Bits and Pieces

There is so much to write about, and some how I've managed to wait until it was tomorrow, again. It's too late to write anything properly. This past week has been a blur of food and visitors and my trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. I still don't have an answer for that, but I do know some new things about food.

1) Country-style ribs from Safeway are not ribs. They are pork shoulder cut into rib-shaped slabs. They are, however very tasty barbequed, and don't take nearly the same amount of long, slow cooking as regular ribs. I don't know why though. Maybe if they were cooked long and slow they'd be even better?

2) Cooking country-style ribs in the oven wrapped in foil with braising liquid for a long, slow period isn't nearly as good as grilling them outside, over hickory chips.

3) S'mores are just as good made in the microwave as over the 'que. And faster.

4) Dim sum is normally a brunch thing. Don't show up at 4pm in Chinatown expecting dim sum to be served...anywhere.

5) Duck is very tasty. Duck five ways is even better.

6) Babies like duck broth.

7) Husbands like a never-ending supply of chocolate-chip cookies.

8) Homemade vanilla ice cream is not appreciated by four-year olds.

9) Barilla Plus is a great pasta to feed to kids--fiber, protein and omega-3s.

10) The Bug knows that he likes calamari with tentacles. Seriously! I still won't touch the stuff.

Oh. I'm tired. Should that be the title of my blog? Seriously....

Our Pho Field Trip

The Bug and I are doing field trips every Saturday. One weekend we went to Oakland's famous Chicken 'N Waffles (like Roscoe's, but not) as part of our "EXPLORE Oakland" field trip. We saw Jack London's little Alaskan shack, we looked at a lighthouse boat, we drove through West Oakland and looked at the folks working on their yards and corner gardens, and we spent some time in the giant, beautiful cemetary.

Last weekend we went to the Benicia Camel Barns. No eating involved with that one.

This weekend I had lots of shopping to do and didn't have time for a historic field trip. Instead, we went to Saigon #1 on North Texas Street in Fairfield and tried out some Vietnamese food. I'm no stranger to Bun and Pho, but I knew the Bug was and figured he'd enjoy it. I was right.

We arrived at 2pm to an empty, clean strip-mall hole-in-the-wall. It seemed to be staffed by 14-year old boys. We ordered a small Pho with brisket ($4.95) for the Bug (no tendon, thank you very much) and Bun with grilled pork and fried roll ($6.50) for me.

Oh. Guess I should mention that my kid had a bike accident a few days ago and bashed apart his two front teeth, doing himself some pretty nasty damage. No biting into foods and no hard food for at least 6 weeks. So I figured nice soft rice noodles and soothing broth would be a comfort.

I wasn't impressed with the veggies that came with the Pho. A lot of crunchy bean sprouts, one sad sprig of mint, three slices of jalepeno, and a tiny wedge of lime. No cilantro at all. But then again, I thought my kid would really only touch the lime, so I didn't say anything.

We also got one summer shrimp roll and one fried pork roll. Both were a hit with the kid...I objected to the substitution of lettuce for mint in the summer roll.

The grilled pork in the Bun was GREAT. Really flavorful, a little crispy, and perfectly cooked. The broth in the Pho was pretty good too. The only thing we didn't like was the watermellon smoothie, no pearls ($2.47) which was so fake and powdery tasting neither of us drank it. Imagine...a kid not liking a cold shake that tastes like Watermellon Bubbalicious!

The Bug ended up falling in love with bean sprouts. He wrapped up a package of them in a large lettuce leaf and munched on them in the car on the way to Costco. Very happy kid. We'll go back.

Saigon #1
1972 N. Texas Street
Fairfield, CA

Koryo Wooden Charcoal Barbecue

Yesterday I lunched at Oakland's Koryo Wooden Charcoal Barbecue, hoping to find those buns that Bon Vivant has on her blog. Alas, no buns. (The cheapest appetiser was about nine bucks--and I think it was fried shrimp).

I arrived around 2:30, after running work errands. It was a Friday and I trolled Telegraph Avenue trying to figure out what the best Korean place would be for a late lunch. Koryo is hidden in the corner of a little Korean strip mall, and has some parking, for the very lucky. I was lucky.

They take plastic, so in I went. The waitress seemed surprised when I asked if they were still open. How was I to know? It was pretty late for lunch and the place was empty except for staff. She seated me at a table for six, facing a large, dirty aquarium. I noticed later that the aquarium had water, rocks, etc., but no fish. But there was a large can of fish food next to it. Hmmmmm.

I had lots to read with me, so didn't fret when the waitress ignored me to do her prep work at other tables. I ordered Bulgogi for $5.95 and a diet soda. The soda came quickly, as did some water.

Eventually, out she came with a large tray. She plopped down about nine little bowls of stuff, a small metal bowl of rice, a larger metal bowl of what looked to be hot pond water, and a sizzling metal and wood tray of beef. No individual plate. Here's your spoon, here's your chopsticks. Goodbye.

She left me to contend with the array of food in front of me. I recognized the rice, cucumber, and kim chee. There were two kinds of cold sprouts: one with large beans and one that was fatter and grey. As I'm pregnant and can't remember the warnings about sprouts, I ate them sparingly. There was some chunked vegetable in a kimchee type arrangement, and another crunchy green type of vegetable also fermented. I liked the pickled, shredded something. Daikon? The pond water tasted like pond water and I wondered if the aquarium served a purpose. There was a cold potato, fried (tempura'd?), and plunked in honey that was interesting.

The one thing I really, really hated looked like fat string beans but tasted like it had been scraped off the inside of said aquarium. After reading other reviews, I wonder if this was some sort of reconstituted fish product? Ieewwwww. (I'm not an adventurous eater. Really, I'm not.)

The beef itself was good and plentiful, though a bit bland. I would have liked more kimchee to go with it, but was reluctant to ask. There were no sauces on the table.

As I was finishing up a party of three came in. They were college students, and appeared to be Asian. The waitress was no ruder or more polite to them than she was to me. With a tip and tax, I paid $10.65 for my very filling lunch.

I'd like to go back to experience the bibimbap and the grilling. And as I passed the kitchen staff sitting together for their own lunch, an older man joyfully yelled through a mouthful of rice, "THANK YOU!"

Bad food is worse than bad sex

My co-worker and I were talking about a recently opened bad Chinese place in Oakland (Emperor Chinese Gourmet: Americanized, bland, flavorless, boring, pedantic, blah and odd). We both tried it because it's near the office and promised cheap eats.

As my pregnancy progresses I've wanted more and more spicy and flavorful food--which I didn't get at Emperor Chinese Gourmet. But I was super hungry so I filled up. Back in the office I realized I was full, but seriously unsatisfied. I rooted around in my desk for an old fireball, some Red Hots, or even a peppermint. I ended up eating peppermint Tums just to get the flavor.

My co-worker said, "Bad food is like bad sex. If you're unsatisfied you end up having to go and make do on your own."

So...don't go to Emperor Chinese Gourmet in Oakland, or you'll be breaking out your vibrator in the middle of the afternoon.

Ravioli at Il Fornaio

Far be it from me to turn up my nose at a free meal. But the more I think about this one, the more my nose goes up.

I dined at Il Fornaio in Sacramento recently, a business dinner. There were 10 of us there and we were offered a fixed price dinner menu. I don't like mushrooms, so I didn't pick the lasagna. And in the past I've been known for my pasta/chicken/sun-dried tomato dishes, so I wasn't picking that. I really wanted fresh pasta with a flavorful ragu, or something with wonderful fat prawns. But there was none of that, so I went with Ravioli alla Lucana

Housemade ravioli filled with Italian sausage, ricotta, parmesan and fennel;
fresh tomato sauce with imported peperoncino pecorino pepato cheese and fresh basil.

When it arrived it looked good. I was the only one to order it, and there were some long looks in my direction. The raviolis were big and the sauce was bright. But the rave reviews ended there.

The pasta itself was hard, as though it had been left on the counter for a number of hours. The parts that were buried in sauce were soft enough, but a diner shouldn't have to be pushing sauce around to avoid mouthfuls of cardboard pasta.

The filling was incrediably strange. The sausage was hard and crumbly, and the taste was akin to bad college food. It seemed to have been put through a fine food mill, dried out, and not reconstituted. There was no sign of a soft ricotta or fennel--dried or fresh.

The tomato sauce was good. But it's a good thing this pregnant girl has been craving spicy. With my first I couldn't have anything with *any* heat, whatsoever. This sauce was SPICY. I sniffled and snuffled my way through the dinner. Luckily my companions had all found their dishes extremely salty and they were downing the wine so fast no one noticed my runny nose.

But I wonder, if someone who didn't like spicy food had ordered that, what would they have said? Certainly there's nothing in the description that says dried red pepper.

I'd try Il Fornaio again just for the bread (but skip the bread STICKS). And I wouldn't mind moving off the catering menus. I guess that's what you get when you go to a chain...?

Fogo de Chao

The Bug and I were recently in Washington D.C. in an area known for business travellers, Smithsonians, and politicos. Good, mid-range restaurants is not something the area is known for. We had a great, enormous burger at Fuddruckers the first night. The second night was a horrendous meal at Capital City Brewery. Our third night we gave up and had room service (our hotel shut down its dinner restaurant nine months ago). And on the fourth night we went to Fogo de Chao.

It was recommended as a fun place to take a kid. It's a one-price, no-menu travelling buffet. First, one goes to the interesting salad buffet. Prosciutto, cured meats, hard parmesan, bright green asparagus, fresh mozzarella, butter lettuce...a wonderful salad bar.

Each diner is given a coaster that tells the MEAT WAITERS when to start bringing over the main course. These are men who rush all over the restaurant with skewers of meat and sharp knives. They approach your table at a full-tilt run and sputter out what kind of meat it is. Their impatience is unnerving. "Beef Ancho?" "Picanha?" "Filet Mignon?"

On the table for each person are tongs--use these to catch the meat as it's being sliced. The waiters didn't tell us this and it wasn't until a waiter chastised me that I realized that I was supposed to take the meat.

Meat is sliced at each person's side until the coaster is turned to the red "STOP" side. When you're ready for more, flip it to the green side.

Served with the meat are wonderful little puffs of cheese bread, tasty mashed potatoes, baked bananas (this *is* supposed to be Brazilian-style food), and fried polenta. Many of the beef selections are overly salty--or were to my pregnant palate.

Sadly, I never had a chance to try the bacon-wrapped chicken or linguica, two of my favorite types of meat. The Bug was having an off night and didn't enjoy anything until desert, when he selected a giant goblet of strawberry ice cream.

All-in-all, I'd try it again, with friends who enjoy meat. It runs $50 per person before tax, tip and drinks.

Ratto's Deli

How could I have worked just 8 blocks from one of the best deli's ever and have not crossed its threshold for over two years? Ratto's Deli (aka Ratto's International Market) is in Old Oakland at 821 Washington Street and is an Oakland institution, having existed for almost 110 years.

It's a deli. It's a cheese shop. It's a bulk foods store. It's an international foods store. How in the world have I missed this place?

At 2:30pm the lunchtime crowds are gone. I usually go for cheese and pick up a sandwich too. Ratto's has a gargantuan amount of choices when it comes to sandwiches. When you enter, pick up a sandwich slip at the front table, mark off your choices, and hand it to the nice lady behind the counter.

The first time I went I was overwhelmed by the choices and selected the Jenny: fresh mozzarella, fresh pesto spread, ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced onion, crisp romaine on a perfect, fresh baguette. It was delicious.

My favorite sandwich, by, far is my own creation, which is a baguette with pesto, prosciutto, onion and havarti.

While you wait for your sandwich check out the international foods, the bulk legumes, the Morrocan pillows. Measure out some spice or herb you've always meant to try (but never wanted to shell out $10 for a big honking jar for). Select cheeses and olives, some nice wine, fresh bread...Ratto's is a treasure trove for cooks and foodies!

They'll call your name when your sandwich is ready. Grab a bag of yummy chips and a drink and go sit out in the sun!

900 Grayson in Berkeley

I had a nearly impossible task. Find a restaurant in Oakland or Berkeley with good design aesthetic, low noise level, seating for a party of 7 or 8, reservations taken, good food...that serves breakfast. And, I had about 90 minutes to find it. Somehow, I did.

900 Grayson is a new spot in an old space in the industrial section of West Berkeley. They are open only for breakfast and lunch currently, which is probably all they can handle. But given time, they should turn out okay.

Design: Clean lines, lots of light. Lemon-yellow painted walls, comfortable chairs. Some wierd paintings (being at a table of men all distracted by the naked lady on the wall was awkward). The little dishes for ketchup and jam don't work for a party of seven--especially with the big soup spoon. Keep working on the details guys.

Food: Good. Most of us ordered the gouda omlette $7, which was called a "souffle" but there was nothing souffled about it. The omlette itself was greasy and I was glad to have bright strips of fuji apple (can you call julliened apple tossed with an herb a "salad"?) to cleanse my palate.

The home fries are made to order and crispy at the edges, thick and dense in the center. I'm a crispy girl myself and thought the denseness was soggy. Everything was just slightly bland, as though the chef had held back on the salt during cooking.

The best item on the plate? One perfect bursting-with-flavor strawberry. 900 Grayson strives towards all-organic ingrediants, and if that strawberry wasn't organic, I'd be surprised. My recommendation--cut the butter when cooking.

Service: Hit and miss. When I called yesterday at 1:45 I was told they were very busy and they rushed the reservation. They open at 8am, but I was told our table would be ready at 8:15am because they open at 8 and wouldn't be ready for us. Sure enough, at 8:03 the door was locked and the sign said "SHUT." Happily, one of the nice staff opened it right away.

Speaking of the nice staff. It's staffed and maybe owned by some regular-looking 30-something guys in jeans and t-shirts. I got this feeling that they were on the edge of being frantic. It seemed hard for them to smile, relax, or put us at ease. Maybe it was fear of a big group. I don't know. However, they were attentive, and while our group dribbled in our waiter popped back each time to get the coffee order.

The plates didn't come at the same time, with cold fruit arriving after hot eggs, and one order taking about 10 minutes more than the rest. The waiter was apologetic and the guest was gracious and nice, so it wasn't a big deal. But they need to know that that's a no-no. Even if it's a large order. At least bring the guy some toast or fruit or something while he waits.

The menu has relatively few dishes, mostly egg-based. They have funky names, like "Time Life Cookbook" aka Gouda Omlette and "Make Up Kit" which is all the extras you can order. I love that basil is free (no dinero). I'd like to try the Korean Soju Marty 7.0, a cumin-laced virgin mary. The cute names do make it harder to figure out what each dish is. For lunch, would you like a Miss Piggy & the General for $9.50? (that's a pork sandwich. Don't know what the General part is...).

Overall, I think 900 Grayson fills a good void in the area. But if they want to not become a void themselves, they should think about ensuring they have enough staff to turn over the tables quickly. And bring some of that sense of humor to the staff. If you're stressed, we shouldn't know it!

http://www.900grayson.com/

Roast Duck and Squished Onions

Last night I was at a work-related dinner in Berkeley and had roast duck (a step up from the usual rubber chicken!). I'd never had duck that wasn't shredded or diced or otherwise rendered unrecognizable. So having actual large cuts of duck meat was very interesting. It seemed, to me, to be a little on the rare side, though quite good. Is duck usually served rare/medium/well?

With it came a spoonful of creamy potatoes and some tender beets, it was beautifully plated. And it was topped with a squished, breaded onion.

Oh, my writing skills are really working over-time, aren't they? I'm SWAMPED with work, eating on the fly, no time for blogging. As it is, I'm late and now my commute in will be doubled (ugh). Just wanted to get this down so I could revisit later. And sadly, no pictures. Didn't see how I could do that with all the mucky-mucks around.

Free Bay-Area Dinners for All!

Have I said yet how much I love SF Survey? It's a groovy collection of SF and Bay Area restaurant reviews--and JUST restaurant reviews. The critics are usually funny, smart, and know their dishes. I've found I trust it about 3000% more than Yelp or any of the Citysearches.

Restaurant staff and chefs are known for visiting their spot's SF Survey critiques, fixing problems, and then letting us know that they did. And even better: if you review, you get chances to win free dinners!

In just one year I've received three gift certificates for quite nice dinners. I'm cheap, so these aren't places I'd usually consider going. Since there was a 1,000 word limit on my review for HOME on Union I couldn't explain how it truly was the *best* experience Juiceboy and I have ever had. The staff and food was superb, comfortable, and just plain right. And it was a great way to celebrate our Tenth Wedding Anniversary. And I wouldn't have gone there if it weren't for SF Survey.

Off we go this week to try yet another place thanks to SF Survey: Viva in North Beach. I'm a bit nervous as it's had some pretty harsh marks on service. And if you read my reviews, you'll probably notice that's what it's about for me. They know I'm coming. They better be prepared to offer me that second glass of wine!

Searching for Mr. Enchilada

There are very few taquerias that can satisfy my craving for Enchilada Gravy. This is not a tomatoey, runny mess. This is not a dark brown, thin, trickle. The best enchilada sauce is a gravy. It's viscous and thick, and congeals a bit when cold (which tells me there's fat in it). It has a meaty taste to it, though it's red in color, and absolutely smooth in texture.

Chabelas on Haight Street in SF had the best. They closed one day due to kitchen problems, and never reopened. Sigh.

Happy Burrito in Oakland has got something close. Very close. I'm afraid to ask for the recipe lest they haul out a 20-pound tin.

Anyone have a good enchilada gravy recipe?

Chips and Beer (I'm so classy)

I’m on my Capital Corridor Amtrak train going home. It’s my last evening in the 35-and-Under demographic (like how I keep stretching my demo?) and I’m celebrating by enjoying a beer and chips. From the instant the dining car conductor cracked the Dos Equis and squeezed the lime my mouth has been watering. There’s something about essence of lime that’s just delicious. And when it hits hops and barley? Mmmmmmm.

My chips are Cheddar Beer Kettle Chips. They’re new—the ones in the yellow bag. As Michelle, our conductor agreed, “Yum! They’re cheesey and beery and good.” And they are thick and tangy and crunchy. And cover your fingertips in a nice rich coating of oil, so you know they aren’t good for you at all. In fact, one bag has 18 fat grams, but I’m not counting today.

What is it about chips and beer that satisfies me so? Everything is right this afternoon. We’re trucking through Pinole—the gray-green San Francisco Bay to my left, the creeks and eddies and million-dollar swamp grounds of Northern California to my right. There goes the Contra Costa jail, and some small but tidy homes with amazing bay views. Wild life areas and a boarded-up elementary school. Teenagers in red and white striped shirts huddle at the side of the tracks, startling me. They’ve probably started school and are embarking on thrilling and dangerous flirtations.

The Dos Equis wraps around my nerves and relaxes them. I’ve swapped the Hives and the Strokes for Death Cab for Cutie. And it blends perfectly with my respite. Farther east now, I think we’ve hit Hercules, where new houses have popped up like mushrooms grown too close. Old houses and buildings on the edge of town are strangely boarded up. I don’t know why.

All would be perfect if this beer was a Negra Modelo. Oh, how I love my Negra. The flavor is rich and deep and is better without a lime than with. I fell in love with it at Las Mesas, a great little taqueria in the Lower Haight that closed less than a year after it opened, the owner deciding there was more profit in bagels than burritos. Pretty Elizabeth would bring me my Negra Modelo, smiling shyly, knowing before I ordered that I’d ask for it. I’d enjoy it while I waited for our to-go burritos—mine almost always a chicken mole burrito, no chicken, and Juiceboy’s a veggie burrito—they had an amazing number of grilled veggies in their vegetarian items. The Bug tried everything, but loved the shrimp the most.

Las Mesas, this beer’s for you.