I'm about to head back to Sydney so I was thinking about my favorite spots from when I was visiting in January. I was fortunate to be wined and DINED a few months back: China Doll, The Malay, Pony, Toko, Speedos, Busshari and Bambino.
I still think about how amazing Busshari was. I've come to a point where I'm not impressed with sushi (what's wrong with me?!) but seriously, there's only so much you can say about a California roll. Busshari got me excited about sushi again. Lea and I watched a nearby table being served what looked like a halibut where chunks of meat were cut out, fried, and plopped back on the plate in what might not sound like a lovely presentation but really was.
This year, 7x7 offered a prize to the first person to make their way through the 2010 100. And you know, for like, a good 10 minutes, I thought it could be me. I pictured a cover story where I got to tell San Franciscans what my favorite little gems were in the city; green salsa at Tacolicious, smoked salmon at Boulette's Larder, coconut chutney at Udupi Palace...and then I snapped out of it and I think that was right about when the winner was crowned. No joke, it took less than 3 weeks for some guy with a family who dragged his wife and kids to Michael Mina and Quince. Can he be my dad?
Anyway. This year's list reveals even more uncharted territory within SF's 49 square miles. I don't know how anyone has enough time to explore all these spots, let alone how the magazine decides which dishes make the list—all I can picture (in my happy food-driven imagination) is a team sitting around reminiscing and salivating over their exploits. I want that job.
Ok, so now that I've established my envy of the list's creators and conquerors, here is the list:
I count 22 so far. The crazy thing is, a bunch of these items on the list are seasonal or even on the menu by chef's daily discretion! Even with the best intentions, I can't imagine getting through this without gaining about 50% body mass and blowing through my savings account. However, if you want to meet up and cross one of these off, I am there.
Who doesn't love getting dressed up and being taken out? Um, obviously if you are even bothering to read this, you do. Because you know I do.
Ha.
Just for kicks, and to celebrate my future mother-in-law's birthday, we glammed and glittered up for the Black & White Ball. Absinthe was the obvious choice for pre-party-in-the-middle-of-Van-Ness-in-front-of-City-Hall. I mean, where else would you go. Every time I'm here, I feel like I could stick around all night drinking French wine and ordering more combo plates of cheese. This time I chose a smart and sexy sea bass with salty fingerling potatoes. The fish tasted like it was poached in broth, a method I can appreciate but don't love as much as a seared, crispy fillet. Even though the marinated asparagus was awesome, the spicy pepper puree wasn't spicy and I was pretty bored with my fish. Ah well, just another sign I should stick to wine and cheese.
You know what most dishes are missing? Presentation! Our friends had us over for dinner last weekend and impressed us with a multi-flavor masterpiece presented as beautifully as if we were dining in their restaurant. (Yes, they own a restaurant) My favorite part of the meal were the crispy fried shallots sprinkled on top. Great idea and it turned the down-home American dish into a work of art. Sliced, marinated steak topped garlic mashed potatoes and fresh creamed corn. I'm looking forward to attempting the cream corn with chopped red onion and parsley. Crimini and shitake mushrooms added some texture to the plate: mushy potatoes, crunchy corn, chewy mushrooms, tender steak and crunchy shallots. Texture-tastic!
I'm about to head back to Sydney so I was thinking about my favorite spots from when I was visiting in January. I was fortunate to be wined and DINED a few months back: China Doll, The Malay, Pony, Toko, Speedos, Busshari and Bambino.
