Tag Archives: food writers

I’ve Gone to GoPago; Meatballs for All!

26 Jul

I am very happy to announce that I am now working with the awesome team at GoPago. This free mobile app combines all of my favorite things: reading menus, restaurants, shopping, customizing, ordering, purchasing, technology, efficiency, community and my smartphone. The community aspect is of the utmost importance to me so please be sure to follow us on Twitter @go_pago, on Facebook and on the app to keep the community expanding and to let me know what you think!

Speaking of expanding, the amount of restaurants offering our services is ever-growing but I wanted to highlight a few dishes at some of our restaurants because I am currently meat and chickpea ball obsessed. I have already written quite extensively about my love for the Meatball Gigante at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. Although, if you can’t order one of the 25 made daily, the regular size are equally delicious and a more manageable ball.

For my vegetarian friends, GoPago has three Sunrise Deli locations where you can try one of the best falafels in the city. The Super Falafel with eggplant and potato included in the pita pocket or lavash wrap is the way to go.

For those looking to combine the best of both worlds and marry the most awesome things together, like GoPago does, I have an awesome Frankenstein-esque ordering  kind of solution. You must try the dish I recently wrote about that combines Italian with Middle Eastern. The Safeehat Falafel at Jannah, which is basically a pizza with a falafel crust and the most delicious toppings: pesto, eggplant, roasted red bell pepper, green and red onions, shitake mushrooms, tomato, feta, and goat cheese.

I want to offer you $10 in credit to try some of the restaurants out, since I am so excited about my new role, the company, the app, and these food selections. Simply download the app and enter my special promo code “Meatball” to try one of these awesome dishes, all under $10, for the next 48hrs. Come over to the new way of ordering/paying quickly and let’s have a ball!

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Carina Ost: On Course in My Mission Fruition

11 Jul

Photo Credit: Henri Matisse. Nude with Oranges. My favorite painting.

If there is one universal truth that I believe in, it is synchronicity. Last year, when I moved from LA after a good solid year and a half of writing about food and a building a young lifestyle company for foodies I was unsure of my direction, identity, and next steps. My move to San Francisco, mainly Noe Valley, brought me to a colorful sign that read “Ripe Fruit Writing.” Hmm, my new life plan was to be a writer and no longer dreams of being a reality tv star or media mogul. Two of the six new domains that I bought were entitled Ripeness is All dot com and Mission Fruition dot com. ”Ripeness is all” was taken from Shakespeare’s King Lear and is often used to stand solo because those three words are the meaning of life for me, even if not Shakespeare’s intention. Ripeness is All was meant to be my personal growth blog and Mission Fruition is where I would try and talk about my main passion: food. I have done a pretty shitty job adding to both but I’ll blame the luck of great jobs and opportunities falling in my lap for that one.

Anyway, back to Ripe Fruit Writing. It was a writing class in my neighborhood where we had a teacher, prompts, notebooks, and pens and took breaks with hot tea and ripe fruit. In other words, it was the perfect class for me and only blocks from my house. One of my prompts that we did was trying to recall our first memory. What do we see when our mind transports us back in time to our youngest self? Supposedly, this is what will follow you for your whole life. For me, I was probably nearly three. I was just out of the bath with my mom and I refused a towel. I was wet and naked and specifically remember wet hair. I am at my grandma’s house. There are only white walls and then large pink and orange artwork of Matisse nudes, musicians playing in New York, and Asian women warriors riding lions that she batiked. My grandma and I both loved fruit but she  loved her fruit very under ripe and ice cold, straight from the fridge. I hated that feeling on my new teeth. She handed me a peach and it was so cold that I held it to my mouth like it was my egg and I was it’s mother. I would patiently wait until it was the appropriate room temperature before I took a bite. I then remember juices running down my face and deeply looking at the colors, the oranges and the reds closer to the pit.

Immediately I can see how this first memory has continued in my life. First, I still take ridiculously long baths and my mom and I normally are simultaneously in the bath in our respective homes when we talk on the phone together.  It is our bonding time. I also get made fun of for not knowing how to dry myself off. I don’t blow dry my hair and barely use a towel. The most comforting thing for me is getting under the covers wet and taking a 10 minute nap after the exhausting bath. Secondly, my grandma’s asethetic is all over my apartment and embedded in my style. Granted, I have a ton of her artwork but even the pieces I choose are very similar. Asian influences with female subjects and reds, pinks, oranges and yellow. Lastly, on to the peach, fruition is my favorite word and has been since I was 12 and fruit follows me in all that I do. When I was in this writing group we read these aloud and my classmates commented on how sensual that was and it was no wonder that writing about food is what brings me the most pleasure.

Which brings me on to me next subject, did I find what I am supposed to be doing? I don’t know yet. However, I do know that the other day I was looking through my closet and stumbled across some old school  papers. Among them was an alphabet book that we had to make. For my subject, I chose food and while flipping through the pages I discovered that I have been writing about food and taking pictures of food for far longer than I ever imagined. I also remembered in Jr. High doing a presentation where you were supposed to teach the class a skill and I did cake decorating. It was a complete and utter diaster, but again food was my beacon.

Anyway, I can’t describe how good it felt to connect the line in the map of my life from the past to the future and realize that there is a reason that I am doing exactly what I have always done and representing the person at my core. I mean, it’s impossible to ever really go off course, at then end of our lives we can clearly see the path and it will make sense but I really felt so lost just a year ago: new career ambitions, new city, new friends, and new life.  My college application essay for undergrad was called “Why I Deserve to Be Like Merv” about Merv Griffin. First, I wanted to own hotel. Later I wanted to be Martha Stewart and made a brand plan that looked identical to hers. Now, I can say that I am paving my own way and it is more true to myself than I could have imagined. As someone who grew up reading nothing but biographies there is something so profoundly liberating about filling up my own pages instead of reading and following along to someone else’s.

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Sony WX-9: A Camera Love Story for Foodies

30 Apr

There are certain times when I can categorically say that my life does not suck. Building a career based around my love of food and words is pretty good, even if at times my waistline and wallet disagree, but then every once in awhile you get these invites that truly and eternally make it worth it. Last month, I got an invite from Sony Electronics to take part in a foodie event with bloggers from all over the country. Towards the end of March, I flew to San Diego and met up with some of my favorite food writers that I consider close friends and then people that I have just admired from my Twitter feed or Google Reader. The Minty, pretty much my favorite person from my LA food blogging days, Yay Fiona from FoodSpotting and the Punk Domestic boys also came down from SF and made me very happy. The first night I was introduced to the rest of the group, which included some big name bloggers like  No Recipes and Mouth of the Border. I can’t explain enough how good it feels when you are surrounded by your kind of people. People that love making up hashtags for events on Twitter, adding venues for Foursquare, taking pictures of every bite before it hits their fork, and giving a proper intro that includes a Twitter handle. I’ll happily admit it, food bloggers and twEATers are my people. The next day, during breakfast, we were introduced to our new lover – Sony Cyber-shot WX-9. It was ours and we were going to take it for our test drive at our mecca: a farmers’ market. The camera is very impressive, a ton of easy settings for food, pets, soft skin, and fireworks, there is also 3D functions, photo layerings, and an easy panorama mode. All of the pictures from here on out were taken with my new cyber-shot, as genius as the camera is, I couldn’t figure out how to photograph the camera with the camera. Here were some of my first photos taken, a quick lesson and my silly mind just pointed and shot. As far as I am concerned, this camera allowed me to shoot like a professional.

We then took our cameras to the beach of Ocean Beach for an amazing lunch thrown together by Chef Chris Ivens-Brown who let’s just put it this way, has enough power to make a fish extinct.  He is the VP of Culinary Development  and Executive Chef at Compass Group, the leader in foodservice management including for the Sony corporation, there are only a handful of corporations whose food he does not touch. In the words of Spiderman, god, and everyone else with a conscience, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” He preached sustainability, local, and organic with such vigor that I had to make sure that I wasn’t still in San Francisco. It was actually refreshing as was his strawberry lemonade, the ocean view, and the buffet lunch spread that just didn’t quit.

After this feast I napped, watched Oprah, and got ready for dinner. I couldn’t help but laugh at the Sony Execs who looked like they were in so much pain on the shuttle from lunch. They were so not used to eating such large lunches and then having to prepare for dinner in only a few hours. Leave it up to the professionals; this is what I call Tuesday. Dinner was where it was at and my crew was ready. We arrived at the breathtaking Sony Headquarters, went up to the top floor dining room and were lead into the kitchen where Chef Chris was leading the team. He gave us some appetizers and gave us a behind the scenes on how to make a potato basket that we later saw in one of our 9 courses to be had.

Being lead in to the dining room is where the Chef, Sony, and the trip sparkled. Interesting and inspired food, more than one pairing with Nickel & Nickel wine, and a chance for mixed tables and mingling with new people from the group.

Everything from the carrot and cilantro Soup to the surprise beta swimming in the bowl beneath my lobster salad and up until the steaming pineapple potpourri was breathtaking and mouth watering.

For the final course we moved on to petit fours and Veuve on the patio with the fire pits and got to begin our goodbyes after a magical couple of days. All of us food bloggers discussed how pleased we were that Sony “got it,” we go to so many food type events with shitty food and people/companies who don’t care. Rocco DiSpirito may have a perfect penis but sending him to a food event with frozen dinners in hand, just won’t cut it. You know what I am sayin? This was delightful and yes I left with a nice and easy to use camera, but more importantly I left with some fun memories, new foodie friends, and much more. My camera did showcase my memories and meals perfectly and, really, what else can a food blogger ask for?

Here I am with my SF crew and my Minty.

Here is what the others had to say and shoot:

The Minty on the farmer’s market, lunch, and dinner.

Travel + Wine

Chickpease Please

Foodspotting

Wayfaring Wanderer with the most insanely beautiful photos and posts on the event

Amy Blogs Chow’s posts

Sukhjit’s video teaser

The Flickr photo pool

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Secret Menu: Betelnut & BlackboardEats Serve It Up

8 Mar

Photo Credit: Cooking With Amy

Secret menus are the foodie equivalent of Members Only jackets: you feel special just to know about it, you don’t even have to indulge in it. My little brother is all about the Pink Starburst smoothie at Jamba Juice and I like a Flying Dutchman that gets it done without the buns, hun. What, you don’t know? Pfft. Two meat patties with two slices of American cheese between them, a top-secret part of the In-N-Out secret menu.

I got word from the fine folks at BlackboardEats that they have partnered with Betelnut to offer a super special and secret menu.

Here are the details:

Chef Alex Ong created four offal-ly good dishes

Crispy chicken liver, black pepper sauce, $9.88
Cured lamb tongue, galangal, lime, crispy taro, $11.88
Salt-and-pepper veal sweetbread, $12.88
Fish head tamarind curry, $15.88

This fish head curry is so rare that it is rarely seen outside of Malaysia and even the secretive Michael Bauer wrote about it.

So, how do you get in on the secret? It’s easy, go to http://www.blackboardeats.com/san-francisco be a member (for free) and get the code (for free) but here is the real exclusivity: you only have until 2pm on March 9th. There’s a countdown…..get on it……

Side Note: Here’s a joke that reminds me of “Secret Menus”

Q: How many hipsters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A: It’s like a really obscure number, you wouldn’t have heard of it.

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Poesia: It’s Like a Poem…in my mouth

9 Sep

True Story: I dream  of homemade pasta daily. It is so much on my brain that I hardly notice it anymore. When my best foodie friend was in town she mentioned it right away asking, “Do you know how many times you have brought up fresh pasta on my visit?” I was in disbelief and shrugged. I had no idea, but fresh pasta, now that sounds delicious. Over the course of her trip we had a series of big meals planned but one night the focus was strictly on drinking and shaking our chonies. This night was the San Francisco version of our Gays & Dolls bar crawl. I was present for the two versions she threw in LA and the West Hollywood version was one of the best nights of my life. My friend, The Minty, has an entire gay posse and with her help I have gained gay boyfriends all my own.

You have no idea what it means to dance until you are on a crowded dance floor surrounded by hot shirtless men and get to go wild to all of your favorite guilty pleasure pop songs. If there was heaven on earth, it would probably be the dance floor of a gay club. This kind of activity requires a full meal in the belly and cocktails consumed pinkies up. On this particular night, we were looking for a restaurant near the Castro where we could fill our tummies with carbs. Minty, who was more aware than I about how much I wanted pasta, suggested we get Italian. A few internet, Yelp, and newspaper searches later we found Poesia, which means poem in Italian. How could two food writers choose a restaurant by any other name? Between the location and the menu we were sold that this would be our restaurant for the night. I called to make a reservation and the man that picked up the phone had a beautiful Italian accent. We walked to the establishment that looks like a house, opened the door, and walked the stairs to the top where the quaint restaurant was before us. We ordered the Tortino Ai Carciofi right away, which was a fried ball of all of my favorite things: artichokes and mozzarella. Anyone that knows me knows that artichokes have my heart and I may have asked for extra bread to continue dipping on.

The other appetizers ordered didn’t reach the ball heights of that artichoke dip but the Insalta Verde with butter lettuce, nectarines, Pecorino Mugellano was a decent summer salad. The mussels weren’t phenomenal but I did find myself dipping the bread into the broth for hours to come. I have now mentioned the bread more than once and that it is because it is homemade in small loaves and it became something that I had zero self-control with.

We were three girls carb loading for a night of drinking and dancing and we were in a restaurant with all homemade pastas. We all stayed on course and ordered pasta dishes. The Minty had the Fileji di Renato with pork ribs, garlic, and tomato sauce. The sauce on this dish was beautifully executed. It is so rare for me to have an interesting tomato sauce and that was the sauce that I am still thinking about. The meat in the dish was secondary to the sauce and the thick handmade pasta.

Thankfully, my second choice of pasta dishes was ordered by our friend at the table. Orecchiette al Forno was a dish that combined some of my favorite ingredients. The delicate small ear shaped pasta was served with artichokes, shitake, provolone and walnuts. It was an interesting combination of ingredients that all worked together.

When it came to entrees, I am happy to report that I believe that my dish was the winner. I ordered the Farfalle Fiorte, which had fresh mozzarella and squash blossoms. The waiter questioned me right after my order asking if I mind that the dish is spicy and fishy. There were red pepper flakes and some anchovy paste. I stuck to my ordering guns, as my second and third choices were already coming to the table. When the dish arrived it was so flavorful and complex. The heat and the fishiness worked together perfectly and I was amazed by all of the squash blossoms I uncovered in the dish. The truth is that homemade pasta, while delicious, isn’t all that interesting. It  is simply flour, water, eggs, and salt but what makes pasta delicious is the toppings. My dish was accessorized beautifully, which is funny because Minty told me long ago that the number one way to attract a gay boyfriend was big and bold accessories. My dish worked it and I fell in love.

I am sure people have very low expectations for “authentic” Italian restaurants in California, let alone in the Castro and yet this place totally delivered. Our waiter had a real Italian accent, the bread was made on site: fresh and warm, and the quality of the olive oil was superb. You feel like you are in someone’s house, the place is quaint and Italian black and white movies are projected on the wall. We ordered a dessert that is not worth mentioning because the chocolate, olive oil, and chili pepper were all kinds of off but I would definitely return here for some fantastic Italian food. The men in the location aren’t bad to look at either. The table of boys next to us were as drool-worthy as the food. And when someone at that table mentioned that he could lose 7lbs in a week everyone in the  tiny restaurant had ears that perked up. The food and the atmosphere was homey and the carb-loading seemed to do wonders for the night of Lemon Drops and dancing to Enrique on the dance floor ahead of us. I still need to visit all of the Italian restaurants in San Francisco that rhyme with my name: Deflina and Farina, but Poesia set the bar very high and I am thrilled to have this place nearby. If you are looking for an Italian love poem in your mouth, then go to Poesia,

Poesia

4072 18th St
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Castro

www.poesiasf.com

The Minty

Castro: Poesia + Gays and Dolls in SF

http://theminty.com/2010/08/23/castro-poesia-gays-dolls-in-sf/

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My Serpentine Tongue says, YUM! SF Food Bloggers Unite

25 Aug

In Los Angeles, I found my dining crew. These were the people that never raised an eyebrow when my plate was photographed from multiple angles prior to being tasted. The same people that would never gasp at my need to have a cocktail, appetizer and dessert with every entree. These dining companions were comprised of food bloggers, Twits that like TwEAT Ups, Yelpers, and all around foodies. Friendships are fantastic but people to share reservations with are just as good. I was told very early on that food bloggers in SF didn’t have the same traditions. Blame it on the minimal PR dinners and the recipe bloggers versus restaurant bloggers in San Francisco. Anyway, the day on Twitter that we organized a food blogger and twEATer dinner was very exciting for me. I think I even marked the occasion with a hashtag saying #incestsurvivor in regards to making the SF food blogging community as close as the LA one. When choosing the restaurant for this very special occasion, I went back to a great LA find: Blackboard Eats. These 30% off codes at the hottest restaurants in town were almost always present at our blogger dinners and I made it an invitee at the SF version. I believe it was the day that I moved to San Francisco that Blackboard Eats San Francisco launched, am I lucky girl or what? We all decided on the restaurant Serpentine because none of us had ever been there and we had a valid BBE code.

I was the first to arrive and I ordered a cocktail, the Whiskey Smash, both excited and nervous to be joined by a table full of foodies. The second guest to arrive was The Dapper Diner, who has become my local #1 dining companion. The third was Tao of Pao who is an awesome food writer, runner, and burger enthusiast. And lastly was Kels Eats who covers Californian cuisine and is a self-described goat butter addict. We had all the pieces of the puzzle and in correct foodie fashion we all got started with a cocktail, appetizer, and entree to share amongst the table.

Well, I was never one to follow rules too correctly so on top of my regular appetizer I also ordered the Assortment of Pickled Vegetables. I am a sucker for anything acidic, remember I am the girl who has the dream of having the most extensive vinegar cellar in my home. The yogurt honey and pepper dip cut the vinegar perfectly and the veggies were nice and cool with that perfect crunch. I was so excited about this dish that I demanded that everyone try the cauliflower or the beet. It is always in these foodie setting where I feel most comfortable. When I say that I have always wanted to take a pickling class I get an understanding nod from across the table, I am not alone in my weirdness.

The other real joy in dining with nothing but foodies at your table is that you get to try it all. Both the Chickpea Battered Calamari and the Serpentine Meat Board were things that I want to try but they weren’t on my short list. With the help of more diners and people with big appetites, I was able to have it all. Some of the highlights on the meat board were the duck prosciutto and the pork pate.

The appetizer that I had my heart set on from the start was the O’Henry Peach & July Red Nectarine Salad with house-cured pancetta, mint, toasted hazelnuts, elderflowers, and champagne vinaigrette. It was the perfect summer salad and I was happiest that this plate was closest to me.

If there is one thing about SF dining it is that, it is all seasonal and local so it is more than common to see the same dishes on many menus. The Dapper Dinner and I were happy to see our new friends Blistered Padron Peppers on the menu. They are currently featured in nearly every restaurant I have entered recently. Each time I have to eyeball them for awhile, gain courage, close my eyes and take a bite and then utter, “That’s not too bad (spicy) at all.”

My final cocktail of the night was the Kentucky Buck and let me just say that their version blows Rickhouse out of the house.

When it came to entrees Dapper Dinner had the Harissa Rubbed Sonoma Goat Shoulder Roulade and the two girls had the Prather Ranch Hamburger. The burger was extremely memorable and for me it was all about the pickled onions and the delicious Acme roll.

For my entree I had the Grilled California White Bass, which was served with corn, almonds and a basil pistou. It was light, fresh, and even minty. Do certain tastes bring up certain people for you? For me, for obvious reasons whenever I eat mint or drink mint tea (which is daily) I always think of The Minty. She is my LA food baller/crawler team captain. This meal was days before her arrival to SF to visit me and it set the tone in reminding me how lovely it is to dine with foodies. I actually just returned from my own visit to LA where I got to dine at the newly opened Test Kitchen LA, which is probably the coolest concept restaurant ever. Chefs get to come in and takeover a space for a night or a few days and do whatever they like. The night that I went with the Minty I was overwhelmed by just how many people I knew in the restaurant. Food bloggers, restaurant owners, bartenders, foodies and more united. The excitement was palpable, the  LA foodie community is tight as hell and we are family. I don’t have this yet in SF but I will make it my Mission Fruition because dining with foodies is just more fun. Serpentine has the motto: Honest Food, Classic Cocktails. For me, that is a perfect formula for bringing people (mainly foodies) together.

Serpentine
2495 3rd St
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhoods: Dogpatch
(415) 252-2000

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Frances SF: Pride All Around

8 Aug

Imagine this if you will: You are a little over a week in to living in a brand new city, you’re there on one of the city’s biggest event days, and with dinner plans at the hardest place to get a table in town. That entire situation was me at Frances on the first big day of Pride. I was walking from my new apartment to this restaurant that I knew very little about, except that it had a waiting list that was in the “months” time frame. My walk had me tweeting away as sports cars were blasting Bob Dylan, plums were falling off trees and onto my head, and I began seeing naked men in pink tutus on every block. I was invigorated. Being able to walk less than a mile through a maze of entertainment and energy to a fine dining establishment had me more than excited. The reservation was early and the excitement of Pride was just beginning to brew. If you can see from the main picture the restaurant is nestled just away from the heart of the Castro in subdued colors and minimal signage, but on this night to the right was a man with pink hair and short shorts and black angel wings.

My dining companion had to wrestle the special day parking situation and I was seated. My waiter was adorable as can be and when I said I wanted a cocktail but needed help deciding he recommended I’d get the Strawberry Fizz because today was such a festive day. The drink was refreshing, fruity, and full of champagne…all of my favorite things. The restaurant was modern, minimal, and a perfect juxtaposition to all of the excitement going on this day.

My dining partner The Dapper Diner joined me for dinner a few minutes later and I had been so busy perusing the menu that I knew exactly what we would have. One of the coolest things about Frances is their wine blends. You choose either red or white and  you get it in a glass pitcher, but the best part of all is that you only pay for what you drink, a dollar an ounce.

For me, the most interesting thing on the menu was the Applewood Smoked Bacon Beignets served with maple creme fraiche. I loved the concept of this dish but unfortunately they weren’t as light as I would have liked and the dipping sauce was off. Perhaps our batch wasn’t straight out of the oven or something but I wasn’t in awe. However, this dish has such a potential and sounds so promising that I am sure I will always order it, even if I don’t absolutely love it.

The Panisse Frites on the other hand, a dish that I wasn’t that excited about, blew me away. The concept was simple, chickpea fritters that could be dipped like french fries into a Meyer lemon aioli and yet these were addictive little suckers. They were gorgeous to look at and the most awesome consistency, think of the smoothest mashed potatoes known to man.

The Dungeness Crab Salad, was yet another dish where Frances fooled Carina. This was an appetizer that we added to our order at the last minute, neither of us really thought much of the description. It was crab served with cherokee tomatoes, sweet herb vinaigrette, and baby lettuce. This dish was on my top 2 dishes of the night it was well-balanced, light, and perfectly dressed. It is funny because for the most part I thought I have reached the point in my life when I can look at a movie trailer, a dress on a rack, or a dish on a menu and know how it will fit and what I will love. I cannot tell you how exciting it is when I am more than surprised. Melissa Perello, the chef /owner of Frances, takes her dishes to places that can’t be captured by simple menu descriptions and therefore the element of surprise is always there. Perhaps this is why Fifth Floor received a Michelin Star under her leadership.

The White Corn Soup with shrimp, basil, and creme fraiche was all in the presentation. I was sure that this was going to be a favorite, but sadly it was not. It was a beautiful dish but the taste didn’t quite match the elegance of its description.

I am a sucker for pasta and will pretty much always order either mac and cheese or gnocchi on any menu when it is offered. The Ricotta Gnocchi with green garlic, english peas, and morels was denser than I would have liked and again didn’t match up to the perfection that was the crab salad.

For the entrée, I had the Herb Stuffed Guinea Hen, which was served creamy polenta, chanterelles, white corn and an apricot. This site is called Mission Fruition and I love all dishes with fruit components and this was quite good. The sauce was way too salty for me, as I am ultra-sensitive to salt but between the polenta and the apricot I was able to cut most of it. The mixture of light meat and dark wrapped together in crisped skin was perfection.

My dining partner had the Napa Valley Lamb with summer squash, baked ricotta, and braised lamb crespelle.

We finished off the meal with a shot, shot, shot, shot. At Frances they have these Market Shots, which according to them are: “Whatever we find at the market gets juiced, spiced and spiked.” On our night we had a delicious berry shot, which was a perfect end to the meal and got us ready for dessert.

For dessert we had the Bittersweet Chocolate Pot de Creme and the Almond and Semolina Crostata. I am a girl who likes my men like I my desserts: Fruity! So the chocolate belonged to my dining partner and let me tell you that it was as rich and decadent as can be. I wasn’t sure what to get on the dessert menu and nothing was really jumping out at me so I ordered the crostata basically because of the red plum, nectarine, and raspberries. It was also served with the most delicious English thyme ice cream. Once again, the dish that I was look forward to least was the dish that won my heart. The pastry on this dish was to die for, as was the fresh fruit and savory ice cream.

While were having dessert in this quiet tranquil little restaurant nestled in the Castro, all of the sudden we were shaking with the loud sounds of a gang of motorcycles riding by. I asked “Dykes on Bikes?” and within seconds the restaurant agreed and confirmed that it was Dykes on Bikes who just rolled through the streets. I smiled and when we were walking out I tweeted: “Dykes on bikes just rode in front of @FrancesSF. I love San Francisco fine dining.” The next morning, I received a tweet back from the restaurant saying, “We love our neighborhood, too.” This was really the most fantastic restaurant and dining experience. Perhaps it was because of the excitement of Pride or me settling in to my new home but this is my number #1 on San Francisco restaurants. I may have had a more put together meal at Prospect but this was non-corporate and just felt like what you’d imagine a great San Francisco restaurant to be: fresh, local, neighborhoody, and full of great people and great food.  I was happy to learn that my favorite bookstore (Omnivore Books) owner took famed NYT food writer Frank Bruni to Frances when he was in town. I, in turn, will take my favorite foodie friend The Minty there on Friday when she is visiting from Los Angeles. If you want to see real SF Pride, they are serving it up beautifully at Frances SF.

Frances SF
3870 17th St
(between Pond St & Noe St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Castro

(415) 621-3870

frances-sf.com

The Dapper Diner

http://twitter.com/thedapperdiner

The Minty

http://twitter.com/theminty

http://theminty.com/

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Omnivore Books on Food: Just Devour It!

28 Jun

I have now lived in San Francisco for a little over a week. I have been on two dates, tried countless new restaurants, and I have already fallen in love. This isn’t a crush this is a full blown love affair. It all began a few days ago when I was driving to meet someone. Side Note: I am trying so hard to lose my LA car tendencies but it is so hard. I just heard the fact the other day that any place in the city is within two blocks of some kind of public transportation, so my driving is unnecessary and has proved to be dangerous. When you are as big of an eater and shopper as I am and in a new city, every drive is a prowling. I turn my head to one side and then to the other and I forget to look at the road. There is a Thai restaurant to my left and a wine bar to my right. I need to remember these names and yelp them later, they are in my hood and that means they are now mine. On this particular day, I drove past a bookstore that looked adorable. While I was being honked at to do my main job of driving, I registered the words “Books on Food.” I imagined the best. I just discovered an entire bookstore based on food writing, cookbooks, and everything else a gourmand would need. I didn’t know a place like this existed and I was pissed that I didn’t think of this sooner. I had places to go but I made a note to thoroughly investigate later. I kept remembering the time when I was in Europe and I tried Magners (Bulmers in Ireland) for the first time. I was in heaven. That drink was something I never could have imagined and yet it combined all of my favorite things. There was a fruit component, there was alcohol, it was nice and vinegary, and I was able to drink it fast unlike beer. It was a drink that was tailor made for me and something that was impossible to find in any LA bar. However, blocks from my house, at the Valley Tavern in Noe Valley along with bars all over San Francisco it is on draft. I thought that was my favorite thing in Noe Valley and then a better suitor  and  combination came along.

After a night at Bourbon & Branch I had my first San Francisco sleepover. Unfortunately, it was not with a man but perhaps even better it was with my best friend d’Auria. After a night of strong cocktail drinking, I was thrilled that I was waking up next to her. We grabbed bagels (that were boiled and not baked) at Holey Bagel and then as I was going to drive her home without the awkward morning-after-nonsense I asked if I could take her somewhere that looked amazing but I wasn’t sure. She was her normal agreeable self and I drove by memory to the site of my near collision. Ceasar Chavez and Church and there I found Omnivore Books on Food. I was relieved. I wasn’t making it up. It really did exist. I still didn’t know what to expect as I only had a relationship with the sign. As we got to the door we first saw the sign with Oscar the Oyster. d’Auria is big on design and aesthetics and is currently helping me redecorate my life: from my new apartment to my new websites. I knew instantly that if she had all the time and money in the world she would make a bookstore that looks exactly like this.

We were two girls in our version of a candy shop. Bourdain was in front of us and Ruth Reichl to the left of us. There were farm fresh eggs at the counter and a converted meat locker. This old restaurant space seemed like a shrine to all that encompasses food. The woman at the counter was my favorite kind of store owner, she is in her element and she loves what she does. She wasn’t pushy at all and I could see her smile when I talked trash on chefs and food writers. Perhaps I felt too at home here, but this is now my neighborhood and this store held everything that I value: food and words. I asked d’Auria if she could make Indian food because she is a woman that is a Jill of All Trades and she said that she wants to but would rather learn from an expert. Later when we talked to the owner she said, “I heard you mention Indian food and we have one book that is fantastic because it is all built off 5 spices and the author walks you through it.” She knew the whole backstory and I was so captivated by the store she told, I bought the book. I told d’Auria that we would be working through it as soon as my kitchen is unpacked and d’Auria helps build me  a cabinet for my appliances and cookbooks in my kitchen. She easily agreed and we spent the whole car ride marking recipe pages. I will let you all know how the Indian cooking goes.

So that is it, this is my love story. I love Omnivore and can’t wait to devour more of it. Like any good love affair, I am getting so excited about being able to introduce this place to my family and friends. The owner gave me great restaurant and book recommendations but, perhaps more importantly, she also gave me a place that I naively feel was made for me. I know this sounds corny (I can even make that punny) but this little place showed me that Noe Valley is my neighborhood and home. Finding this gem was more significant and grounding then my new mailing addresss and apartment keys. Anyway, I will gladly take you here at any point and don’t forget to check out their awesome events. I am most excited about Frank Bruni on July 25th. In it’s perfect omnivorous fashion you can find new, vintage, and signed books throughout the store.

3885A Ceasar Chavez St
San Francisco, CA 94131
Neighborhood: Noe Valley

(415) 282-4712

www.omnivorebooks.com

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The Last Night of LudoBites 4.0: It didn’t Bite, It Ruled

8 Jun 4667937069_47bcbf4e26
Friday, the 28th, was the last night of LudoBites 4.0. I don’t say this mildly, Ludo is without question the most interesting and exciting thing in the LA food scene. He dominates the Twitterazzi and has been written about and seen everywhere. The establishments like LA Times has made him a cover-story, my idol Ruth Reichl has given him a nod, and the food renegade The J Gold just can’t get enough, girls melt for him as a Top Chef Master contestant and all of LA loves their Ludo. We can talk about what makes him so appealing: the tattoos, the French accent, the fact that you make your reservations via Twitter but really what makes Ludo phenomenal is his imagination. The purpose of this new Mission Fruition project for me is to reach the elusive foodgasm and as we all know that is impossible without some foreplay. The key to foreplay is playing hard to get and LudoBites rules at this. His most awesome wife handles reservation via Twitter and they are booked within hours. As you probably know I am in the process of moving to SF so these last few weeks have been hitting up some famous LA spots that I have never tried. In the week of seeing Ludo I went to Animal and XIV, I am sorry waistline and wallet. A few Fridays ago was going to be a mellow eating day and then I was going to go crazy on Minty’s Gays and Dolls crawl in EaHoLA (my made up neighborhood name for Los Feliz/Silverlake). All I had was lentil soup for breakfast and was walking in to Mi Piace for a glass of wine and pizza with the Baron (yup, his family has Baron status and owns 80% of the Kosher wine market) when I got a DM on Twitter Kevin Eats saying he had an open spot at LudoBites at 6p. It was 2p then and I was well aware that it was the final Ludo night. The following day I was heading up north to SF to go apartment hunting and I knew this was an opportunity not to be missed. I responded “yes” with no hesitation and when he wrote back saying that we would be ordering the entire menu my order at this late lunch went from pizza to a side salad. I was beyond excited and moved around my whole schedule. Took a shower and rushed over to Gram and Papa’s for Ludo Bites. I was in such a fluster that I didn’t realize til Chinatown that I didn’t think of bringing a bottle of wine and of course Ludo is so cool and underground it is BYOB. I looked at the time and realized I should arrive first and think about walking across the street to get wine later. Gram and Papa’s isn’t in the best part of downtown and I was in a booty clinging skirt for the gay bars later but not appropriate for this hood. I was rattled, excited, nervous, and unsure of what this totally unplanned night held.

My table mates were already seated and there were 4 bottles of wine welcoming me. There were 5 of us, Kevin Eats, Epicuryan, Cookie Chomper, Food, Je T’Aime, and myself. They were wine armed and camera armed and I felt safe and able to relax. The first thing that was presented to us was a warm baguette. Everyone shot away and when it was my turn to snap, I said I had no interest in photographing bread and the table reminded me that this was Ludo Bread with Honey Lavender Butter and Smoked Lard. This was the last MF’n night of Ludo Bites 4.0 I better take pictures.

A few sips of wine later and the actualization that I was at the last night of LudoBites and probably wouldn’t be in LA for all of the future stints and I was happy. I let the plates be brought out and put in front of me. This was the lying there phase and it was fantastic. The food was gorgeous. And we didn’t even have to take time to think and order, we simply had it all coming to us. We got 11 appetizers, 5 main courses, and 2 desserts. Brace yourself. First up, was the Dorade Ceviche, Heirloom Tomato, Spring Onions, Lemon Honey Paste. This dish was, unfortunately, prettier than it was tasty. It probably would have worked better with more acid but dorade isn’t the tastiest of fish.

The next dish up had the texture of the most heavenly of dishes, it was cloud-like and delicious. I am not a huge fan of soft cheese, I like my cheese like I like my men. However, this cheese took brie to the next level and it is was as high as the sky. The Brie Chantilly, Honey Comb, Balsamic went together so fantastically. As mentioned, I have been dining very well lately and I have seen fresh honeycomb everywhere but it is almost always paired with blue cheese. Let me tell you, it goes so much better with this whipped brie.

Santa Barbara Prawn, Avocado, Passion Fruit, Cocktail Sauce was probably my least favorite of all of the dishes, but that was just based on my own personal food discrimination. I am neither a fan of cold shrimp or avocados. This dish started showing the Ludo creativity that I love but why did it have to be frozen avocado shavings? Every time I see my mom she always asks me, “have you finally come to your senses, do you NOW like avocado? Sadly the answer is no, but let’s just say that I loved the Corona granita that came a bit later.

Marinated King Salmon, Red Wine Vinaigrette, Crème Fraiche was the absolute prettiest dish. I snapped this one endlessly and I think it was around this time that our table got reprimanded by the chef and we were caught on TwitPic where a 1,000 people caught us in the act. Sorry Chef Ludo, but this dish was like the most beautiful watercolor and you were the artist. If I had to name the biggest food crime, it would be cooked salmon. Ludo gave this to me just how I like it: raw, pickled, and with cream. Oops sorry, I forgot, I am trying to no longer be uncouth.

Veal Tartar, Oysters, Almond Oil, Seaweed, Tonnato Sauce was a heavy dish with strong ocean tastes. One of the people at the the table didn’t get any veal in her bite and was unable to identify which menu item this was. I liked the veal tartar very much but it really played back up to the strong oyster and tonnato flavors.

The next dish up bothered some people at my table because it came across as a kind of fusion sushi that you would see done at a Wokano or something of the sort. It is not that big of a stretch because it was in a cone and because the words “spicy mayo” were used on the menu. However, Ludo’s Crispy Soft Shell Crab Cone, Spicy Mayo, Mango, Corona Granite dish was anything but amateur. This is where you see the true imagination of Ludo’s food. It is childlike but oh so sophisticated. The cold component is outside the cone and it has that perfect refreshing Corona taste. The cone was made of regular and black sesame seeds and filled with a fried soft shelled crab and the topping that you may expect on your cone was mango. I loved this dish. I was one of the few at the table who was at LudoBites 4.0 for the first time but apparently those numbers kept track of how many were served. Some of the people that went to the opening of LB 4.0 got single digits. On this closing night, I got lucky number 327! C’mon guy, we can talk numbers, we all shared the same dish….what number were you?

Foie Gras, Green Cabbage, Kimchi Consomme, Pickled Turnips, Sesame Oil Alright folks, I don’t want to blow my load too early but this was the dish. I only took one picture and giggled about how ugly it looked on my camera screen. But as any serious dater or eater knows, looks are deceiving. I will say that I did read earlier that day in The J Gold’s review that he loved this dish but the word kimchi in the title just made me shrug. I took a bite and knew that this dish was perfection. This was a perfect marriage between my culture, my palate, and my gourmand-ness. I have not really written very much yet about my dining companions but the one that invited me was Kevin Eats, who is probably best known for his infamous piece entitled, “Why are there so many Asian food bloggers?” Truth be said, if you like it or not that question comes up all the time, especially when I introduce people to this small incestuous little community. It is a reasonable question and at our table of 5 I was the only non-Asian and those are similar percentages to most blogger dinners I attend. I don’t mind at all and consider myself Asian in my heart. In fact, my next comment after hearing that question posed is, “If they are not Asian, then they are probably Jewish.” Asians and Jews are very culturally similar and you can draw many parallels in Kevin’s answer to that question. In fact, I have just as many memories making Chinese dumplings with my Jewish grandmother than I do making matzoh balls with her. This brings me to why I loved this dish so much. My grandma is no longer alive and one of the dishes that she made and I loved was stuffed cabbage. I have spent numerous hours looking for the perfect recipe online but I haven’t found it yet. Another thing I love is a good wonton soup and this had the exact same taste in the broth, probably from the vinegar, cabbage, and sesame oil. So not only did I have two strong comfort foods and flavors but then Ludo took this simpler comfort food to the next level and stuffed the cabbage with foie. The next level was reached and I was in heaven. For once, a whole table filled with food bloggers agreed that this was THE dish of the night.

For an encore, I bring you another dish that is rooted in comfort but kicked up to elegant fine dining. The Foie Gras Black Croque-Monsieur, Cherry-Amaretto Chutney was something that I really wanted to have during my two times at LudoBites 2.0 but both times it was sold out. I now can clearly see why. It is reminiscent of a childhood sandwich, perhaps a peanut butter and jelly. The bread is not white, it is black and dyed with squid ink. Instead of peanut butter you had a delicious and unctuous piece of foie gras, creamier and better than any butter. Rather than a plain jam you had a cherry-amaretto chutney that complemented the foie better than peanut butter goes with jelly.

The Ham Soup, Bread, Swiss Cheese, Radish, Cornichon, Guinness was reminiscent of something I had at LudoBites 2.0. In that older Ludo pop-up I had a cornichon, cantaloupe, and chorizo soup that I wasn’t that sure about. If there is one thing that I am sure about it is that I love cornichons. In fact, during a trip to the South of France I took a glass jar of cornichons back with me in my luggage. For the love of pickles, I risked all of my belongings ruined and plagued with the smell of pickle juice. I was happy that ingredient stayed. I went from one spoonful to many more saying “give me a second” as I was trying to gather and announce all of the tastes in my mouth. Not only was it a treasure hunt for tastes it was also a treasure hunt when someone discovered that there was bread with cheese on the bottom of the soup. It was another adventure and an all around fun dish.

One of my oldest friends in LA is Filipina and I remember her telling me long ago that as a kid she loved blood sausage but she never knew what it was. She simply called it chocolate and her parents gave it to her whenever she asked for chocolate. This seemed like the oddest confusion to me but after tasting the Boudin Noir Terrine, Apple Puree, Wasabi I have a much better understanding for the confusion. It is chocolaty and nutty, the apple and wasabi were nice and made this scary black square more appealing and gentle. I had a few bites but due to its rich characteristics I probably couldn’t eat more than that. Also, unlike my friend, I didn’t grow up with the dish and I know very well exactly what it is.

Alright, now we are on to main courses. The Squid “Carbonara”, Pancetta, Poached Egg (63°), Parmesan Snow, Chive Flowers was another dish that I heard about a lot on Twitter and the blogosphere. It sounded fantastic. However, I am a girl that loves her pasta so as fun of a a surprise ingredient the squid was I really wanted something nice and starchy to curb the heaviness of the parmesan.

Another thing I read prior to going to dinner that night was an article on how to eat your way to a tan. The next dish Monkfish, Baby Carrots, Carrot-Orange Coulis, Exotic Spices must have improved my coloring with all of those carrots and oranges. The flavors were all very sweet and took away from that beautiful piece of monkfish.

The next two dishes Braised Beef Cheeks, Escargot Red Wine Butter, Leek Salad, Roasted Eggplant and Rack of Lamb, Fresh Goat Cheese, Dried Bonito, Artichokes, Potato Mousseline, Mint I didn’t pay as much attention to. Ludo was at the table then and I was getting all of the requisite shots. I heard that Ludo 5.0 would be in July and probably still be in downtown because he loves it there. I also remember saying that I wanted an entire artichoke to myself and so I selfishly grabbed that and was less interested in the meat on the plate, after all, I had a hot piece of  (*refrain*) with a French accent talking to me. I also remember eating that cube item stupidly by itself. It was a reduction of the beef au jus and black currant. It was super salty and probably paired nicely with the meat but, well, I am an idiot.

It’s all about Ludo’s Fried Chicken and damn it’s good. I first had it at the LA Street Food Fest where I was volunteering. A friend was waiting in line for hours to get a couple of those golf ball size pieces of chicken and kindly gave me one. That day was infamous for long lines and a ton of people and I can tell you that chicken has never tasted so good. After a long full dinner where I was totally satisfied and reached a mission fruition on the 5th appetizer, I can tell you that his chicken is just as good. The meat is dark and tender and the the fried batter is sprinkled with rosemary and thyme so it tastes as good as t smells. On this night, it wasn’t just the chicken the dish it was Fried Chicken, Coconut Polenta, Grilled Baby Corn, Diablo Sauce. The coconut polenta and the grilled corn gave it a nice summer tropical vibe and the diablo sauce was a nice accompaniment but I like my “LFC” as is and without sauce. Look for the Ludo Fried Chicken Truck hitting the streets of LA this summer!

There were two desserts on the menu this night. Organic Strawberry, Vanilla Whipped Cream & Lemon Verbena-Meringue and Dark Chocolate Soufflé, Vanilla Whipped Cream, Hot Chocolate Cream. While Ludo is not typically known for his desserts I thought both were quite nice. The strawberry dessert had the surprise element of poprocks and reminded me of the stereotypical girl dessert and the chocolate souffle was decedent and the boy version. While I am sure that I probably shouldn’t admit this or say it in this post about a Michelin starred chef but I thought the two dessert were as cute as McDonald’s when they ask if you want a girl or a boy toy with your Happy Meal. Yes, I occasionally want a Happy Meal with boot-shaped chicken nuggets and sweet n sour sauce (you see that Mickey D’s fried chicken needs sauce, Ludo’s does not). Anyway, I totally mean this as a compliment, the whole meal was a sophisticated culinary wonderland that brought in key elements from my childhood and my comfort spots.

All in all, this was the most fantastic dinner. I loved the food and it is sad how much of fine dining doesn’t have that imagination that LudoBites possesses. I am excited about all of his projects and remember to follow him and his awesome wife on Twitter to discover everything that will be unfolding this summer. As I said, in the beginning, they are a huge part of what is making the LA food scene so exciting! Yes, I will soon be living in San Francisco but I am sure that whenever I come to visit I will make LudoBites and the LFC truck a top destination. Here are other reports on this meal from my dining companions that will keep you updated on all the new exciting LA food trends from Ludo to beyond:

Kevin Eats

food, je t’aime

Epicuryan

Cookie Chomper

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Going from LA and UG to SF: My Goodbye

1 Jun _0D31760

For the last two years, Uncouth Gourmands has been my life. For the last year and a half, I have shared my Uncouth Gourmand adventures with you. Josie and I were inseparable and I still cannot go to any event in LA without people asking where my other half or partner is. It is  a role that I have loved because I have met so many great people in the food, restaurant, PR, blogosphere and Twitterazzi worlds. I have lived in LA for the last 6 years, long enough for me to attend both college and grad school and really only since my time as a UG did this monstrosity of a city, LA, feel like a home to me. I felt as though I knew all 88 cities and the food and the culture belonged to me. However, my problem is that I love getting lost and the idea of being a Foursquare Mayor of anywhere frightens me. I want to explore something new and am moving on to a new chapter. There are three people in the food world that I have met or digitally talked to that have greatly changed my direction in the last few months. They are my idols and I am going to share what I learned from them and how they shaped my new San Francisco life.

Photo Credit to NY Magazine

1. Gael Greene is a woman who I greatly admire. At one point, Josie and I were getting a comic book made called “The Insatiables” and it wasn’t til a few months later that I realized that Gael Greene already authored a book called “Insatiable.” She embraced her sexuality along with her insatiable appetite for food. As someone who is a die-hard feminist and foodie, I appreciate her on a very personal level. Her chapter on having sex with Elvis Presley in the 50′s was the most exciting thing I have ever read. While all of the girl’s were down below on the street level of his hotel screaming his name she was actually getting him although she has a better memory of the exact sandwich she ordered him after the deed. I remember writing something to her on Twitter saying how much I admire her and Ruth Reichl and she responded to me saying, “Perhaps you are becoming a more couth gourmand.” I didn’t believe it then but it is true. The way Josie and I branded this company was she was the more uncouth and I was the more gourmand one. I am champagne and Josie is beer. I really want to learn more about the food and shed some of my uncouth ways. I will probably always sit with my leg up at any restaurant and not hold a knife and fork correctly but I want to learn wine and cooking and the process. That is where my new interest lies.

2. Thomas Keller is considered one of the best chefs in this country and when I met him a few months ago at a book signing he wrote something very profound on the inscription. I am sure he wrote this to everyone but this had particular resonance with me. It IS all about family. My family is small and exceptionally tight and for the last 6 years I have lived away from them. I always stayed in the same state but I want to be closer to my Santa Cruz roots and my family tree branches. San Francisco is a 70 mile drive to my mom’s home in Santa Cruz where my 9 year old brother and my 90 year old grandfather are and I want to be near both of those gentlemen and my mama. I think my friend Hanh said it best, “You will never regret a decision that favors on the side of family”

3. Ruth Reichl: I met Ruth at a celebration for Gourmet Magazine in January and I really felt as though she changed my life. I come from a family of writers and was always under the impression that I wanted something much more serious for my life. After all, I just got an MBA and business was my form of rebelling. I learned from her that writing, even writing about food, is extremely serious and she really made me want to be a much better food writer. I realized at this point that writing for the rest of my life would make me the happiest person in the world. Prior to this, I used writing more as a means to promote the brand that was Uncouth Gourmands. I wanted to head a lifestyle brand and, in order for people to understand that lifestyle, I shared my life. This became my favorite part of UG and through this I ended up finding my voice and what is that I want to do. In April, I headed up north to see my family and spend some time in San Francisco. The first night of this trip, my mom bought me Garlic & Sapphires after I heard from Gastronomyblog and Glutser that it changed their lives. I devoured the book by Ruth Reichl during the trip and while driving into San Francisco I did that trick that I sometimes do on dates where I say “Please don’t let me fall in love. Please don’t let me fall in love” I tend to have some restraint on dates but on this trip I fell in love. I knew driving back to LA that I would end up moving to SF and even wrote a post entitled, “I left my footprint in San Francisco” What I learned from Ruth and her book is that there is a certain inspiration that can only come when you are discovering a new city. She was from NYC but after years in LA she was in no rush to return. LA is cozy and beautiful and at one point in the book she describes it as the silk coffin because it is hard to escape. However, rediscovering NYC provided her with some great writing and especially when you write about restaurants half the fun is the first second you walk in to a new place and your first bite.

It’s official, sometime this month I will be moving to San Francisco and I will be leaving UG behind. I will always be an Uncouth Gourmand, after all I added the “Gourmand” part to the name but I don’t know how well I fit the brand anymore. It is LA based and that is where the UG Global Headquarters is and where the “magic” happens. Have no fear, Josie and I are still friends but our identities aren’t as enmeshed as they once were. People change, businesses grow, and as Josie and I (perpetual singletons) know all too well relationships don’t end up being what you imagine them to be in the beginning. The picture above was us volunteering at our favorite LA food event, Taste of the Nation LA, and we will be doing it again this year. It features some of the best food, the who’s who of the LA food world, and it all goes to help a great cause. If you are sad about this news and wanna see the OG UG girls together again then buy your tickets ASAP and we will see you on Sunday! If you can’t make it you can still find Josie on @UncouthGourmand and you can follow me @CarinaOst on Twitter.

Thank you all for everything and I hope to see you in SF or in my second home LA. Spork on, Uncouthies!

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