Fresh fruit tartlet – Noe Valley Bakery

Posted on January 25, 2012 by vicentesf

Project 365: Day 21

After leaving the gym, I started thinking about the late birthday party on Saturday that I’m having over at my place for some friends at work. I really don’t have anything for it yet and my apartment is a MESS! I thought that this would be less stressful than having dinner at a restaurant since everyone hates splitting the bill and there’s still someone who keeps underpaying (argh!).

I stopped by Noe Valley Bakery again because I initially thought I was going to get a bunch of their amazing cupcakes for the party, but they’re kind of expensive and my wallet is feeling overused lately. I checked out their book of cakes and thought I wanted one of them, but I’ve since decided that maybe I’ll just swing by Tartine Bakery on Saturday morning and grab whatever looks good. You can’t really go wrong with something from Tartine and I think pre-ordering something would just cause more stress and I don’t have the time.

Papa Chang and Rapunzel said that I shouldn’t worry about and just provide simple things like chips and other random snacks, but I always have to have food for guests – it’s the Filipino in me! Maybe I’ll stick to my original plan and have some Filipino food (lumpia and pancit), but just not order too much. Maybe people will bring food too. I just can’t spend too much money since I’m saving for all those trip’s coming up. I’ve also decided that I’m visiting Codes in Ohio for his 30th bday so that’s another unforeseen expense. It’ll be fun though and it’s always great seeing him.

Just made plans to have brunch with B2 on Sunday. She wants to take me out for a late birthday meal and to hear all about my Benu dinner. She loves food as much as I do so we’ll have a great time.

Mini 2 inch sweet pastry shell filled with pastry cream and topped with strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. $2.85
Noe Valley Bakery, San Francisco

This tartlet beckoned to me from the counter display. The berries looks so sweet and luscious, especially with the apricot(?) glaze on top. It was very tasty ! The pastry shell could have been a little thinner but I really can’t complain too much about this scrumptious tart.

Lumberjack cake – Frances

Posted on January 25, 2012 by vicentesf

Pink lady apple, medjool dates, maple-walnut ice cream, powdered sugar. $8
Frances, San Francisco

This sinfully dense cake was SO fickin’ good! It had a beautiful dark and rich color and it was bursting with yummy fruits which helped to keep the cake very moist. The ice cream scoop almost looks fake in the photo. I love the texture of it in the pic – it still looks super cool! Amazing flavors all around in this great dessert!

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

Red snapper – Frances

Posted on January 25, 2012 by vicentesf

Chanterelle mushrooms, new potatoes, Meyer lemon gremolata, greens. $28
Frances, San Francisco

I wanna know what kind of green those were on top! They looked (and tasted) great! This was such a beautiful presentation. The fish was cooked perfectly, but I will say that this dish was slightly over-salted for my taste. Everything tasted great but my salt taste buds had to work overtime. Despite the salt issue, I’d still order this lovely dish again!

Five Dot Ranch bavette steak – Frances

Posted on January 25, 2012 by vicentesf

Fingerling potato, roasted shallot, spinach, sunchoke puree, chopped chives. $26
Frances, San Francisco

This beef dish was an absolute winner! The steak was SO tender, warm and delicious. The hearty vegetables, smooth sunchoke puree and beautiful sauce all came together perfectly to create a wonderful plate. Yes please!

Lemon tartlet – Noe Valley Bakery

Posted on January 25, 2012 by vicentesf

Project 365: Day 20

It’s been really hard getting back into the swing of things after my birthday weekend.

The dinner at Locanda with T-Head last night was absolutely delicious, by the way. And the restaurant isn’t as darkly lit as it appears from the outside. The service was great and the food was simple and amazing! Great place!

Oh, and I just found out today that the 7×7 Big Eat SF 2012 list came out and they have photos of each of the dishes. Apparently, they chose 7 of my food pics from last year! Amazing! I’m kinda annoyed that they don’t give photo credits anywhere, but they got the pics from my Foodspotting account so they probably don’t have to. Lame. I still posted the article on Twitter and Facebook though, hehe! I need to get the word out!

2 inch tarlet filled with a tangy lemon custard and decorated with chocolate. $2.85
Noe Valley Bakery, San Francisco

I went to Walgreens after the gym and HAD to get something from Noe Valley Bakery too, lol! This was a nice, small, delicious snack to tide me over while I walked home. Noms!

Applewood smoked bacon beignets – Frances

Posted on January 24, 2012 by vicentesf

Served with maple chive creme fraiche. $6.50
Frances, San Francisco

Omg, this was the third time I’ve had these and they STILL knock my socks off! I’m SO in love with these beignets! I have to order them every time I eat at Frances. They’re very light and fluffy, but the amount of flavor that they pack into these things is absolutely mind-boggling! I’d go back just for some wine and a bowl of these lovely treats.

Frances red wine – Frances

Posted on January 24, 2012 by vicentesf

Beverage director Paul blends this fresh and delicious wine with Marco Cappelli from Miraflores Winery. $1 per ounce
Frances, San Francisco

I love that you can get wine here by the ounce! Not that it really prevents you (or maybe just us) from drinking more. But it’s a great concept. The Frances red wine is actually a very tasty table red. It goes down easily and has enough flavor and body to keep you interested.

Toasted almonds. This complimentary snacks was slightly sweet and completely addicting. Frances even makes almonds irresistible!

Birria seca – San Jalisco

Posted on January 24, 2012 by vicentesf

Barbecued goat served dry and accompanied with onion, cilantro, lemon, and Mexican style rice and refried beans. Served with a side of corn tortillas. $10.95
San Jalisco, San Francisco

I decided to order the goat, which I’ve never had a restaurant (that I can remember). We grew up butchering goats for family parties. I was feeling adventurous and curious so I chose the birria. Tasting it immediately brought me back to my childhood – that’s exactly how goat tastes! I haven’t had it for SO long but the flavor of it was familiar. I liked it! Lemme also add that the refried beans were amazing!

Chips and salsa. The salsa started out a little tomato-y which I don’t really like, but it had suck a lingering heat to it that I ended up loving it!

Roasted pork banh mi – Saigon Sandwich

Posted on January 24, 2012 by vicentesf

Project 365: Day 19

I wasn’t feeling well this morning so I stayed in bed for most of the morning, then drove to the Little Saigon area in the Tenderloin to grab some banh mi. They were SO good. I proceeded to catch up of DVR all day and just generally relax so I could start feeling better. The last thing I need is to get sick right now. I need to remain healthy so I can get in great shape for the cruise, lol!

That and T-Head is taking me to Locanda tonight for a late birthday dinner. I’ve been wanting to try that place, but I know that it’s one of those super dark restaurants that you can barely see what your eating. I’ve mentioned this before, but I hate that! Isn’t part of enjoying your food is being able to see it! I ate at Bar Tartine which is near Locanda and that place was almost pitch black, argh! At least the food at Locanda should be very good. That’s what the reviews say anyway. I’ll be the judge of that!

Vietnamese sandwich with sliced roast pork, pickled carrots and onions, jalapenos, cilantro and mayonnaise on a toasted roll. $3.50
Saigon Sandwich, San Francisco

I can understand why this is on the 7×7 Big Eat SF list. It’s super tasty and ONLY $3.50. I wasn’t too hungry but it’s a decent sized sandwich and I couldn’t finish it. The pork was very tender and flavorful and all the pickled vegetables, jalapenos and cilantro stuffed inside made it a very hearty meal. A winner!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014

Chocolate fondant – Bisou

Posted on January 23, 2012 by vicentesf

Project 365: Day 18

Happy birthday to me! Had a great gym workout in the morning then went to Bisou for a birthday brunch with Silverfox, T-Head and RSL. Apparently they told the waiter that it was my birthday so they brought out this cake at the end of the meal and sang Happy Birthday REALLY loudly, lol! I was actually surprised and kind of embarrassed (in a good way).

That place was rocking despite the very wet weather. There was another large birthday party in there. We had reservations but the people around us were quoted a 1.5 hour wait, geez! Bisou is quite the popular brunch place. I guess everybody loves bottomless mimosas!

Afterward, we went and had drinks at The Lookout, then we met more friends at Badlands followed by Toad Hall. It was a great birthday and a lot of my friends came out to celebrate. I drank plenty but I’m happy to say that I didn’t have a hang over! Perhaps the after-bar meal at La Zapata helped out, hehe.

Rich souffle-like chocolate cake with a molten chocolate center. Served with vanilla ice cream. $8
Bisou, San Francisco

This chocolate fondant was delicious! Maybe things taste better when it’s your birthday. It was so warm and rich and the perfect with the vanilla ice cream. Thanks guys for a great birthday brunch! Too bad the 49’ers lost their game for a chance to play in the Super Bowl. 😦

Bottomless mimosa. $10

Pozole – San Jalisco

Posted on January 23, 2012 by vicentesf

Pork soup in a red, homemade spicy sauce complemented with corn hominy. Served with cabbage, radishes, lime wedges, chopped onions, Mexican oregano, and chili peppers on the side. $9.95
San Jalisco, San Francisco

This pozole had great flavor, but I wish it had come out hotter (temperature wise). It was only warm and quickly became luke warm. Not the way you should enjoy pozole! The preparation was rustic which I don’t mind, but Silverfox didn’t like picking around the bones and connective tissue of the pork. I did enjoy the number of accompaniments this came with. You could flavor the soup just the way you like it.

I do have to mention that the service at this restaurant was particular sweet and friendly.

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

Pozole - San Jalisco
June 27, 2014. $10.95
Looks like the price has gone up!

Jalapeno cheese focaccia – Liguria Bakery

Posted on January 23, 2012 by vicentesf

A large slab of addictive focaccia bread topped with jalapenos and cheese. $5
Liguria Bakery, San Francisco

This was the best focaccia I’ve EVER tasted, no joke! It has an amazing texture and it’s SO amazingly buttery. Even though this was my second choice, I’m glad that I ordered the jalapeno cheese flavor. It had a great flavor and had a little bit of heat which I wasn’t expecting from a focaccia!

I’ll still sing the praises of this bread even though my store experience wasn’t all that great. I arrived around 1:15pm on a random Thursday. The old lady at the counter must have been cranky because it was nearing the end of her shift. I patiently wait for her to finish with the customer in front of me, then she glares at me and asks “What do you want!?” I ask for some of the black olive focaccia. She responds, “We’re out” and continues staring at me. I was a bit taken aback, but decide to forge on. I’ve decided that she’s not going to give me any more information so I ask, “Well what do you have left?” She grudgingly tells me and I decide on the jalapeno cheese. Omg, how ruuuuuude! How about some customer service here? I was waiting for her to completely roll her eyes at me as it could’ve happened easily.

Anyway, I get home with the focaccia and I’m blown away! The piece was big enough to into six pieces which I continue to hoard for the next few days. It even tasted great when reheated in the oven! I’ll definitely go back (but when I’m up for that lady’s look of death)!

They wrap it in butcher paper and tie it up with string. How charming and old school!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Vittle Monster

Feed me!

Fresh fruit tartlet – Noe Valley Bakery

Lumberjack cake – Frances

Red snapper – Frances

Five Dot Ranch bavette steak – Frances

Lemon tartlet – Noe Valley Bakery

Applewood smoked bacon beignets – Frances

Frances red wine – Frances

Birria seca – San Jalisco

Roasted pork banh mi – Saigon Sandwich

Chocolate fondant – Bisou

Pozole – San Jalisco

Jalapeno cheese focaccia – Liguria Bakery