Vittle Monster

Feed me!

Focaccia bread – Eos Restaurant

Posted on August 1, 2011 by vicentesf

Sliced focaccia bread served with extra virgin olive oil.
Eos Restaurant & Wine Bar, San Francisco

Pan seared barramundi – Credo

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Seared Asian seabass atop a bed of mache, cubed watermelon and madarin orange wedges. Garnished with a balsamic reduction and sprouts.

Credo, San Francisco

The bright red, yellow and green colors make this dish visually stunning. Unfortunately, the overcooked fish was not appealing – the barramundi became dense and tough. The dish tasted light and fresh, but the flavors didn’t pop as much as the colors.

Sausage and lentil soup – Credo

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Warm soup with sausage, lentils, zucchini, squash, white beans, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, and topped with chopped parsley.

Credo, San Francisco

This hearty soup tasted surprisingly light considering the amount of ingredients. The trick to soups with this many vegetables is to cook them all to the same doneness. Unfortunately, the carrots and white beans in this soup were mushy compared to the other vegetables. However, it was still a nice, tasty soup for a warm summer day.

Escargot and mushroom – Bisou

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Snails in Belgian endive leaves with seasonal mushrooms, tomatoes and bacon cream sauce, topped with frisée.

Bisou, San Francisco

This appetizer has a great combination of light and rich elements. The bright endive and frisée help to balance out the richer escargot and cream sauce. I particularly enjoy the use of endives for appetizers. They provide the perfect bite sized boat to stuff delicious ingredients into!

Fleur de Sex & Cockboy cocktails – Bisou

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Fleur de Sex: X-Rated Fusion vodka, elderflower syrup and a splash of cranberry juice.

Cockboy: Bulleit rye whiskey, aperol, absinthe and orange bitters.

Bisou, San Francisco

Old Story – Bisou

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Bisou burger served with Choron sauce, butter lettuce, tomato, red onion, apple wood bacon, and Morbier cheese. Side frisée salad and French fries.

Bisou, San Francisco

This is a large burger made decadent with the addition of Choron sauce, apple wood bacon and Morbier cheese. You could even add seared foie gras for $5! The lightly dressed frisée salad helped to balance out the heavy burger. No point in counting calories here, especially with a large bowl of French fries!

One Night Stand – Bisou

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Organic chicken airline served with onion duck confit spliff, rice noodles, lime coconut milk jus, topped with a nut sauce.

Bisou, San Francisco

There’s a whole lot going on here! And I’m not sure if it all worked together. Chicken AND duck confit, lime coconut milk jus AND a nut sauce? Everything tasted good separately, but perhaps this is a good example of overkill. Tim Gunn would certainly have suggested some editing!

Mini ice cream cones – ANZU

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Chocolate and vanilla ice cream, raspberry and mango sorbet, served with chopped peanuts, chocolate sprinkles, and chocolate shavings.

ANZU, San Francisco

I absolutely loved these tiny morsels! Everything looks cuter in miniature, right? This dessert, however, reminded me that you should always use fresh ingredients. The ice cream cones were perfectly fine, but all the accompaniments looked and tasted old and chalky.

Wagyu beef onglet – ANZU

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

10 ounces of grilled hanger steak served with Béarnaise sauce and blue cheese butter, regular and sweet potato frites, and a mushroom custard topped with sauteed carrots and zucchini.

ANZU, San Francisco

I ordered the onglet medium rare, and it arrived cooked perfectly. I’m always weary when a beef cut is labeled “Wagyu” because I have to wonder if it’s actually imported from Japan. I’ve heard that some places will call their beef “Wagyu” even though the meat is sourced locally. Regardless, this meat was very tender and delicious. I preferred the blue cheese butter more than the Béarnaise sauce. I was disappointed that the frites were oily and soggy, though.

Prime beef tartare – ANZU

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Served with quail egg, yuzu foam, toasted brioche points and chive garnish.

ANZU, San Francisco

At first glance, the amount of beef tartare seems pretty small in this dish, but between the buttery brioche, quail egg, and rich sauce the small amount is plenty for an appetizer.

Grilled day boat scallops – ANZU

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Served with pickled yellow and red watermelon planks,quinoa upland cress, baby fennel and pink Hawaiian salt.

ANZU, San Francisco

This presentation was very beautiful. The bright pink from the Hawaiian salt played off the yellow and red watermelon slices and the cream colored scallops. The flavors, however, seemed unfocused. Between all the different flavors and textures, the scallops were lost.

Walnut bread – ANZU

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Walnut bread served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and a pat of butter.

ANZU, San Francisco

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30