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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



 

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

The vending machines at work are boring. It's not that they don't provide a wide variety of snack choices, it's just that they don't have entertainment value in the delivery of your foodstuff. They just uncorkscrew them into the retrieval trough.

When I saw this machine in a subway station in Vienna:

I was transfixed. Not only does it have the expected candy bars, it also has bread, milk, condoms, flour and all those things you want as you hustle home. This cool machine makes you feel like your are in the command. It's robot arm travels to retrieve your order and brings it back. The risk is that it makes you want to buy items that you don't need so that you can watch it do it's robot thing.

Moving food is enticing. Whether it's a sushi conveyer belt, rotisserie or dim sum cart. Moving food attracts your eye and in the case of the sushi, gives you a time imperative for your monkey brain to override your generic brain, making you grab the substandard food to support your survival instinct.

Motion equals emotion. Informal studies have demonstrated decreased pie and cake sales when the pastry rotation device on a cake-go-round dies. A naked lady moving around is an exotic dancer, that same lady standing perfectly still is a fine artist's model.

But I digress, working through lunch like I did today makes one resort to a coin operated food event with that unromantic, hollow, semi-metallic, food thud sound as your Pavlovian bell substitute. It's a lonely, uncivilized sound, like how the slap of raw meat on concrete would sound to a zoo animal… tomorrow, I'm definitely going out for lunch.

 

Chubby got some mail today:

Bruce L. writes:

"Don't describe the Millers deli in any way Jewish. Sturgeon is TRAIF. No Jewish deli serves traif. No Kosher deli serves anything that isn't kosher."


Chubby replies:

Dear Bruce,

Thanks for pointing that out. I hope to qualify as traif one day too.

Your pal,

Chubby

 

Chubby also got a letter from Julie about the macaroon recipe (Daily Feed, August 19) that she requested and he posted:


"Dear Chubby,

Thank you so much for posting that recipe!! I can't wait to get home to make them. I'm currently in Hawaii, can I send you some chocolate covered mac nuts to thank you for your kindness in sharing your recipe?"

Chubby replies:


Dear Julie,

What a sweet offer! I'm glad you got the recipe. I'm sorry I didn't reply to your note earlier cause I'll bet you are back in the California by now. Let me know how your macaroon cooking goes.

Your pal,

Chubby


I got some from my friend at Meathenge who writes about yesterday's refrigerator roulette:

"Dear Gutenberg,

The part I like best about those wrapped food delights? The ones that are not only wrapped in food, but then their wrapped up in celophane er somethin'? Is when they stack them up in the "cooler" up far above the line where it says, "For Health Safety Do Not Stack Food Above This Line --->" I always grab those first, especially if they've been deep fried and contain sticky rice.

-Biggles"

Gutenberg replies:

Dear Dr. Biggles,

You know, I hate to admit it, but this food would be spoiled by storing it “properly.” The sticky rice would get all petrified, the pork fat would congeal and the flavor factor would zero out. So I’m with you - above the line food rocks.

-G


 

 

 

Tuesday, August 30, 2005


It feels unnatural for a dude to order a croque monsieur with an egg, you know, a crouque madame. But one bonus of eating in San Francisco is that you can do all the culinary gender bending you want.

My croque madame ($9.00):

... was tasty with it’s ham, gruyere and béchamel on white bread topped off with a sunnyside up egg. Rich and delicious this hit the spot. One of the finer alley dining experiences of SF.

Café Claude
7 Claude Lane
San Francisco, CA
415.392.2226

Chubby wasn’t into cross-eating today and headed somewhere with more festive garb and grub. Check out this latest review of Millers East Coast West Delicatessen.


-G


 

 

 

Monday, August 29, 2005

I played refrigerator roulette again today and headed to Wrap Delight for some of their take out food.

It’s really unlike me to be so cavalier about food safety. Normally, I am overly concerned about this issue, but I decided to flirt with the dark side just one more time and bought a Sticky Rice with Pork ($1.25):

which consisted of a spammy pork pate with bits of peppercorn sandwiched between two sticky rice patties with these convenient banana leaf squares as handles.

These Pork vegetable rolls ($2.99):

were rice paper encased vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, basil and unrefrigerated pork with a peanut chili dipping sauce. Very tasty.

Bonus – they didn’t make me sick.

Wrap Delight
426 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA
415.771.3388

-G


 

 

Sunday, August 28, 2005

You can't win if you don't pay


Whenever I hear “the lottery is a tax on the poor” it pisses me off. First of all the lottery isn't a tax. A lottery ticket is a discretionary purchase that is not sanctioned by the government.

The lottery is no more a tax on the poor than bubblegum is a tax on people who chew. What they are really saying is that poor people are so dumb that we'd better stupid proof their pathetic existences for them. Instead of putting little plastic socket covers over their electrical outlets so they don't stick their butter knives in them as they amble around their subsidized housing, maybe I could help them to see my wise perspective as far as their little grimy dollar bill purchases are concerned…just so they don't go doing anything crazy.

As you may have gathered, I think it's arrogant when people who aren't hurting for money instruct the poor on what to perceive as exploitive. It kind of mobius loops around in an exploitive figure 8. The dumb trying to protect people they think are too dumb to spend their money how they please.

Chubby told me that I was acting like I was overtaxed as he headed out for a relaxing weekend meal. Check out his latest review of Dottie's True Blue Café.


-G


 

 

 

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Chubby and I went to Il Davide for the first time. It’s a San Rafael Tuscan Eatery.

It certainly can be chalked up to poor ordering, but it was a bit of a letdown.

The calamari ($8.75):

...was a generous portion of deep fried squid alongside an equally abundant serving of aioli and basil aioli. It had a shake of cayenne before being fried to the correct level of doneness. I don’t think I’d order it again, it was okay.

Chubby was excited to see that they make their own pasta and ordered the Ravioli di zucca ($13.95):

...which was large pillows of pasta filled with butternut squash and served with a sage cream sauce with a handful of chopped, toasted walnuts sprinkled on top. The resulting dish was an unrelenting parade of heaviness. The sage cream, the starch, the rich squash puree. The sweetness from the butternut squash and the light astringency of the walnuts were not enough to relieve the dense. heavy, tastebud numbing nature of this dish.

The Vitello alla Saltibocca ($18.95) wasn’t my thing:

The marsala demiglace was sweet and masked the flavor of the thinly sliced, overcooked veal. The potato gratin that came alongside benefited from a shake of salt. The veggies were fine but nothing special.

I think that people go here because it’s a small neighborhood place with a warm and friendly staff. I suspect we ordered the wrong things since we hadn’t been here before so maybe the regulars have their favorites. Who knows.


Il Davide
901 A Street
San Rafael, Ca
415.454.8080



-G


 

 

 

Friday, August 26, 2005

Cinq restaurant in Corte Madera was closed after the chef hurt her back and had to hang up her apron.

They will be re-opening under new management in October. The exact date will be determined by the paperwork shuffle at the ABC (liquor license ABC, not the TV network.) A fellow named Larry will be their new chef and they will be serving California style cuisine. They will be serving dinners (no lunch) and weekend Brunch.

They aren’t going to change the décor too much. They are keeping the banquettes along the wall and may add a couple tables outside. It’s going to be a midrange restaurant, taking rezzies but leaving a couple tables open for walk ins. Chubby can’t wait to check out the unsunk Cinq.


Have you ever noticed that there are hobo pigeons in the Tenderloin? I’ve been seeing more and more of them lately. Has Gavin Newsom cut pigeon outreach funding? Are those movie star parrots driving them off Telegraph hill? What is up?



I got some mail today from my favorite meat-grilling blogger at Meathenge regarding yesterday’s posting about the spiritual offering outside a message parlor:

Dr. Biggles writes:


"Dear Gutenberg,

You suck for not putting a hot dog on that plate of gummies.

Dr. Biggles"

 

Gutenberg replies:


Dear Dr. B.

You are correct. I do indeed.

If I’d only been in more of a meathengey mindset. Ah well, next gummy bear hooker altar I see, I’m gonna do the right thing.

BTW, that wasn’t your booze and sugar grilling set up in the ‘loin earlier this week was it?


-G


 

 

 

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Walking in the Tenderloin today, I spotted this little altar in front of a massage parlor:

It looks like someone is making an offering of gummy bears, water in a Styrofoam cup and incense to the hooker gods. I am impressed that it was left unmolested. I guess there is respect for spiritual gummy bear hooker offerings in the ‘loin.

And why shouldn't there be?


-G


 

 

 

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

They added more tables to their little dining room at Mangosteen so now the servers perform a Cirque de Soleil act to feed the hungry crowd. Luckily, they are all slim enough to fit through the narrow gaps between the tables.

Today I had the Saigon Crepe ($7.95):

which is a big, thin, eggy pancake with bean sprouts, shrimp, scallions alongside an herb mountain. I really liked this a lot (but Bodega Bistro next door has an even tastier version.)

The grilled pork
with lemongrass ($6.95) was okay:

The thin slices of pork were sprinkled with sesame seeds that failed to perk up the flavor factor on this bland dish. I should have asked for some cock sauce, (you know what I mean, that red sauce with the rooster on it) but I was just too lazy. You also get a heap of dressed iceberg lettuce and a hill of steamed rice along side.

Chubby had better luck
during an earlier visit. Check out what he had to say.

Mangosteen
601 Larkin St.
SF, CA
415.776.3888


-G


 

 

 

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Vice Squad

I didn’t get to stop for lunch today. It’s like the day has no middle, like a jelly filled donut (except without the delicious jelly… or the donut.) Skipping lunch means a day of caffeine and sugar. Very bad, I know, but it can’t be helped. Besides, you should never trust anyone (bunrab or not) without a vice.

What’s up with this?
I see this all the time:

It’s not that hard to nest the baskets properly, is it? Now I have to fix their stinking, sloppy, inconsiderate mess before I can properly place my basket in...

I can’t help but notice
that even low blood sugar level, hot dog fingered, serial killers put the little grocery separator stick after their purchases on the conveyor belt, but when it comes to nesting their shopping baskets, all social responsibility vanishes. It’s like Hanibal Lector politely cutting the top off your head as he gently sears your brain (mmmmm…brain…) and serves it to you on Limoges china. It’s a metaphor or what’s wrong with the world. Showing on the stage of the revolving checkout stand that you care, but your askew basket in the shadows betrays your true inner deviant.

..or maybe it’s just their vice…



-G


 

 

Monday, August 22, 2005

This is your brain on spices…


Okay, it may not look like much, but this is seriously good:

They take lambs brains and cook them in butter with onions, tomatoes and a wonderful array of spices to make this delectable Brain Masala ($6.00.) This is so good that even people who don’t like brain will like this.

I also got an order of Murgh tikka Lahori ($3.50) which is a generous portion of spice and lemon marinated chicken cooked in their supercool clay oven. This was good, but I couldn’t get my mind off of my brain…

An order of naan ($1.00) acted as a brain transport system.

I wasn’t planning on going to Shalimar today:

... but I ended up getting impatient waiting in the petrified line at Dottie’s True Blue Café (next door.) It probably took the same amount of time since Shalimar cooks their food to order.

Not fancy and the dishes aren’t all home runs, but if you are in the mood for some grey matter that will blow your mind, this is the place.

Shalimar
532 Jones St.
San Francisco, CA
415.928.0333

Shalimar is a small chain of restaurants, just like another Tenderloin establishment, Naan ‘n’ Curry. Chubby was not in the mood for brain food and headed over there instead. Check out his latest review.


-G


 

 

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Getting over my food hangover from French Laundry meant brunch at Bubba’s and a movie.

The Aristocrats is a riot.


It’s so funny that you will overlook the low production value (you know, things like a focused shot or good sound) and just enjoy this wonderfully offensive jokumentary.


This is either the perfect or worst first date film ever.


-G


 

 

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Chubby took me to Yountville for dinner. I’m so full that my face hurts.

French Laundry list:

  • Cheese gourges
  • Salmon tartare and crème fraiche cornets
  • Cold fennel soup with apricot
  • Cold cucumber soup with beet
  • Oysters and tapioca “pearls”
  • Oyster and sugar snap pea gratin with meyer lemon and sevruga caviar
  • Crab confit and green orange gelee
  • Squid confit with raisin tomatoes and olive
  • Truffled egg custard
  • Coddled egg with brioche soldiers
  • Grilled mushroom salad with wilted celery and sherry vinaigrette
  • Endive, apple and onion salad
  • Papardelle with white truffle discs
  • Gnocchi with shaved black truffle
  • Cobia with beans and tomatoes
  • Bluefin tuna with mushrooms
  • Lobster with pea puree and carrots
  • Lobster tail with globe artichokes, tomatoes and spicy lobster broth
  • Terrine of foie gras with peach gelee, crisped rice and melba toast
  • Seared foie gras with Tokyo turnip and a date
  • Poussin stuffed with chicken sausage and pistachios with corn pudding, truffles and chard
  • Sonoma duck breast with bread pudding and huckleberries
  • Roasted Pennsylvania lamb au jus with Japanese eggplant stuffed with bread crumbs, fines herbes in a gypsy pepper coulis
  • Espbi cheese melted in a fig
  • Chabichou cheese with beets
  • Verjus sorbet with ground pistachios with a peeled grape
  • White chocolate granite with olive, mint and passion fruit
  • Coffee semifredo and doughnuts
  • Chocolate mousse with sweet/salty hazelnuts, Madagascar vanilla ice cream and hazelnut galette
  • Pear Gratin with graham cracker and crème fraiche ice cream
  • Yogurt panna cotta with peach marmalade
  • Crème brulee
  • Macaroons
  • Mignardises
  • Selection of chocolates

 

Everything was fantastic. Chubby was particularly fascinated by the way the peach gelee base for the terrine of foie gras had a nice jiggle to it.


Click on the foie gras to see it jiggle.


I told him to stop playing with his food. He retorted “what good is having food if you can’t enjoy it?”

I was stunned that there is someone peeling grapes in the prep kitchen. When’s the last time someone peeled you a grape?

A moment of 3 Stooges-like drama happened when an otherwise well-intentioned waitress dumped a load of black truffle shavings on Chubby’s new suit. He laughed and said “if this is the kind of problem I have, I’m in pretty good shape!" (And he has a jacket that smells really, really nice and umami.)

 

-G


 

 

 

Friday, August 19, 2005


Street BBQ?


While walking in the Tenderloin today, I spotted these items together on the ground: an empty box of sugar, a smoldering pan of ashes and an empty bottle of cheap booze. There’s definitely a story here…

Better food was to be found at Picco Restaurant over a nightcap:

Check out these yummy Marin Oyster Company oysters with a yuzu, lemon, cucumber and chive dressing. Fabulous.



Chubby got some mail today:


Julie S. writes:


"Dear Chubby,

I have been salivating over your macaroons, that has been pictured on EVERYONES blog...gastronomie, Becks & Posh, well okay I lied not everyone. Any chance of you posting the recipe?"

Chubby Replies:

Dear Julie,

It’s pretty easy to make these little choco bites.
Here’s that adapted Nigella recipe:


The cookie part:


250 grams sifted powdered sugar
125 grams sifted ground almonds
25 grams sifted cocoa powder
25 grams sifted superfine sugar
4 large egg whites


The filling part:

6 Tablespoons heavy cream
150 grams dark chocolate, chopped
3 Tablespoons butter
optional splash of brandy (or whatever you like)

The equipment part:

Kitchenaid or arm, big bowl and a whisk.
Silpat sheets (or parchment paper, but Silpats are superior IMHO)
Cookie sheets
Gallon Ziplock bag (You can, of course, use a real pastry bag. I just find that ziplock works better for me. )


How to make 'em:

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the powdered sugar, ground almonds and cocoa powder. Set aside.

Whisk the egg whites, when they start to stiffen up, slowly add the superfine sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.

Fold in the almond mixture.

Take your ziplock bag and place it in a large measuring cup or bowl for support. Roll back the opening so you expose the interior of the bag (and don’t get any chocolate on the edges) and fill the ziplock with this batter.

Snip a pea sized opening from one of the ziplock corners and pipe quarter sized mounds onto your Silpat lined baking sheets. Bake (if you have a convection setting on your oven, switch it on) and start checking when you see cracks on the top (about 7 or so minutes.) You want them to bake until they are dry on top but not dried out in the middle. If you press them with your finger they shouldn’t seem raw or liquidy.

Cool on the Silpat mats to let them set up a bit before cooling them on racks.

Meanwhile, make the ganache by heating the chopped chocolate, butter and cream until just melted (stirring constantly.) Add a splash of booze when you pull it off the heat, (if desired.)

This mixture with thicken up as it cools.

When both the cookies and the ganache are cool, make little sandwiches by spreading the bottom of one cookie with a layer of ganache and gently sandwiching another to form a little chocolate hamburger.

Take any leftover ganache and make little truffles out of them by rolling little blobs of it in cocoa powder. (Cook’s treat)



Let me know how yours turn out.

-Chubby


 

 

Thursday, August 18, 2005

Chubby and I went to Maharani for lunch today for the first time:

Although the sign said “open” and we came at exactly noon, (the sign indicated that they open for lunch at 11:30) it was totally empty, like the hotel in The Shining. I called out and went back to attract the attention of someone in the kitchen.

“Are you open?”

“Yes”

“Do we just sit anywhere?”

“Yes”

After a while he came out and asked “are you here to clean?”

“No, for lunch”

“Oh, sorry, nobody’s here now”

That was the weirdest lunch experience ever. What is your weirdest lunch experience? Tell me about it.

Down the street we saw a rotating charcoal grill:

We approached this patty-go-round and I ordered a steak sandwich ($6.25) while Chubby ordered an Avocado Cheeseburger ($5.50) medium rare:

... and a side of Onion rings ($2.55)

Chubby liked his burger and said it had a smoky flavor and was cooked right with a nice slice of melted Swiss cheese. He put it on his "Burger Holy Grail" list today, along with a couple of others that he's had lately.

My steak sandwich was okay, it had grilled onions, tomato, mushrooms, and lettuce.



The O-rings were slightly greasy, yet crisp.

I liked the condiment bar where you can custom out your sandwich.

I wouldn’t make a special trip here, but I’d come back the next time someone has me wait around to clean their restaurant down the street.

Sliders
1202 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA
415.885.3288

-G


 

 

 

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Chubby made macaroons for last weekend's San Francisco Food Blogger event - mmmm chocolate:

I saw in today's news that J. Crew is filing for a $200 million IPO Hmmmm, but do people really know what they are buying?

If you go into a J. Crew and ask “what does the “J” stand for?” They say “Uh, I dunno.”

If you call their HQ, you find out the truth - “it doesn't stand for anything.” This shows a severe lack of imagination and a lack of follow through. If you make up “J. Crew” go ahead and make up something to answer when people ask after the “J” business. Is it laziness? Is it conspiracy?


-G (which stands for "Gutenberg" - I'm for full disclosure)

 


 

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Tony, Tony, Tony….

Are you the new Darrin Stephens? Those Kellogg’s execs replaced you thinking I wouldn’t notice:

But I checked out your smooth new ears, your higher cheekbones, and you can’t fool me.

Did you ask
for a raise? A dressing room? Did you go all-Mariah-Carey?

I guess I’ll never know the real answer…unless I run into you drunk and homeless in the Tenderloin.

Chubby hopped off the ferryboat (but didn’t run into any fucking tigers) and went to the Financial District to rid himself of some finances in exchange for some Yummy Chow. Check out his latest review of Bocadillos.



-G


 

 

 

Monday, August 15, 2005

I was in major pork withdrawal after yesterday’s fabulous meat fest. Even though I wanted fish, I had to have some cracklins too.

This catfish hotpot ($6.95):

...was just the thing for a chilly afternoon. Sliced catfish in a sticky, salty and mildly sweet sauce with crispy bits of pork fat sprinkled on top. Man, is this good. You can order it during lunch even though it’s only on the dinner menu, they will still make it for you. The rice soaks up all those good liquids and you get a major tenderloin show when you look out the window too.

Vietnam 2
701 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA
415.885.1274

Chubby’s been hangin in the ‘loin too, at one of his favorite local restaurants. Check out his latest review of Bodega Bistro.


-G


 

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Food Bloggers Picnic:

Wow, I lived one of my dreams today. After spending months drooling over the photos on Guy’s blog:


I got to sample the goods and they did not disappoint. The man knows how to smoke, grill and shop:


He pulled out all the stops, Fantastic bacon, some of that insanely tasty Fatted Calf porcetta:


bacon wrapped beef:


bacon wrapped bacon…mmmmmmmm bacon…..

He opened Meathenge Labs to a bunch of Bay Area floggers and Chubby and I hopped over to say hello to Amy and meet our cyber friends (and co-hosts of the shindig) Sam and Fred (from Becks and Posh) as well as a great cook (and rabbit eater – eek) Pim who made her delish chicken satay and cucumber salad.

Fatemeh also co-hosted this fun event. I enjoyed talking to Alder who really knows his vino
as well as some of the other interesting folks in attendance. Like Shuna, the Restaurant Whore, the folks at 101 cookbooks, Jen from "life begins at 30," and an incredible sausage-makin' chef.


Where do you get finer food
than at a Food Blogger get together? Not to mention the drinks. I had never had absinthe properly prepared before. What a blast.

There were so many cool folks there that it gave me incentive to get together my links page. Which will be coming soon…


-G


 

 

 

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Taqueria Weekend:

In the world of Mexican Restaurants, the weekend means menudo:


Tripey goodness in a tomato based broth. A little bowl of chopped, raw, white onions and a wedge of lime to shower over the soup. My carne asada “wet” burrito:

... topped off my stomachs. Just right on a chilly Bay Area morning at Taqueria San Jose.


-G


 

 

Friday, August 12, 2005

I picked up some food from the Vietnamese deli today. Chubby told me that I was nuts to eat a pork product that did not have the benefit of refrigeration. Normally, I wouldn’t touch something like this. It’s just that I’ve been eyeing them for weeks and wondering about them. I figured if I got one at about noon and carried my Blue Cross card with me all day, I’d be fine.

These pork buns ($1.25) consisted of pounded, glutinous rice that encased porky flavored beans and eggy bits:

A quick bath in the slightly sweet, chili dipping sauce and the game of stomach roulette begins. I think the flecks on top were shaved bonito, they tasted like dried fish of some sort and there were little bits of scallion too. I actually really liked this and it didn’t make me heave. Bonus.

For dessert I got this banh tu quy ($1.25) which must translate into “wacky assorted dessert plate”:


First I tried the green jelloey blob:

that was imbedded with coconut and filled with sweetened, yellow bean puree. It wasn’t bad actually.

Then I tried the Darth Vader special:

Black pounded rice with sweet mung bean filling. I liked this yellow bean filling better than the green jello one since it was chunkier, drier and less sweet…beanier. I embraced the dark side.

I’m guessing that this is a cassava cake:

It had that sort of dense, gelatinous texture that makes me want to take it into outer space and wash it down with some Tang. The sesame seeds were a nice touch.

The white snowball:

...was sweetened pounded rice around sweetened mung beans and rolled in pulverized coconut. Very tasty.

Hmmm, lunch was $2.50. Using the law of compensatory cash flow, I should be able to afford a trip to the French Laundry soon.

Chubby is staying in the city lately for his chow. He ducked into Zuni for lunch and stuck around through dinner. Check out his review.


-G


 

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Watched one of my favorite DVDs again for the zillionth time:

It’s not my favorite because my friends made it, it’s my favorite because who doesn’t like to watch Joan Chen kick serious ass to get a dog skull on a spike?? If you haven’t seen The Blood of Heroes, you are missing the best post-apocalyptic sports movie that has ever been made..

So I’m minding my own business eating my soft-serve frozen yogurt cone and this kid points at me and says to his mom, “I want some ice cream.” His mother replies (directly in front of me), “not right now, later, we’re going to get some GOOD ice cream.”

It is my firm belief is that even “bad” ice cream is still good, but the best rude people are still jerky.

-G


 

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

I don’t know what it is, but when I come across people with interesting footwear:

I have to pick up the pace and keep up.

I got distracted by the artwork on this bin so I had to let them get ahead of me. This tagger gets around the city.

Chubby took me for a nightcap and snacks at Picco Restaurant:

Chubby got some more of those little sliders and a mojito and I got a margarita and some squash blossoms stuffed with Cowgirl Creamery Fromage Blanc, battered and deep fried. This hit the spot, (of course, you can batter and deep fry a cardboard box and it’d be fine by me.)



-G


 

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

It's here. My machine washable lunchbox arrived in the mail:

I used it for the first time today. It unzips to turn into a placemat (or M&M counting mat if you prefer.) It's made out of wetsuit material so I can slip it on if I want to take a dip in the Bay on a hot afternoon.

Today's M&M count was:

5 - orange
6 - brown
10 - red
11 - yellow
13 - green
13 - blue

This is the second time I've gotten 6 browns BUT I have two more M&Ms in this package than in the last 2 counts (so this may have skewed my results.)

Chubby couldn't be bothered packing a lunch today, or any day for that matter... he drove down the great big freeway to Taqueria San Jose, in of all places, San Rafael. Check out his latest review.


-G


 

Monday, August 8, 2005

Today’s Bahn Mi from Wrap Delight was with BBQ pork and pork pate:

It was okay, but I should have gone for the straight BBQ pork. But for $2.25, who can complain?

I like the way the lady behind the counter greets everyone with the same, “sandwiches??” as she smiles.

Dessert came out of the cold case. I grabbed a Che Ba Mau:

I was like ingesting one of those Halloween blindfold-the-kids-and-make-them-feel-creepy-stuff extravaganzas. Floating in a slightly sweetened milky, vanilla flavored, liquid, there are strips of agar agar, kidney and mung beans and water chestnuts. Don’t get me wrong, there were good things about it, but it’s not the thing to get when you actually really want a chocolate chip cookie.


Wrap Delight
426 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA
415.771.3388

-G


 

 

Sunday, August 7, 2005

My memory failed me today. I went to Lucinda’s in Marin after about a decade of driving by. Ordered a chicken tostada:

and a burrito and realized that it will be at least another decade before my memory dulls enough for me to give it another go. Chubby asked what the deal was and I had to say that it just wasn’t fresh or tasty. And it wasn’t even cheap... I would have been MUCH better off going to Taco Bell, not to mention a proper taqueria like the ones in the Mission, or Taqueria San Jose in nearby San Rafael, which would have been cheaper and is VERY yummy.


Another disappointment was the newly released “mega” M&Ms.

They just aren’t as good as the original size. I don’t know if the ratio of coating to “chocolate” is the same, but somehow the mouthfeel is wrong. The colors are muted in comparison with the standard issue ones.


Today’s count (of standard size milk chocolate M& Ms) was:


2 – brown
6 – red
9 – blue
11 – green
14 – yellow
14 - orange

with no deformed pieces.

The lowest brown count yet
.

Lucinda’s
930 Redwood Hwy.
Mill Valley, CA
415.388.0754

Sigh...


-G


 

Saturday, August 6, 2005

Today's M&M count was a bit of a shock.

Here are the stats:

3 - Blue
5 - brown
10 - Orange
12 - Red
13 - Green (although one of them was slightly dented)
13 - yellow

Blue in the minority? How strange. And when did they get rid of the light brown ones? Those used to be one of the most plentiful varieties.

The green ones used to have a premium placed on them not only for their rumored benefits, but also for their scarcity. It must be so easy to cater for rock stars now.

Picco Pizzeria wasn't at all crowded today and there were no service snafus. They had the Maldon salt in stock for ice cream topping and all pizzas were very tasty. It appears that those guys are hitting their stride.

There's a new graffito showin' up all over town, drawn with chalk:

I must say, I approve of the design. Kinda cute.

Watched the cool streetcars roll by on Market Street over a nightcap:

A good end to a busy Saturday.


-G


 

Friday, August 5, 2005

Okay, what is up with a party in an SF club:

that will not allow you to take an alcoholic beverage purchased at a bar in one room to another room (and visa versa?) Don’t they understand that you shouldn’t mess with people that have been drinking?

Today’s bag of M&M’s
(from the same vending machine as yesterday’s):

contained a total of 6 browns. This reduction of brown M&M’s and the increase of the lighter M&M’s is suspicious. Is this racialist? Is this “the man” trying to keep the brown M&M’s down? I wish Ali G were here to help get to the bottom of this.

Peace out.


-G


Gen from Larkspur writes:


"Dear Chubby,

My friend and I went to Picco Pizzeria in Larkspur last week and were surprised. The service was quick and friendly, the food was great (we had a gourmet pizza and 2 glasses of chilled white wine), and the price was right! My only negative comment about this place was that it was really too hot inside to be comfortable due to the open pizza oven and the rather warm outside temperature that evening, but the cafe tables outside were a good alternative. Maybe some of the bad reviews are due to growing pains for this new restaurant. Also of note, is that it's big sister restaurant next door, "Picco" is excellent! The halibut was perfect and the desserts are unique and delicious. They also make a great mojito!"


Chubby replies:


Dear Gen,

Thanks for writing about your Picco experience. I share your enthusiasm about the pizza place, as I stated in my review. I too have noticed that the wood burning oven heats up more than just the pizzas. When it’s chilly outside, it works out pretty well, otherwise, I agree, outside is your best bet.

Thanks for the ordering tips at their restaurant. I have yet to fully explore their cocktail list.


Your pal,

Chubby


Paul writes:


"Gutenberg,

666 if you have three coffees you will understand the 'Exorcist' with new meaning!!"


Gutenberg replies:


Dear Paul,

I think you’re right. My head would be spinning three times as fast as Linda Blair’s!

-G


 

 

Thursday, August 4, 2005

Chubby missed out today. I think he would have liked Turtle Tower a lot. Not only do they make a mighty fine bowl of Pho ga (chicken noodle soup Vietnamese style):

... but it's cool to hear everyone speaking and slurping in their native language. If you are dining solo, they ask you to share a table. No problem. You get to see what other people's noodle slurping techniques are up close.

They give you a bowl of sliced jalapenos and lime (but no basil and bean sprouts.) The noodles are delish, the white meat chicken is moist and flavorful and the clear, light broth is pepped up with cilantro and scallions. Not bad for $4.60.

There is an “employees only” sign as you pass the kitchen but it really looks like some sort of secret dining room. Unfortunately, a blue rabbit doesn't blend in well enough to sneak in the back to find out.

It gets crowed so earlier is better.

Turtle Tower
631 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA
415.409.3333

I started eating a bag of M&Ms from a vending machine today. As I pulled them out I noticed that I wasn't getting any brown ones (they used to be the predominant color, back in the day) so I upended the bag to see what the deal was.

I counted exactly 4 for the whole bag. Weird. Breakdown of the laws of probability? Naaah. Conspiracy? Absolutely!


-G


 

Wednesday, August 3, 2005

So I asked for them to put one of those stickers on my large black coffee today, and the baristo (if it’s a dude, shouldn’t it be baristo?) says “oh, you want me to put it here?” as he takes his filthy, hand and presses his bacteria encrusted finger on the sip top opening. “that’s disgusting. New top please.” I said immediately without thinking. I really should have left off the “that’s disgusting” part in retrospect, but my internal monologue leapt forth. Bacteria dude was cool though and he got me another top without losing his smile. What Bacteria dude lacks in hygiene, he makes up for in pleasant demeanor.

Today I got a “4” on my sticker:

I asked BD what the deal is with the numbers (since Starbucks HQ never emailed me back with an answer.) Turns out, they are date stickers that they use to track freshness of foodstuffs. Hmmm…That means that they aren’t designed to be in contact with hot beverages and may leach out some deadly toxin into my coffee…that makes BD’s hands look like distilled water (or rainwater) in comparison.

Chubby has been finding my lack of manners embarrassing lately and struck out to Mill Valley to on of his regular road trip pitstops. Check out his latest review of the Buckeye Roadhouse.


-G


 

Tuesday, August 2, 2005

It was chilly enough to go for a bowl of Pho for lunch:

Bodega Bistro’s version with chicken, rice noodles and scallions was just the thing. Tear up fresh basil leaves and plunk them in with bean sprouts, hot pepper slices and a squeeze of lime. Not bad for $5.85. The light broth, the crisp spouts, the basil and lime giving a dimension to this bowl of comfort. Yum. The place itself is a little nondescript:

Bodega Bistro
607 Larkin St.
SF, CA
415.921.1218

Everyday, I have to walk about 5 blocks with a 20 ounce, black coffee. Because of those “sip” lids, I splash my hand every time. BUT today I learned about the stickers that they put on your lid at Starbucks:

I emailed Starbucks Consumer Services to see what the deal is with these sticky splash guards. What does the number mean? Is it a “6” or a “9”? If you got three drinks would you have the cappuccinos of the beast? I’ll let you know what they say…

Chubby doesn’t think it matters if they are “food safe” or what number it is. He cares about pizza, and he scooted across the Bay Bridge to Berkeley to get some at CheeseBoard Pizza. Read his review.


-G



Monday, August 1, 2005

 

I’d always been curious about Tommy’s Joynt:

Every time I walked past the little neon sigh touting their famous Corned Beef sandwich beckoned. So today I gave in. I got in line at the counter. They are a serious old style San Francisco cafeteria.

Big food, no frills. I got the Corned Beef sandwich ($4.95):

I comes on a roll with bright yellow mustard and mayo. They carve the meat to order and plunk it on the roll. It didn’t qualify as craveable, but it was fine (Banh Mi are more my thing and you can get two of them for $4.95.)

Chubby wanted something a little more exotic and he headed down the street to a new Vietnamese Restaurant. Check out his latest review of Mangosteen.

-G


 

 
 
 


 

 

 

 
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