This is my life

Warning: Not about food.  In fact, about foot.  Pretty close, eh?

First this.

Then this. 

For the past 3 months, this has been my life.  Wanted to document my lack of fine dining these past weeks.  I've not been able to cook or make it out much at all!  But I am getting back in the saddle right away now that my feet are behaving normally for the most part.  Stay tuned.

sushi e (stablishment)

I wish this photo had come out better!  Seated at the bar, which wrapped around the sushi chefs in a medium-sized rectangle so we could watch their practiced sushi-making dance, each time a certain roll was ordered they busted out a blow torch.  We scanned the menu to figure out what he was doing exactly and then threw shame out the window and just said "we'll have whatever that is."  It happened to be a California roll-type deal with shrimp on top that were ever-so-slightly charred so as to add a carbon element subtle enough to turn average into rather remarkable.  Eventually we were also served kingfish "sashimi"—quotation marks signifying my wavering about whether it can still be sashimi if it's crisped by flame—with criss-cross burn marks.  Expert.  If only I got a shot of the head chef double-flaming with a torch in both hands!

Our Gamine

The past few months have been a swirl of wedding planning, feet-icing, and generally keeping busy.  To put the world on hold for an evening, John and I planned a night at our favorite romantic bistro.  When I first visited John in SF, it was called Chez Maman, but today it's Gamine, finally owned and operated by the friendly Frenchman who always chats us up en Français.  We didn't arrive until after 9pm and as reservations aren't accepted, the tiny space was full for another 45 minutes.  Absolutely not put off, we claimed a couple chairs outside, a glass of Burgundy and some warm bread.

Once our table was ready, we didn't need to review the menu in order to make our selections.  At this point I've probably tasted everything on the menu and there are some gems.  However, given the length of time since my last visit, I couldn't wait to indulge in my favorites.  There is nothing better than a restaurant specializing in timing.  Each dish arrived perfectly timed to our progress through the previous bit, our conversation, held hands and sips of wine.  After dinner, the owner brought us a congratulatory chocolate mousse, light as air.  He seemed to like hearing that our courtship began at their restaurant, right about the time it opened!  The place really does evoke romance in my mind and what fun to have a special spot we can always return to for a special night.

Burgerama

Something about summertime makes me crazy about hot-off-the-grill burgers. Well....Actually I wasn't even aware of this until I uploaded food photos from the past couple months and noticed a distinct trend. Which makes more sense since it's not really summer here in the fog anyway.
My whirlwind burgerama begins with Hubert Keller's Burger Bar. The owner/chef at Fleur de Lys opened this spot opposite Cheesecake Factory in Macy's last year. My expectations were surprisingly high given his rep and I couldn't help myself ordering the signature FdL peppercorn sauce on the side! Three sliders—one buffalo, two different types of beef—all with cheddar on cute lil buns.

Next up: The Butler on Lake Kalamazoo, MI. A very satisfying, very rare, very delicious burger on a charred bun.
And then, one of the better burgers I've tasted, a salty masterpiece at Nopa. I'm typically one to slather spicy mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato and onion on my burgers; never turning down blue cheese, bacon or mushrooms. But this burger was fine just by itself. I put a thin spread of house aioli for a kick of garlic but otherwise savored the flavorful bun and burger solo. Impressive.
Wedding venue Rosewood Hotel is next up: Niman Ranch sliders with soft goat cheese and freshly made tomato sauce. Too small to make a meal but quite good. It was a smart decision to go for the garlic fries with aioli this round.
And most recently, the new Marengo on Union Street whose mantra is 'wine, whiskey and sliders.' So yeah, we checked out the sliders. Marengo (named for the street in Pasadena, not the chicken recipe or booze) offered some more unique options like jerk chicken, coconut shrimp cake and mushroom-barley. But they nailed the classic blue cheese and bacon. Mmmm!!