SF Eats: Shizen

Shizen is such a gorgeous restaurant, but I'll warn you it's hard to find, you might just walk right by it.  With no obvious signage, you kind of have to pay attention and have the address on hand.  We had to make a quick call to the restaurant to confirm where it was, we kept walking up and down the blog, passing the restaurant.  In any case it was a cold night, so when we got inside we were more than happy to warm up!

My sister and I decided to share some sushi and hot delicious ramen.  Now, one thing I should mention about Shizen is that everything is vegan.  This was my first time trying vegan sushi and vegan ramen and it certainly did not disappoint.  Admittedly I was skeptical at first, excepting a cucumber roll and avocado roll and that be it, but I was in for a surprise.

We ordered The Candlestick and Open Invitation.  The Candlestick of course came to the table with a small flame in the rightside of the plate - totally awesome.  You're told to let the flame die out on its own.  The roll itself contains spicy bean curd, avocado, tapioca, cucumber, and seaweed pearls.  So delicious!  Open Invitation was the start of the show though.  Sweet potatoes in a sushi roll - incredible idea.  The sweetness was absolutely fantastic.  The restaurant also had a roll with roasted eggplant, we ended up getting that later (sorry, no picture), and it was also incredible.  I love the idea of roasted veggies inside of a sushi roll.  Anyway, Open Invitation had a tempura sweet potato (umm fried tempura, yes please), spiced burdock, shredded tofu, tapioca, and renkon chips (lotus root chips).   The lotus root chips on top looked so cool - the lacy form the chips take is just beautiful, and the added crunch to the roll gives it a great and complex texture.  

Then we went for the Spicy Garlic Miso Ramen.  It was so good.  Hot and delicious broth with pieces of tofu and bamboo slices floating around.  And, a huge deep fried tempura mushroom.  The flavor and creaminess of the broth was phenomenal.  I definitely did not miss the meat in any of this!  The noodles absorbed the delicious flavorings in the broth.  Fabulous and you can request Gluten Free, people.   Not that that really matters to me either way, but still, helpful for some of you to know I'm sure.  In any case, go. to. Shizen. now.  

Rating:  A

Napa Valley: Atlas Social

Hop into most dining establishments in Napa Valley and it’s likely you’ll have a good meal.  That might be a pretty bold statement to say, but, I think I can stand by it.  One night, on my recent trip to Napa Valley, we set out for dinner, and since it was so late our options were a little limited.  Downtown Napa has a ton of restaurants, and as we walked up and down the strip, one spot caught our attention. 

Atlas Social has a warm and inviting ambiance, with long tables and smaller booths as well.  Atlas Social is a gastropub serving New American cuisine, but this isn’t your typical American fare.  The menu is more of a small plates/tapas offering with an international flair.  Our group decided to ordered a selection of dishes and enjoy a great bottle of Sangiovese red wine. Here are the dishes we ordered:  

 Bruschetta with Pesto, Burratta Cheese & Tomat

     Mushroom & Truffle Mac & Cheese

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks, Bearnaise & Citrus

Shaved Pear & Baby Spinach Salad, Bacon Vinaigrette, Croutons and Sieved Egg

Octopus alla Plancha, Marble Potatoes, Garlic Aioli, Paprika

Masala Spiced Chicken Skewers, Eggplant-Pepper Muhammara & Pine-Nut Syrup

My favorite was the Bruschetta – the most simple of the dishes, but phenomenal.  Burratta is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream.  The cheese is incredibly soft and creamy when you cut through the mozzarella exterior; perfect for a nice heavy dollop on top of bruschetta. 

The Octopus was also delicious.  A common Spanish tapas dish, the octopus at Atlas Social was so well made; not chewy in the least, but perfectly tender and full of grilled flavor.  This is hands down a restaurant that will be my “go to” any time I’m in Napa Valley.  Each dish offered surprise after surprise of flavor – I loved the experience, and the staff!  Our waiter was so nice! 

I appreciated the true ‘global experience’ the restaurant’s menu offered.  From the muhammara (a hot pepper dip from Syria) to the Spanish octopus dish to the Italian Bruschetta and Indian spiced chicken skewers, the whole dinner was fantastic.  To me a great dinner starts with an unpredictable, but delicious menu.  I will certainly be going back. 

Rating:  A+ 

The next day we went to Mumm Napa and Long Meadow Ranch for a sparkling wine and wine tasting.  Here are a couple pics of the menu at the tastings, in case you're interested in checking it out.  

My Week In Food

Thursday, September 24:  On the way to San Francisco I enjoyed a little Texas chopped brisket, fried okra and baked potato casserole, at Dickey's in the Dallas Airport (lovingly called 'Love Field,' the airport I mean).

On arriving, N, like any good big sister, took me to get food.  We went to Madras Cafe, a South Indian vegetarian restaurant in Sunnyvale.  While we did enjoy the kothu porotta, the dosa was not as tempting.  Later that night we went to Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco, and enjoyed some brown sugar ice cream with a caramel ginger swirl.  

Friday, September 25:  Today was a little crazy with food.  We had pork adobo and lumpianitas at Patio Filipino Cuisine.  

But, before that I had two tacos at El Farolito (my favorite taco spot in SF), and a delicious sandwich at Ike's (my favorite sandwich shop, EVER), which I enjoyed at the beach.

Saturday, September 26:  Lunch at The Plant Cafe in San Francisco.  Had basil pesto tofu scramble, but the highlight of the meal was the grapefruit and avacado salad with a macadamia nut dressing.  

For dinner we enjoyed the most delicious small plates at Atlas Social.  We shared cauliflower steaks with bearnaise sauce, pesto tomato and burratta bruschetta, truffle macarroni and cheese, roasted potatoes and octopus, curry chicken skewers, spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette -- yeah we ordered quite a few plates, but they were all fantastic.

Sunday, September 27:  Went to three different wineries today, but before heading out, we went by Oxbow Public Market and shared some delicious white bean tacos, avocado tacos, and BLTs.  

We headed out to the wineries, and of course started with champagne at Mumm (we were celebrating my best friend's 30th, it's only appropriate).  My favorite of the wineries we went to was Rutherford Hill.  The wine there was just fabulous and the people working there were so helpful and nice.  Here's a video clip of the champagne pouring at Mumm.

Monday, September 28:  Enjoyed my meatless Monday with my first taste of vegan sushi and vegan ramen.  Absolutely delicious! I will definitely be going back to Shizen.

Tuesday, September 29:  Almond lemon poppy seed tea cake at Tartine.  Yum!! 

Wednesday, September 30:  Saganaki from a Mediterranean tapas place we stopped by in downtown Napa.  Cheese on fireee! 

Thursday, October 1:  Before hopping on the plane to head back home, I had a quick Mexican omelette at Andale Mexican Restaurant in Terminal 2 at SFO.  Not too shabby, especially with the avocado in there!

Friday, October 2:  My friend, Sonia, and I went to our first Washington Capitals game.  I had never been to a hockey game before, and had no idea how violent ice hokey can be!  There were a total of 4 fights!  In any case, before dinner we had margaritas, tacos, empanadas, and a quesadilla at Rosa Mexicano, right next to the Verizon Center in Chinatown.

SF Eats: Taquerias El Farolito

Rating: A+  There are a ton of taco shops in San Francisco and surrounding areas.  But, on a recent venture out to satisfy a serious taco craving we headed over to Taquerias El Farolito.  A good-sized hole in the wall spot on an unexpected strip of Mission and across the street from another competing taco shop, we found a delicious taco home. 

We ordered the carne asada steak with just some onions and cilantro on top (the basic, and honestly, the REAL way to have a Mexican taco) and a chicken taco all dolled up with cheese, sour cream, avocado and salsa.  And, as if that wasn't enough, the place has its own salsa and toppings bar.  Which, well, a lot of taco shops in the Bay area have, but still I thought I should highlight this.  Absolutely delicious! 

You gotta go to this place!

SF Eats: Saravanaa Bhavan

Sarvanaa Bhavan (Rating: A) is one of N's favorite South Indian restaurants.  I've heard this restaurant come up in conversation numerous times, so when I was out in San Francisco we made a point to check it out.  

The restaurant isn't quite close to the city.  In fact, it's about a 45 minute drive from San Francisco, in Sunnyvale, California.  Sunnyvale is home to a number of Indian restaurants and shops, probably due to the large Indian and South Asian community.  

We decided to order two entrees and share:  the Paper Dosa and a Thali. A thali is a meal made up of a number of dishes.  This one was different from most I've had, in that the meal included three rice variations.  The meal itself contained: Papadum (the disc shaped 'chips' you see below), Achar (or pickle - spicy mango), three different types of rices (Sambar rice, Vegetable Pulav (aka pilaf), and Thayir Sadam (aka yogurt rice), sauteed green beans and coconut, and Kesari (a cream of wheat based dessert - the orange item in the top right of the plate).  Usually the Thali's I've seen  have a portion of rice along with several curries, but this was a different twist from what I've had.  The Sambar rice in the middle and the Vegetable Pulav (aka pilaf) were our favorites! 

Here's the Paper Dosa.  'Paper' because it is so thin.  I love dosa like this because it's extra crispy and fun to share.  I'm not a huge fan of Masala Dosa (Dosa filled with a spiced potato mixture), so N compromised with this plan Paper Dosa.  You dip the crunchy, warm dosa into the sambar, tomato chutney, and coconut chutney and just nosh away.  It's absolutely delicious, especially with some Madras Coffee or Masala Chai to wash it all down with. Saravanaa Bhavan's Madras Coffee is the absolute best! Strong and delicious.  I appreciated that everything was served in steel dishes, just like they are in India! Gives you that real "down home" authentic feeling.  When we left the restaurant I told N this is definitely one of the places in California I'll be returning to time and time again! 

SF Eats: Mama's on Washington Square and Ike's Place

  
Mama's on Washington Square (rating: B):  Mama's is a San Francisco landmark.  Opening its doors over 50 years ago, it has developed a name for itself in the city.  It is known as the place to go for a reliably delicious brunch.  It definitely met our expectations, but wasn't so delicious as to merit multiple visits, unless I lived around the corner.  

We started off with the Crumb Cake, pictured above, which was crumbly and moist, and nice to share before we plunged into our nicely sized brunch entrees.  N and I shared the the Old Fashioned Pancakes and the Crab Cake Benedict.  The old fashioned pancakes were soft and fluffy, probably more so than any others we've seen before.  N proclaimed that "these are the best pancakes I've ever had!" - a bold statement that was shared to the two college students from Berkeley sitting next to us. They even commented that was a "pretty strong statement," but concurred that they've been taking the 30 minute drive to Mama's every now and again as their post-finals treat and that it is definitely worth it.  

Well, while the pancakes were the star of the show.  The crab cake benedict was definitely lacking.  I probably should've ordered the crab benedict instead, because the crab cake itself was filled with far too much filling and onions - and I love onions!  But, it didn't particularly suit my taste.  So, I would say try for a different benedict, because apparently Mama's is known for having some delicious ones and the florentine and crab did look a lot better.  

Ike's Place (rating: A+):  Ike's Place.  I can't even express my love for this place.  I get starry eyed just thinking of my go-to sandwich - "We're Just Friends" (by the way I love the names of all the sandwiches!).  This sandwich has shredded chicken, avocado and just all around deliciousness.  I like to add in the Godfather Sauce which is spicy and creamy and adds just the right amount of complimentary flavor to the sandwich.  

I think it's the quality of ingredients and the Dutch Crunch bread (a San Fran staple) that makes the sandwiches phenomenal - and the tender juicy shredded chicken.  You can even stuff your sandwich with jalapeno poppers or mozzarella sticks, if you're just that hungry enough.  Sometimes there's a bit of a wait, but I have to say things move along really quickly and it's just worth it.  

N and I took our sandwiches over to Alamo Square to sit on a blanket and have a nice view of the Painted Ladies, the Victorian rowhouses in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. 

SF Eats - French Laundry, By: V

On my most recent trip to visit my sister in San Francisco, we made another trip to Napa Valley. What can I say, we love the place.   The rolling countryside and amazing miles of vineyards legitimately makes you feel like you're in Italy, or what I imagine Spain to be.  Gorgeous, and the temperatures are often warmer than in the city of San Francisco.  About an hour drive north of San Francisco, Napa Valley is offers visitors a variety of restaurants and fine wines to try.  

I'll get more into the wineries and stops we made on our trip to Napa, but I wanted to put up this quick post about our experience having dinner at The French Laundry.  Yes, THE French Laundry, one of the top rated restaurants in the world.  N happened to land reservations to this elite restaurant, and while she did say "I don't think we're ready for this dining experience," we decided to press on anyway.  Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering what she means by that, but this restaurant offers an extensive Chef's Tasting Menu with all these amazingly delicious, high quality food, all in this fancy environment that we were just not ready for! But, I have to say it was a once in a life time kind of experience, that was absolutely worth it.  

AND since it was N's birthday, I thought it was a great way for her to celebrate!!! They even brought over a tray of profiteroles with a candle for her to maker her birthday wish, and some sparkling cider to wash it all down.  I thought that was nice of them.  Now, get ready for visual stimulation with these pictures of all of the seven courses we had, but first here's a picture of The French Laundry clothespin, get it? laundry? clothespin? And, a picture of N in front of The French Laundry - I mean this momentous occasion had to captured on film.  

"Oysters and Pearls" - "Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar.  This was our favorite course of the whole meal!

Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras "Terrine" - Poached Brooks Cherries, Caramelized Cipollini Onion, Preserved Black Winter Truffle and Wild Arugula.

Sauteed Filet of Mediterranean "Loup De Mer" - Violet Artichokes, Cerignola Olives, Garden Basil and Spicy Tomato Broth

Alaska King Crab "Poelee" - Sacramento Delta Asparagus, English Peas, Crushed Capers and "Bearnaise Mousseline" 

Wolfe Ranch White Quail - Garden Cauliflower, Sicilian Pistachios, Watercress and Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Charcoal Grilled Snake River Farms "Calotte De Bouef" - "Choucroute Dumpling," Nantes Carrots, Garden Dill and Red Cabbage Essence 

Andante Dairy "Contralto" - Garden Turnips, White Peaches and English Walnuts

For dessert they provided an assortment of macarons, ice cream and truffles.  They even sent us off with a box of truffles on the house.  What a nice treat to head home with!

Happy 1st Anniversay, My love! By: N

Happy 1st Anniversary, My love!

 

 

 

Well the Thanksgiving season has a special meaning to me this year because its also my 1 year anniversary since my move to the Bay area.  This move was special and this year has been blissful, difficult and amazing.  It had its ups and downs.  There is something to be said of a relationship thats formed where there is an amazing connection, happy highs and scary lows that allows you to really form a bond.  And its safe to say that I feel a bond with the Bay area :)  I’m probably not the first East coaster to say this but I think I’ve always strived to be a Californian but now I’m just doing it IN California.  I’ve appreciated the California mentality.  Now I don’t understand and never will understand some things (hipsters?)!  But the chill attitude along with a strong ambition is MY type!  Let me tell ya!   

Visiting N in San Francisco -- By: V

I spent a full week out in San Francisco with N and it was wonderful.  N moved out to the West Coast a little over a year ago, and yes, I just made it out to visit her.  Most of our trips are heavily food focused, so needless to say there was a lot of sightseeing planned around eating.  Now, there are obviously a ton of tourist sites to see:  Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Crissy Field, GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, and nearby Sonoma or Napa Valley just to name a few.  We even checked out this great coffee shop, Sightglass.  But, to avoid a lengthy post, and to provide all the food pictures I took, I'll just touch on the food and wine experiences we had...  

Hog Island Oyster Company

Here we enjoyed some seafood cippino and grilled harissa oysters.  We also shared a plate of shucked raw oysters (not pictured, but delicious ones of the Pacific West Coast variety).  

Good Mong Kok Bakery

Yes, they don't have a website, that's how delicious they are..word of mouth seems to be effective enough, there was a line out the door!  Delicious pork and shrimp steamed dumplings.

Domaine Chandon (in Napa Valley)

This was our favorite of the three wineries we went to.  Sparkling wine is one of our faves, and N walked away with her own bottle (that's how much she loved it!).  

Clif Family Winery (in Napa Valley)

Small selection of wine but this winery came highly recommended by a friend, and the wines did not disappoint.  If this sounds familiar to you, it may be because of the Clif Bars, yes, it's owned by the same family as the infamous protein bar makers.  And, no, the wine doesn't have protein in it...but, that doesn't mean you shouldn't drink up! :) 

Bottega (in Napa Valley)

After all the wine tasting, we decided to grab dinner at Chef Michael Chiarello's restaurant Bottega.  N ordered the Costolette Brasate e Affumicate (Smoked and braised shortribs with grilled Treviso smokey jus, polenta-speck polpette) and I ordered the Farfalle al Granchio e Piselli (Hand shaped butterfly pasta with Peekytoe Crab, English peas and vermouth crema, Bottarga gremolata).  We shared a delicious salad to start, Insalata di Cavolini di Bruxelles (shaved Brussels sprouts salad with whole Meyer lemon dressing, Marcona almonds, sieved egg, Pecorino).  Delicious!

Ike's Place

Before heading down the Pacific Coast Highway we grabbed delicious sandwiches from the infamous Ike's Place.  We found a beautiful spot on the beach and had an ocean view picnic.  We both ordered the same sandwich, the Spiffy Tiffy (Avocado, Halal Chicken, Mushrooms, Pepper Jack, Pesto, Provolone).  N ordered hers stuffed with mozzarella sticks and I got mine stuffed with jalapeno poppers.  Yes, this is why Ike's is famous.  

Elephant Sushi

The night before I left I knew I had to get some sushi in, so we went to the Russian Hill neighborhood of SF to Elephant Sushi.  This place had wonderful reviews, while the wait was about 45 minutes, I'd say it was well worth it.  We ordered the Himalayan Trout sashimi and a few sushi rolls that I'm forgetting the names of at the moment, but all delicious!  And, the house made pickled ginger was the best I've had in the states.  

Can't wait to head back to San Francisco...a beautiful city and a culinary delight!