St.
San Francisco, CA
415.621.2200

 

 

Mark your Calendar

WhiskyFest is coming to San Francisco this Friday.

Malty mentors will dispense wisdom and whisky at this spirited event.

Over 200 rare intoxicants will be imbibed beside a buffet to buffer the booze.

If you have a thirst for knowledge, you can drink in seminars to utilize some of your surviving brain cells.


WhiskyFest San Francisco

Friday, October 16
advance ticket sales only
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. general admission $110
5:30 p.m. entry VIP $150
San Francisco Marriott
55 Fourth St.
San Francisco, CA





 

 

  Monday, October 12, 2009
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French Laundry List

Our dinner at The French Laundry was missing an ingredient that has infused their every meal for the past several years - Corey Lee. Timothy Hollingsworth has toquen over the role of chef de cuisine (since Chef Lee left to create his own coin op shop) so we were anxious to see if there was static electricity or a new spin cycle as we tumbled through five hours on the new chef’s heat-onistic setting.

The meal was front loaded with suds in the form of Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne along with Chef Thomas Keller’s touchstones of gougers and salmon cornets.

A sunchoke and foie gras soup saturated Michigan cherries, pinenuts and a foie gras mousse. The cool mousse against the warm, rich, liver lava with a sweet tang from the fruit and crunch from the nuts was good from soup to nuts.

Green apple foam cushioned sturgeon caviar over a sake granite. The shards of rice ice were nice, but roe-wed away from luxuriating in the caviar core of the creation with their prickly presence:

Applewood smoke was captured in the fabric of kampachi belly which arrived enclosed in a glass orb. We loved this simple and sensational trifecta with Vidalia onions and Blis maple syrup:

Surf and Turf with a cube of sweetbread and perfectly cooked gulf prawn with fennel and a crayfish foam :

...rode a wave of Sauvignon Blanc before a sig-negg-ture egg custard with plenty of truffle ragu and a chive chip:

Squash had their blossoms attached like parachutes as they landed on a Nicoise olive painted field. Peeled tomatoes burst with flavor against baby basil leaves activated with a Lucien Crochet Pinot Rosé Sancerre:

The box with the white truffles opened to offer more than a marvelous perfume as they were shaved over our tagliatelle. Beurre noisette was then drizzled over to activate this aromatic arrangement which we devoured with a Joseph Drouhin Meursault:

Branzini was baked in a tonka bean and caper salt crust and served with a fennel tapenade, Globe artichokes, capers and parsley sprouts.

A 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieux Télégraphe, “La Crau” with seared Island Creek divers scallops, applewood smoked bacon, beets, onion petals, lettuce chiffonade and tarragon may not be kosher, but it was traif-riffic in our book:

A seared lobe of foie gras was tossed in a pot with Tahitian vanilla beans and madeira before being plated with Gros Michel bananas, compressed Belgian endive, butter roasted pecans and watercress. This ducky dish was gilded with a 1986 Chateau Raymond-Lafon Sauternes.

A plummy 2007 Porter Bass Pinot Noir nested with a milk fed chicken thigh roulade and breast with Matake mushrooms, ginko nuts, brocoli raab and sauce Japonaise.

The 2006 Shelter Cabernet Sauvignon was the perfect dwelling for a perfect piece of Snake River culotte du boeuf with Thumbelina carrots, butterball potatoes, onions, spinach and a garlic sauce:

A buckwheat crepe stuffed with red cabbage strewn with house made speck and mustard greens supported wedges of Swiss cow milk cheese paired with a 1998 Dr. Von Bassermann-Jordan, “Forster Jesuitgarten” Riesling:

Creme Fraiche sorbet over toasted oats with huckleberry sauce had a creamy tang with crunchy, fruit bites to lay the groundwork for dessert.

Signature coffee and donuts woke us up with a cappuccino semi freddo and hot brioche bites rolled in cinnamon sugar.

1995 La Cave de l’Abbé rous, Cuveé Christian Reynal Banyuls reinforced the cocoa contingent of a rich chocolate cake:

...with almond mascarpone ice cream before we hit the multiple mignardises, chocolates and coffee.

The passing of the baton at the French Laundry is a success. We can’t wait to check out more of this dialed in chow (except we can’t imagine every being hungry again.)

The French Laundry Restaurant
6640 Washington St.
Yountville, CA
707.753.0088

 

 

Mark your Calendar

For those waiting for the Beverly Hills Bouchon to open, the big day is November 18th.

 

Mark your Calendar (again)

Gather around the fire with some of the Bay Area’s best butchers and chefs at Primal Napa Valley.

Chefs including Chris Cosentino, Staffan Terje and Jeremy Fox will be firing up some Hudson Ranch meat and produce while Magnolia beer and Daniel Hyatt’s cocktails offer social lubrication.

Our favorite knife-wielding meat men - Taylor Boetticher and Ryan Farr will be among those demonstrating the deconstruction of a cow, pig, goat and lamb.

Guests won’t have to wait to engage in carnivorous conduct since chefs will pack along protein provisions and a hundred pounds of bones will be roasted for bread spread to sate those salivating from the porky perfume.

VIP ticket holders will partake of the Allan Benton Bacon Bar, cocktails, roasted oysters and reserve wines an hour earlier than the general admission crowd who will sink their teeth into meats accompanied by wines and beers.

Even though there is a lot to attract attendees, the organizers nailed it at “bacon bar”.


Primal Napa Valley
November 7th
3 p.m. - 7 p.m. general admission $65
early admission at 2 p.m. for VIP experience $100
Hayne Vineyard
Chase Cellars
2252 Sulphur Springs
St. Helena, CA





 

 

  Sunday, October 11, 2009
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The Treasure Island WineFest:

... took place as the squadron of Blue Angels soared overhead.

Lodi wine country was the terrior target:

... of this afternoon’s operation headquartered on a former military base.

The 2006 Lucas Winery:

...Chardonnay has a strategy of elegant aging. We enjoyed the crisp acidity of this commanding quafficer.

The Peterson Family Vineyards 2007 Onus Chardonnay:

... was the apple of our Lod-eye with a Granny Smith and lemon flourish. We were also struck by their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. This mili-cherry operation won over our hearts and minds with a vanilla envelope containing an engaging minerality.

Wine Valley Catering’s rations:

... kept the troops looking alive during this show of force of California’s central valley’s vintners.



Treasure Island WineFest

Treasure Island, CA





 

 

  Saturday, October 10, 2009
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We were the only people who weren’t conducting our dinner conversation in Japanese during our meal at Wakuriya.

This small and smart strip mall shop serves exclusively kaiseki menus. You can go with a six course combo ($70.00) which is ill advised when the full course course is a mere 3 fins more ($85.00).

Dewazakura Tobiroku sparkling sake:

... had a dry crispness that paired well with the complex cuisine.

A fish bowl with marinated flounder, persimmon shavings, chives, nori and enoki mushrooms:

... was a terrari-yum of citrus kissed, earthy, oce-antic enticement.

Chrysanthemum greens flourished in an oshitashi with shimeji shrooms. Bonito was made neato with daikon sprouts and a balsamic boost. We loved the yamaimo and seared foie gras nigiri. The slimy mountain potato added a long finish to the luscious liver:

Clean, focused flavors filled the pot of tofu, pine mushrooms, pink slices of duck breast, ginko bean and citrus zest:

Fresh ground wasabi and bonito soy sauce accompanied pristine portions of amberjack, fatty tuna and tai snapper:

We were reeled in by this line of superior sashimi.

Japanese eggplant filled with shrimp cake, a sliver of squash and Shiso leaves filled with a bright red pickled ginger had crisp tempura shells. A cone of grated daikon was mixed into the dipping sauce and superfine salt showered this frilly fried fare:

A sake gelée in ginger ale:

... shook our etch-a-sketch palates upside down to clear the canvas for what was not a run of the mille feuille.

We leaved through pages of pork in this cabbagey chapter of victual verse capped with scallions and slimy konbu ribbons:

Bookends of king oyster mushrooms were given an acidic balance by little red tomatoes.

The savory segment of our meal came to a conclusion with a sesame-scented dashi with tai snapper, fresh wasabi and daikon:

... and an Alaskan snow crab omelet:

These warming rice bowls were complemented with a side of crunchy Japanese pickles.

As our evening drew to a close, we turned into pumpkins of the kabocha mousse persuasion with support from chestnuts, azuki beans and sembei:

We were seriously impressed by the chow and hospitality at this South Bay standout.

They change their menu every month so we will have to drop by for another kaiseki-tive calendar page to see what November holds.


Wakuriya
115 De Anza Blvd.
San Mateo, CA





 

 

  Friday, October 9, 2009
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I ordered a cheeseburger ($5.49) at the counter of Jeffrey’s Hamburgers:

... and was bewildered to receive a spartan plate of grub:

... (with only bread, meat and cheese) until I spotted the condiment bar:

I augmented my Angus with an array of accouterments:

... including jalapenos before I dug into my griddled grub. The standard issue bun got a little juice logged from the house ground chuck puck, but it was still a solid, everyday burger which I enjoyed with a side of not too greasy onion rings ($2.29):

The man at the register was masterful at multi-tasking maintaining orderly orders and filling the mob’s gobs.



Jeffrey’s Hamburgers

42 South B St.
San Mateo, CA
650.348.8698





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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