Sformato of wild mushroom – Cotogna

Sformato of wild mushroom - Cotogna
Grana padano. $15
Cotogna, San Francisco CA

Omg, this sformato, which seemed to me a cross between a custard and souffle, was absolutely delicious! It had a soft and silky texture and was rich on flavor. The sauteed wild mushrooms were earthy and decadent against the creamy sformato. Noms!

7×7 Magazine’s Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before You Die

Taggiasca olive corzetti with tuna conserva – Flour + Water

Taggiasca olive corzetti with tuna conserva - Flour + Water
Caper and artichoke. Pasta tasting $70
Flour + Water, San Francisco CA

This was different for me. I can’t say that I eat a lot of pasta with poached and marinated tuna. The taggiasca was fun to eat though, but perhaps the entire dish was bit on the salty side. So this wasn’t my favorite pasta of the night.

7×7 Magazine’s Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before You Die

Hop cured monkfish – Thirsty Bear

Hop cured monkfish - Thirsty Bear
Monkfish tail, Cascade hop cure, Calabrian chiles, toasted garlic, olives. Paired with Howard St. IPA. Restaurant week dinner $40
Thirsty Bear, San Francisco CA

This wasn’t my favorite. The cured monkfish was too dry and salty for my taste. Add the olives and things just got even saltier. Thank goodness for the beer to help wash it down!

Mary’s spicy fried chicken sandwich – Red Dog Restaurant

Mary's spicy fried chicken sandwich - Red Dog Restaurant
Habanero-honey sauce, creamy coleslaw, served with fries. Restaurant week lunch $15
Red Dog Restaurant, San Francisco CA

I didn’t realized this was going to arrive was two sandwiches, score! The fried chicken tasted great. I loved the slight spiciness of it and the batter was nice and flavorful. The chicken was a bit greasy and soggy, but the flavor kind of made up for it. The sauce was wonderful though and I got a side of it just to dip my fries into. Noms!

House-made cavatelli – One Market Restaurant

House-made cavatelli - One Market Restaurant
Rock shrimp, calamari, mussels, lobster sauce. Restaurant week lunch with wine pairing $42
One Market Restaurant, San Francisco CA

Mmm, such a lovely dish! The pasta was cooked perfectly and the seafood tasted great along with the lobster sauce. I would have loved more of the seafood, but then I’m just a glutton! 🙂

One Market Restaurant
I see my pasta getting made! 🙂

Pork belly pot stickers – Willi’s Wine Bar

Pork belly pot stickers - Willi's Wine Bar
With five spice and shiitake mushrooms. $11
Willi’s Wine Bar, Santa Rosa CA

I did not like this at all. First of all, I hate it when fried pot stickers are served in a broth. It just ruins the texture of the fried dumpling to me. Second, the shiitake mushrooms just soaked up all the fat from the pork belly so it felt like you were biting into mushy packet of fat. After a while, the dumpling became soggy and limp, and that made the dish even worse. Yuck!