Necessary Guacamole

It's officially summer. Therefore: perfect glass of Summer Ale with all-natural guacamole. Avocados, jalapenos, too much diced onion and way too much chopped garlic. Salt. Tabasco. Done.

Absinthe Brasserie

Before seeing Tosca last night in Hayes Valley, we hit up Absinthe for some cocktails. We found a great set of bar stools right by the door, maximizing the evening sun, and I ordered up a Galapagos. Pisco with lemon, lime, grapefruit juice and brandied cherries. For dinner, I couldn't decide between French onion soup with a salad, or the antipasti plate with pickles. I opted for antipasti, anticipating a variety of treats, and instead received pretty much a plate of meat! It was lovely and I shared, of course. Per usual, the Speck and Proscuitto were my favorites, and I was loving the pickled pimento made right there. It had a really unusual sweet and cardamomy flavor. The French fries were great but the best part about them was definitely the ultra-spicy mustard for dipping. And that mojito-looking drink was a delicious Ginger Rogers: gin, mint, ginger ale and lemon.

French Toasted Croissant

On my last day in Auckland, I had to try the much-raved-about croissant french toast at the Westin's Toast restaurant. It seemed like everyone had sampled it during our stay and couldn't believe it wasn't on every menu worldwide. I mean, a croissant—all butter and puff pastry—dipped in batter. And fried. How have we not thought of this? It is GENIUS.

The plate is served with a lengthwise cut banana equally fried up plus two strips of barely cooked bacon stacked on top of the croissant. Powdered sugar and maple syrup drizzled on top finesse this gooey masterpiece. It was simply a bonus that the sun was shining on the harbor that morning, and that I was able to pair brunch with another fab cappuccino.

Kumara Fries

I had to look up what Kumara was while I waited for room service to bring fries and potato-leek soup to my room late one night. Turns out it's the Maori word for sweet potato, but a very different taste and texture than your North America yam fries. Kinda limp. But a fun alternative to "chips."

Dizengoff on Ponsonby

Taking advantage of a free morning, I walked from the viaduct up to Ponsonby Road for brunch at Dizengoff. I couldn't get over the deep orange color of the egg yolks in my salmon eggs benedict! Delicious hollandaise riddled with dill and another fab capuccino to boot.

The Grove St. Patrick's Square

After a morning meeting and the prospect of an afternoon one at a moment’s notice, I chose to go for a walk within close proximity of the Westin. I shot East toward the city center to meander down High Street with it’s lovely shops and cafes. About halfway there I noticed a sign for The Grove, a recommended restaurant from a coworker. Since it was about 2pm and I was hungry, I decided to duck in.

The bar where I walked in off the alley plaza was low-key enough, so I asked to be seated for lunch. The bartender aksed if I was “sure” and would I like to see a menu first? The menu looked fantastic, if not a little pricey, but I wasn’t overly hungry and thought an appetizer and side dish would be perfect. When I was lead to a table, I realized the restaurant was much fancier than I thought from the bar entrance! Embarrassed but committed, I sat down.

People dining alone are often easy targets for conversationalists lacking interested parties or pitying offers of magazines from the less independent. Anticipating both and looking forward to neither, I opened up a map and started drawing different walking routes on it. The waiter took this to mean I was a tourist in need of suggestions for where to go and what to do. Meanwhile I was hoping he would please bring my food so I could quickly get back to the hotel for my meeting as soon as the phone rang.

After placing my order, I found out the chef and owner had been in San Francisco for years before moving to Auckland and opening Grove. He came out to say hello and we started comparing notes on favorite SF spots and his history at A16 and Venticello. As a gesture to show me the extent of his menu, he sent out an amazing plate of seafood as a sample of their “capabilities.”

I was in heaven tasting the raw tuna with red cherry jelly, a perfectly seared scallop and three different textures of calamari (which really just seemed like fried calamari removed from the fryer at different points). These were all served with tiny dallops of saffron jelly and crayfish jelly, both bright yellow. A sweeping brushstroke of squid ink provided the base for the seafood treats and a tiny dish of green apple sorbet topped with salty, green fish roe rounded out the color palette.

My main course (the appetizer) arrived in a beautiful composition of three lamb bites under wasabi foam. Radish sprouts on top and bean puree underneath, a single pumpkin gyoza was the centerpiece. The bean puree was really sweet while the lamb was super tender and pink. I’ve never had such mild-flavored lamb; it was really nothing like lamb I’ve eaten in the past which has such a distinct, gamey flavor.
My side dish was an amazing plate of mini globe artichokes, steamed, drizzled in balsamic reduction, whole garlic cloves, thick flakes of parmesan and briney green olives. The lemony, salty-sweet mix was mouthwatering.

My only regret about The Grove was that after treating me so well, the owner insisted I bring my team back for dinner 3 days later, which I would happily have done. Unfortunately, we shot a 13 hour day and couldn’t make the reservation, which he was none too happy about. I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to get back there before I leave Auckland, but perhaps more disappointed in his angry reaction.

Cappuccino at 328 Meters

Just watched the sun set from the top of Auckland's Sky Tower while sipping another fantastic cappuccino. Apparently Kiwis don't drink cappuccinos, they drink flat whites, long blacks, and lattes, so my continuing to order cappuccinos instantly calls out my American status. Regardless, I've never had such delicious ones, each are laced with cocoa powder or chocolate sauce. Amazing.

Crispy Garlic Salmon

Ellen is getting artsy with food photos. John was out of town over the weekend (hence the Sunday afternoon margaritas and double brunch line-up) and returned to me home early from work to cook dinner together. We picked up wild salmon and artichokes and made a dish I perfected in college when I was trying to be creative. It's pretty basic: chopped onion lines the bottom of a baking dish with a quarter inch of broth. Salmon fillets are placed on top of the onions so there's room between the salmon and the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the salmon in a little oil (I went for the truffle-infused olive oil from Nice this round) plus sea salt, coarsely cracked pepper, and TONS of chopped, grated or pressed garlic. Enough to smother the salmon. In the oven at 400, the salmon stays soft in the center but the garlic gets superbly crispy and crunchy. The onions lifting the salmon from the base of the pan add some sweet flavor and allow the fish oils to drain away from the fish. For the artichokes, we used my dad's famous dip: mayonnaise with fresh lemon juice and a pinch of garlic. Life would be oh so much sweeter if every night consisted of fresh fish and vegetables.

Best of Sydney and Melbourne

In March of 2006, I bit the bullet and bought a ticket to visit Chris in Australia. I arrived in Sydney on a Monday morning and met him at the 3rd dock at Circular Quay. I later learned he chose this spot because he loved the meat pies at the stand on this dock.

Our first stop, before I even set down my bags, was Pancakes on the Rocks. The Rocks, for anyone who’s been to Sydney, is the north part of Sydney Harbor, where the designer shops and fancy hotels are situated. We made our way to a second floor hole-in-the-wall with laminated menus and full color photos of nearly every dish. Who would have guessed, but this meal was a doozy. We shared—get this—a bacon and guacamole pizza! Unreal. Don’t try this at home, folks, the bacon has to be just crispy enough to not make the pizza greasier than it already is, and the guacamole needs to be thick and chunky. Yum.

We ate a nicer meal in Darling Harbor at an outdoor table, surrounded by the typical swarm of gorgeous people that were everywhere in Australia. We tried kangaroo steaks with plum sauce, just to say we did. Later, I bought kangaroo jerky, the only food in John’s apartment for the first month he was moved in.

Once in Melbourne, Chris took us straight to the alley district in the center of town where every alleyway has its own hidden alley splitting off. We found a fish and chips spot where we could sit “outside” in the alley and people watch.

That night, Chris directed us to a Japanese restaurant he’d eaten at with his classmates previously. The food was more authentic than I was used to, being mostly exposed to sushi, so I went for the chirashi with the chef’s choice of sashimi over a bowl of rice and pickles.

Our second night in Melbourne was my first time to a Korean BBQ. We were traveling with Chris’ friend John and had spent the day in the sun walking all over Melbourne, checking out the Commonwealth Games that happened to be in town, sampling some gyros in the Greek quarter, and stopping periodically to drink large glasses of beer. Needless to say, my first Korean BBQ was not over the top, I think we all ordered off the BBQ menu, instead going for hot pot and noodles.

Later that night, Chris led us to the Croft Institute, a bar with an interesting theme: mad scientist. If the fact that the bar had clearly once been a science lab, complete with sinks built into each laminated high table, wasn’t enough to creep you out, the gurney in the bathroom would.

More than once during the week I was in Australia, we stopped for meat pies. We figured out that there were traditional ground beef pies as well as a remarkable assortment of chicken, vegetable and saucy options. I can’t decide if my favorite one was at that 3rd dock in Circular Quay for the sheer nostalgia of it, or the fast food chain Jester’s chicken and mushroom pie with cream sauce in the basement of the mall near Chris’ MacQuarry campus. I could make a trip to Australia and only eat different meat pies the entire time. And be really happy about it.

Afternoon Margs at Puerto Alegre

Puerto Alegre is one of those Mission spots that seems completely unspecial on the surface yet has a line around the block waiting to be seated. I've been after work and on the weekends and consistently frustrated by the wait before really average Mexican. But I think the problem has been solved! Just go on a Sunday afternoon.

When I say "average" Mexican, what I mean is that perfect combination of authentic and Americanized Mexican food that is both exactly what you've been hoping would be served and surprisingly delicious. So in this case, average is perhaps hardly average.

Today, the ladies snagged a table in the front and promptly ordered a pitcher of margs. There are about a hundred tequila choices on the menu but whatever comes in the house marg is fine by me. I usually go for my cheese enchiladas but swapped in a tamale for the second enchilada. Like I said, the food is totally average, but it's just what you want to go with a Sunday afternoon margarita.
The undeniable highlight of the meal was Evelyn's choice to order nachos about two-thirds of the way through our entrees. With 2 more pitchers of margs on the way and a cold enchilada sitting on all of our plates, those nachos were heavenly. Because I had cleaned my plate and was stuffed, it wasn't my hunger that drove me to calling them quite possibly the best nachos I've had. Chelsea had the perfect line: "Nachos are like jell-o. There's always room for nachos!"

Back to Nepal

The summer before my senior year in college, I came back to the Bay Area for a local internship. For about a month that summer, I house-sat at my cousin's Bernal Heights mother-in-law apartment. Although I grew up less than an hour south of San Francisco, that month was really my first exposure to the city, and what a great experience! Only one block from the main street, Cortland, I found myself at the tiny restaurant Little Nepal about as often as possible. Each time a friend came up to the city to visit, no fewer than twice a week, I would take them for Nepalese curry.

Unassuming and almost entirely paneled in wood, you enter under real Himalayan prayer flags to fewer than 10 tables. I love the sparse decoration mostly focused on lace and embroidery on the walls, white tablecloths, and the pale wood paneling. It feels warm, exotic, and welcoming.

Back for the first time in so long, I went straight for the chicken curry. This time, a combination option had been added to the menu, so I had to check it out. In addition to delicious, tender, tandoori-cooked chicken simmered in tomato curry, my copper platter had basmati rice, naan, a cup of lentil soup and a cup of potato chutney. I was like a kid in a candy store with so many sauce options! It better not take me another 6 years to get back here.

All Along the Bell Tower

On this gorgeous late-Spring morning, I met Meagen for brunch at Bell Tower, sitting outside in the sun. She had the right idea, opting for the southwestern omelette while I went for the unusual sounding chorizo chicken hash. I am such a sucker for good hash, and thoroughly enjoyed the spicy chorizo in the mix.

A Taste of the Mediterranean

San Francisco's Dine About Town happens twice a year: an opportunity to check out some higher-end restaurants offering a three-course prix fix for $35. It's tough to snag reservations during the 2 weeks in January and June the program runs, so my mom and I booked early this month. I wanted to try Paul k, in Hayes Valley, a cute looking spot on Gough within walking distance of the Asian Art Museum.

We arrived slightly early and were seated at a table facing the wall-sized mirror opposite us behind the bar. The effect of the mirror, in combination with the ample light, giant bouquets of unique fresh flowers reaching toward the ceiling, and the chalkboard drink specials felt very Mediterranean Posh. Going with it, we ordered French 75's to pass the time before John arrived.

Unable to resist mezze in a restaurant with Greek undertones, I selected a starter plate with lamb riblets, cucumber salad, baba ghanoush and lamb meatballs. I'd say this was the highlight of the meal. I selected an heirloom tomato salad with drunken goat cheese, warm olive oil and an overdose of parsely followed by the moussaka. My excitement over the moussaka was quashed when I realized it was a vegetarian version without the lamb. Moussaka is only good with lamb! Actually, the dish I ate was delicious, just different than I expected. Slivers of lemon peel garnished the ample breadcrumbs which topped the eggplant and garbonzo bean casserole, adding a somewhat incongruent flavor. For dessert was a yogurt dish with strawberries that was palate-cleansing.
Wonderful atmosphere at Paul k but if I go back, I think I'll just go for the yummy mezza plates and strong French 75's.

Al Fresco in Frisco

One of the best parts about summer (or, in our case, autumn) is patio dining. We're fortunate enough to live on Union Street where outdoor tables are prevalent if not shady in the evenings. The Tipsy Pig, write-up here, has one of the best patios in the Marina, one we enjoyed again last night. Sitting in the setting sun, we drank Leffe Blondes and savored the unmatched sweet potato fries and pulled pork sliders. The deck is expansive and we found a table even on a Friday during happy hour! This summer/fall will be filled with adventures to undiscovered outdoor dining spots, but it's fun to have one in the back pocket.

Kala Crabcakes

I was so tempted to title this "Kala Krabcakes" but that really doesn't say "fresh" or "real crab" does it? And if fresh and real are how these are measured, they're off the charts!

At Kala Point, my grandparent's condo on the beach in Port Townsend, a perfect week consists of reading a novel in the sun, cooking, digging for clams at low tide, laying by the pool, setting out the crab pots, reading in the shade, picnics, wine, reading by the beach, strolling downtown, more wine, fresh crab, and gimlets with olives. Last July, I had the pleasure of all these things for a full week!

After a few days of guacamole burgers, BBQ pork, boeuf bourguignon (for Bastille Day, obviously) and fresh crab on the side, we finally had enough crab to get creative. Chris chopped up onions and green and red peppers so fine they looked osterized. I concocted a flour, egg and white wine batter that evened out beautifully in the skillet once combined with crab and colorful veggies. We whipped up a mustard and white wine sauce to slather on top at the table. The cakes were delicious! What a team, what a crabcake.

Roman Holiday

Walking back from the Kabuki theater late one January evening, we walked by SPQR on Fillmore and saw a poster for reservations for their Valentine's Day prix fix. Excited at the prospect of actually making a reservation at SPQR (which doesn't normally take them, meaning I've never been because when someone in my household wants to eat, he wants to eat now, not wait forever for a table...) We poked our heads into the smallish space and set an 8pm date for Valentine's!

Come Feb. 14, we dressed up and walked up to the top of the hill. I had heard nothing but good things about the restaurant, opened by the same people as A16 on Chestnut, mostly about the simple yet stunning dishes. On being seated, at a comfy table along the wall, we were shown the special edition menu. The starters were adorably called "Fourplay," a nod to both Valentine's Day and the fact that we'd be served four unique small plates: raw scallops with (I think) whole mustard seeds, fried fresh mozzarella balls, something with wild mushrooms, and the best of all: crostini with white bean puree and a chewy, flavorful meat I learned was in fact pork brain. Apparently it was on the menu, but I must have been under a spell because the look on my face as the waitress explained that what I thought was sausage in my mouth was not sausage. I'm adventurous when it comes to food, so I was in heaven tasting so many unique flavors and textures. The bean puree tasted almost like super soft cheese. The scallops were a sexy choice with that crunch of mustard seeds and slippery sweet raw texture. The mozzarella balls were salty and crunchy with the consistency of pulled taffy.

On the second course, we savored an ovesized earthenware bowl filled with clams, spicy sausage and crostini. Note to self: giant, crusty, garlic bread soaking up broth in the middle of a bowl of steamed clams (or mussels) is a hit. I'm pretty sure we ordered the wine pairings with each course, a good way to savor some unusual Italian wines, and an even better way to forget what we ate for dessert!