Author Archives: vicentesf

Unknown's avatar

About vicentesf

Exploring life one meal at a time. Cause I'm not a foodie, I just like to eat!

Salami pizza – Del Popolo

Posted on by
13

Salami pizza - Del Popolo
Tomato, mozzarella, basil, sweet peppers. $14
Del Popolo, San Francisco CA

This food truck is pretty cool because it’s over a story tall and they literally have a pizza oven conveyor belt in there! It’s super popular and the pizzas are pretty good, but honestly I’m not a fan of the brunt, blistered crusts. For me, the ash taste is overwhelming and pretty much contaminates the rest of the pizza’s flavor. I guess I’m one of the few who doesn’t like it that way.

Del Popolo food truck
Line for the Del Popolo food truck, Picnic at the Presidio.

Free range half chicken – Curbside Cafe

Posted on by
2

Free range half chicken - Curbside Cafe
With tarragon white wine cream sauce, served with “Gratin Dauphinois” and sauteed spinach. Chef Special (soup + entree) $18
Curbside Cafe, San Francisco CA

This was such a delicious dish at a great value! I was surprised at how moist, tender, and flavorful the chicken was. I was a little skeptical of this restaurant at first, but they really delivered on the food. The gratin dauphinois was super rich and creamy (as it should be) and the cream sauce was perfect for the chicken. This plate was definitely tasty and prepared wonderfully.

Coulter's Matilija poppy
Coulter’s Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri, Papaveraceae), Land’s End.

Custard French toast – Nopa

Posted on by
9

Custard French toast - Nopa
Strawberries and honey-lemon butter, maple syrup. Half order $7
Nopa, San Francisco CA

Oh my effing god! This was probably the best French toast I’ve ever had. Sometimes I don’t really agree with the food items on the 7×7 Big Eat list, but this was frickin’ amazing! And I’m not even a French toast/pancake kinda guy! I wish I had taken a photo in cross-section because it was the interior texture that truly made this dish. The inside of the French toast was so silky and custard-y, and oh so delicious. I would brave the ridiculous brunch line again for this dish! NOMS!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2012, 2014

Alamo Square Park
View of downtown SF during sunset from Alamo Square Park.

Gazpacho – The Whole Beast

Posted on by
3

Gazpacho - The Whole Beast
Mmm, this was pretty refreshing on a warm Sunday morning at Picnic in the Presidio, and Off The Grid weekly event. It had good flavor and I liked the texture of it too.
The Whole Beast, San Francisco CA

Bloody mary - Picnic in the Presidio

Bloody mary – Picnic in the Presidio stand. It could have been a little stronger, but hey, it was still morning. 🙂 I did like that they used paper straws!

Picnic in the Presidio
As it approaches noon, the crowd increases at Picnic in the Presidio.

Chitarra bachata – Roxy’s Cafe

Posted on by
2

Chitarra bachata - Roxy's Cafe
Sweet plantain chitarra noodles, chorizo and fresh farm hen egg sauce, cheese and flower garnish. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA

I guess that chitarra is a type of pasta cutter and not a Thundercat (I learn something new every day!), so these were definitely homemade noodles. The noodles had an interesting, soft texture that I quite enjoyed and the chorizo was delicious. I thought this was very inventive, but what do I know… 🙂

Japanese vases
Japanese vases, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Crawfish and bacon poutine – Fins on the Hoof

Posted on by
12

Crawfish and bacon poutine - Fins on the Hoof
Fresh cut fries, crawfish and house-cured bacon gravy, cheese curds, peas, spring onions. $10
Fins on the Hoof, San Francisco CA

Omg, this was delicious! The fries were crispy and well-cooked and the toppings were amazing. This had so much flavor and I initially thought that it would be super heavy and gross, but it actually wasn’t! The large fluffy cheese curds along with the peas and scallions helped to break up the fried ingredients and gravy. It was a great well-balanced poutine. I want some more!

Fins on the Hoof

Fins on the Hoof
Fins on the Hoof food truck.

Lobster bisque – Curbside Cafe

Posted on by
3

Lobster bisque - Curbside Cafe
Soup du jour. Chef Special (soup + entree) $18
Curbside Cafe, San Francisco CA

I didn’t like the color of this lobster bisque, but it was packed with great lobster/seafood flavor! I think it looked more like split pea soup, but I guess it doesn’t matter if it tasted was amazing as it did. 🙂

Dutch crunch bread - Curbside Cafe
Dutch crunch bread. Complimentary
I rarely see this kind of bread served at restaurants as their table bread. In San Francisco, they usually serve sourdough, a baguette, or some other local artisanal variety. I liked that Curbside Cafe switched it up!

Legion of Honor
California Palace of the Legion of Honor courtyard.

Long cooked pork – Nopa

Posted on by
1

Long cooked pork - Nopa
Fresh shelling beans, roasted corn, tomato confit and skillet bread. $15
Nopa, San Francisco CA

This was a very hearty, filling dish and it was tasty! It would be great as a hangover cure, lol. I could easily see this served as a lunch or dinner item too. All the ingredients were delicious and the pork was tender and flavorful. There could have been more of it though. The portion was a bit on the small side.

Blooming aloe

Blooming aloe, West Field Road.

Ciopinno – Cafe Renzo

Posted on by
Reply

Ciopinno - Cafe Renzo
Clams, mussels, calamari, prawns and fresh fish sautéed in a tomato garlic broth. $23
Cafe Renzo, Palo Alto CA

Meh, this was ok. Definitely not the best ciopinno I’ve had. The sauce was a bit salty and some of the seafood were overcooked, but the flavors were there. I wasn’t feeling the love from this seafood stew though.

Dinner roll - Cafe Renzo
Dinner roll. Complimentary

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Tagliatelle – Roxy’s Cafe

Posted on by
11

Tagliatelle - Roxy's Cafe
Peas, cheese, pancetta brown butter. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA

Omg, this was amazing! I loved that it had both a pea puree and whole peas. The pancetta added a wonderful smokiness, and the noodles had a beautiful texture. Noms!

White wine - Roxy's Cafe

House white wine.

de Young Museum
Modern art at the de Young Museum.

Nola frites – Nola

Posted on by
4

Nola frites - Nola
Crispy fried russet and sweet potatoes, fried okra, zucchini sticks, cool ranch, spicy ketchup, bbq sauce. Happy hour $6
Nola, Palo Alto CA

When we saw that this was only six bucks on the menu, we assumed that it was gonna be a small sampler plate. OMG, this bowl was packed with food! I think my heart is constricting just remembering it. I was actually surprised at how well everything was fried though. Nothing was really greasy or limp, and everything tasted pretty good! Well done, Nola.

Lindley's varied lupine
Lindley’s varied lupine (Lupinus variicolor, Fabaceae), Pigeon Point.