Apple tarte tatin – Caffe Pascucci

Posted on August 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Beautifully sliced apples baked onto a thin puff pastry shell. I wanna say there was also some almond paste in it, but don’t hold me to that, hehe.
Caffe Pascucci, San Francisco

There was a lot of hype when Caffe Pascucci was opening its store near the Giant’s ballpark. This was to mark the Italian Company’s first foray into San Francisco’s caffineine crazed, foodie culture. My first impression of the space was that it was sleek and modern, but loungy and comfortable enough to plop down with your laptop. The clientele was your well-heeled corporate crowd taking a break from their boardrooms and computer screens to swing by and get re-energized with a latte. The food looked pretty inviting, and this apple tarte tatin was very good. These tend to be bite sized at other coffee shops, but this one was larger than most. The service was also friendly and efficient. I think they’ve done a great job with the place, and if I worked closer I would stop by more often.

The cappuccino was good, but it didn’t have a distinct taste to it that differentiated it from other espresso brands.

Lumpia Shanghai – Kuya’s Asian Cuisine

Posted on August 30, 2011 by vicentesf

Filling of seasoned pork and beef, minced onions and carrots, and beaten eggs in a lumpia wrapper, deep fried, and cut into bite sized pieces.
Kuya’s Asian Cuisine, San Bruno CA

I grew up eating lumpia prito (fried lumpia) which are much larger and have more vegetables: sprouts, carrots, string beans, peas, onion, and sometimes potatoes. My family always used ground beef in our lumpia, and it was great sitting around the table wrapping them to be stored in the freezer. I’m sure my parents still have trays of it in their freezer, ready to be given to guests to take home.

As a kid I only had lumpia Shanghai at parties and, later on, at Filipino restaurants in the city. Both lumpia varieties have their advantages, but lumpia Shanghai are less labor intensive to make and because of their small size, make excellent finger food at parties. I’ve been known to order trays of it to serve at my house. You can get a traditional “lumpia” sauce at Asian markets, but I prefer a regular sweet chili sauce because it has more flavor. Beware, lumpia is VERY addictive!

Country style pork pate – Bar Agricole

Posted on August 26, 2011 by vicentesf

Slice of pork pate served with toast, aspic, mustard and caper berries. $10
Bar Agricole, San Francisco

The server explained that the pate was “country style” since it consisted of chunkier pieces, not the smoother pates you usually see. This pork pate was absolutely delicious and filling! I just wish it came with more bread because the pate slice was pretty sizable. I’m guessing that the aspic was also from pork, but I’m not sure. Regardless, everything tasted great together!

Someone at the table didn’t know what aspic was, and I smiled because I remembered having to look it up while reading Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential”, lol! I was happy to explain that it’s a jelly made from a stock (usually meat or fish) and gelatin.

Secret breakfast ice cream – Humphry Slocombe

Posted on August 26, 2011 by vicentesf

Luscious bourbon ice cream with corn flakes mixed in!
Humphry Slocombe, San Francisco

Yes, puh-lease!!! This secret breakfast isn’t much of a secret in San Francisco. It has made most foodie lists as a must-eat. Several restaurants in the city have it on their dessert menus, and the upstairs coffee shop at the SF MoMA also serves it in an affogato. Popular, indeed! When Ben & Jerry’s introduced Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Night Snack” flavor, a Fair Trade vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl and fudge covered potato chip clusters, it caused some controversy among local ice cream fans. Drama, lol!

Of the flavors I’ve tried at Humphry Slocombe, Secret Breakfast is still my favorite. Their ice cream is denser and milkier than those at other creameries, so it’s very rich and filling. I must admit that I’ve had some REALLY waxy ice cream at Humphry Slocombe, so my overall feeling of the place remains mixed.

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012

Cake pop – Goodness Gracious ‘Divine Confections’

Posted on August 25, 2011 by vicentesf

Cute ice cream cone cake pop with a raspberry flavored chocolate cake inside and sprinkles on top.
Goodness Gracious ‘Divine Confections’, San Francisco

My friend George had a bday gathering and these were one of the sweet treats he offered. I guess his friend makes these super cute cake pops. There were different shapes and flavors, but I thought these were the cutest. I’ve never had a cake pop before, and I thought that the cake on the inside would be dry, but this was very moist (probably from the addition of the raspberry liqueur?). I’ve recently noticed the increased interest and demand for cake pops and I’m glad. They are adorable and easy to serve and eat. You can contact Goodness Gracious through her Facebook page if you want some of these delicious treats!

Cake pop Goodness Gracious Divine Confections

Still in its wrapper with ribbon.

Corn soup – Bar Agricole

Posted on August 25, 2011 by vicentesf

Large bowl of warm corn soup with aleppo pepper, creme fraiche, and chopped serpolette. $14
Bar Agricole, San Francisco

This soup was absolutely heavenly! The flavors were great and the texture was awesome. The corn was coarsely pureed so you could still feel pieces of kernel in your mouth. The garnishes looked great against the soft yellow color of the corn soup. I didn’t get much of a kick from the crushed and ground aleppo flakes and the serpolette was completely lost flavor-wise. It didn’t matter though, the soup was tasty enough to stand on its own. The portion was a generous one, which was great since everyone at the table wanted to taste it!

Serpolette (Thymus serphyllum), more commonly spelled “serpolet”, is a wild thyme. I learned something new, haha!

Pan fried pork buns – Shanghai Dumpling King

Posted on August 24, 2011 by vicentesf

Oil steamed and fried buns with a pork filling and garnished with sesame seeds and scallions. $5.25
Shanghai Dumpling King, San Francisco

I consider my co-worker, Alan, to be a Chinese food expert since he’s a native San Franciscan/Chinese American and I’ve learned quite a few things from him. I sometimes wish he doesn’t tell me certain things, like how these pork buns are cooked, lol! This was the first time I’ve tried these pan fried pork buns and I naively assumed they were first steamed, then fried since they are brown on the bottom. The dough has a different consistency than other buns so I also assumed that they used a special dough batter. I was wrong! It’s the same dough batter is used as in other pork buns, then the buns are steamed and fried simultaneously in a pool of oil! The hot oil sears the bottoms while the steam cooks the rest of the buns to a soft, squishy consistency. No wonder they’re so flavorful! Even knowing how they’re made now, I will order these again in a heartbeat since they are addictingly delicious!

Napa cabbage – Shanghai Dumpling King

Posted on August 24, 2011 by vicentesf

Chinese pickled napa cabbage with jalapeno slices.
Shanghai Dumpling King, San Francisco

This dish was listed as “Spicy Bok Choy” on the menu! When we ordered it, the waiter informed us that it was a cold dish, which we happily agreed to. I was surprised when the dish arrived and it was napa cabbage instead, especially since napa cabbage was no where on their menu. It was delicious though! Looking back, I’m glad we got the pickled napa cabbage. It was fresh, crisp and refreshing with a little bit of spice. Napa cabbage as a more delicate flavor than bok choy, and it was just what we needed. I’m not sure I would order it otherwise, so it was a fortuitous substitution!

The only times I drink tea are when I’m sick or at a Chinese restaurant and it’s complimentary. Haha! I must say that sipping tea throughout somehow elevates the meal and overall experience. Yay for free tea!

Chopped liver on toast – Bar Agricole

Posted on August 22, 2011 by vicentesf

This appetizer came with a side of dressed radicchio and garnished with sliced, pickled onions. $9
Bar Agricole, San Francisco

I didn’t grow up eating chopped liver, but there are Filipino dishes from my childhood that had plenty of liver in it. I don’t mind the strong, minerally taste that I remember so I’m never scared of ordering it at restaurants. This Jewish staple is definitely not like the liver I grew up with! It has a more mellow flavor and a smoother consistency. Bar Agricole’s chopped liver was well seasoned and had a great texture. It was a rustic preparation and you could see the seasonings and add-ins in the coarse mixture. The toasted bread was cut thick enough to hold the generous slathers of chopped liver. Very good! The radicchio, however, was SO salty. Personally, I love salt and can tolerate plenty of it, but these were inedible.

Cocktails – Bar Agricole

Posted on August 22, 2011 by vicentesf

Brown Derby: bourbon, grapefruit, lemon, honey and bitters. $10

Tequila Cocktail: tequila, sweet vermouth, stonefruit bitters and orange. $10

Brandy Scaffa Bar Agricole
Brandy Scaffa: brandy, maraschino, raspberry, chartreuse bitters. $10
Bar Agricole, San Francisco

These signature cocktails were absolutely delicious, although on the small side. So at $10 a pop, these are definitely drinks to sip and savor. I love the large (hand cut?) ice cube in the Tequila Cocktail. These always increase the classy factor. In order of taste preference, I would re-order the Brown Derby, Tequila Cocktail, then the Brandy Scaffa. The Brown Derby wasn’t too heavy tasting and you could taste the citrus and honey flavors. The Tequila Cocktail went down really easy – danger, danger! The Brandy Scaffa was a little too dark and heavy tasting for me. Bar Agricole has a nice, long list of house cocktails so there’s something for everyone. Yes please!

Miso glazed sea bass – Andalu

Posted on August 21, 2011 by vicentesf

Bite sized pieces of grilled sea bass served in lettuce cups with sweet soy and black sesame seeds.
Andalu, San Francisco

The miso glaze and sweet soy were wonderfully delicious in this dish. Unfortunately, the sea bass was overcooked so it was on the hard and dry side. Otherwise, Andalu serves up another simple and delicious dish!

Beet and arugula salad – Andalu