Daily Feed - November 21-30, 2010

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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

November 21-30, 2010

go to next week's blogs

Tuesday, November 30, 2010
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Santa Ramen doesn't exist on Tuesdays so I returned to Ramen Club to heat up.

I got a Shio ramen set ($8.25) which included a bunch of pot stickers with crisply deep fried dough around meaty middles:

A nest of house made noodles:

... was saturated with a porky potion with corn, green onions and nori. I slurped down my lunch at the busy bar and watched the kitchen ladle lashings of belly ballast to the chilled crowd.

Ramen Club
723 California Dr.
Burlingame, CA
650.347.3690

Monday, November 29, 2010
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Bruschetta of avocado ($4.75):

... with puckery pickled red onions and shaved sheets of luscious lardo was a fruit faced beginning to today's lunch at Zero Zero.

Garbanzos were gathered under a burrata blanket in the chickpea bruschetta ($4.75):

The cheese kept the bean balls from shifting with its curd herding properties on this tasty toast.

Brussels sprouts ($8.95):

... were gilded on all sides and tossed with pickled burdock, compressed asian pear and pancetta. These cute cabbages were heady helpings of earthy, pork punctuated, fruit-freshened, rooty, required eating.

Blisters blossomed on the thin crusted pizzas. The Castro ($14.95):

... was studded with sopressata, crumbled sausage, mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil while the Townsend ($13.50):

... was spudded with thin coins of potato, prosciutto cotto, mozzarella and roasted garlic. Both pies were top notch, but I parked on the Townsend.

My chocolate soft serve with hot fudge ($5.45):

... looked like a Pisa to follow my pizza but no matter what the spiral spigot dispenses, this dessert is always worth a swirl.

Gastro naughts should zero in on this zippy restaurant that can be counted on.

Zero Zero Restaurant
826 Folsom
San Francisco, CA
415.348.8800

Sunday, November 28, 2010
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A stop at Piccino Café:

... yielded a craveable cappuccino:

... made with Blue Bottle coffee as well as a buttery chocolate chip cookie:

... with a cocao confetti democratically dispersed in the dough. This dogpatch doorway is a welcoming warren for a beany break.

Piccino Cafe
801 22nd St.
San Francisco, CA
415.824.4224

Saturday, November 27, 2010
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A tangle of house made potato chips tinged with nori and espelette:

... was a crunchy greeting at Commonwealth where German Gilabert Cava kicked off the parade of wines paired with the tasting menu ($90 each for food and wine with full table participation required.)

Parsnip porridge pedestaled a Pt. Reyes oyster with Meyer lemon sorbet:

... in a sensational, seatrusy amuse followed by a delectable demitasse of celery root soup with a micro dice of apple capped with a cool cloud of truffle cream:

A sheet of green apple gel covered naked nubs of tarragon-teased Dungeness:

Creme fraiche smoothed the sweet meat of this crab creation with a 2009 Cep Sauvignon Blanc to echo the apple in this side stepping starter.

Salt cured foie gras:

... was given a Japanese treatment with umeboshi adding a sensational sour plum punch under the offal "o" showered with shiso with nori brioche toast points. A bright 2008 Eva Fricke Riesling delivered with da liver.

Tofu skin, kale and broccoli were bound with coconut milk with balls of kabocha squash:

... rolled down with a 2008 Cabernet Franc from Domaine Richou.

Squab:

... was cooked to a perfect, rare birdiness to highlight the pigeony perfection of the breast bits and wing stub. The leg was shredded and sealed in a pasta packet posted with a 2007 Sky Zinfandel.

A dense ball of quince-rooibos sorbet in a moat of vanilla soda:

... rolled us into a dessert of cinnamon mille-feuille with toasted cardamom marshmallow and a football of honey ice cream:

... served with a NV Cornet & Cie Grenache. The only bit that wasn't our thing was the chocolate pave (which was more saline than we prefer.)

Four Barrel coffee loaded up our caffeine chambers before we shot off from this excellent eatery helmed by Executive Chef Jason Fox, Chef de Cuisine Ian Muntzert:

... and community-minded businessman Anthony Myint who donates $10 from each tasting menu to organizations like Kiva.

Although the dining room was chilly, the warmth of the friendly, knowledgeable and efficient staff kept our spirits thawed.

Next time we plan to check out the a la carte options like the mackerel and uni that we saw neighbors noshing.

Commonwealth
2224 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA
415.355.1500

Friday, November 26, 2010
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We sidestepped our way to the front of the line at 99 Ranch where the monger fished out our dinner from the Dungeness dungeon.

The crabs waved their frisky feet at the crush of shopping Asians before they were bagged and tagged (at a mere $2.99 per pound.)

Kermit Lynch's 2008 Chablis "Les Truffiieres" Domaine Costal was a winning white Burgundy to wash down our first Dungeness of the season.

-G

Thanksgiving, November 25, 2010
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We made some pies:

... and a side dish to bring to J&K's for a feast:

... with friends that went on well into the wee hours. Another Thanksgiving that we are thankful for.

-G

Wednesday, November 24, 2010
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Gunter's Restaurant is what Denny's aspires to be - a family diner with edible food.

My omelette ($9.95):

... was stuffed with a hearty helping of carne asada melded with melty Jack cheese, bell peppers and grilled onions and rounded out with a slab of crisp-crusted hash browns and toast.

This solid start laid the foundation for my trip to watch foundation being laid:

... at a cool new Habitat for Humanity project.

Gunter's Restaurant
1057 El Camino Real
South San Francisco, CA
650.761.1825

Tuesday, November 23, 2010
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I was the sole customer at The House of Catfish N' Ribs as I lunched on a 2 way ($17.95) of the menu monikered meats.

The pork ribs:

... were smokey with a nice amount of fat and cooked until they were falling off the bone. The hot sauce was milder than expected and the side of yellow potato salad didn't do anything for me (but the delicious bone-handled bites kept me from being bummed.)

Chunks of cornmeal coated, deep fried catfish:

... came with packets of tartar sauce. These fish fingers were okay, but not a re-order.

Slices of wondery wheat bread:

... offered old school sauce soppage support at this quarter century old, funky food stop. The staff didn't want photos taken of the interior as they were "redecorating" but something tells me that their business isn't the home and garden tour crowd.

I plan to come back for more ribs (hold the home makeover tips.)

The House of Catfish N' Ribs
270 San Pedro Road
Daly City, CA
650.997.3700

Monday, November 22, 2010
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I sat on one of the benches:

...on the loading dock at Kitchenette:

... as I loaded up on a porchetta sandwich ($8.22):

A green onion infiltrated bread was lined with aioli and thin shavings of fennel to boost the bulby bite of this luscious loaf loaded with slices of pork roast with a peppery push from arugula.

Sips of tangerine-ginger limeade added a citrusy pucker to my tucker before I shipped off my compostable containers (including an Eco-hogie holder):

... and rolled out.

Kitchenette
958 Illinois St.
San Francisco, CA

Sunday, November 21, 2010
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Nikka Whisky is difficult to come by in California, but we heard that it was available at Nihon so we shot over to check out the goods.

The offering on Nihon's spirits list was the Nikka Black, but they were out. Fortunately for us, they had some of the Nikka Super stocked.

This glass ($22.00) of silkiness possessed a polished perfume of peat in this Scotch-influenced, Japanese spirit unleashed by Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of NIkka. We'll have to return for our black belt when it's back on the shelves of this whisky-focussed bar.