| table of contents | This week's tablehopper: leave the gun, take the cannoli. | ||
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AUGUST 5, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO You
didn’t think I was going to slow down this week, did you? Of
course not, darlings. This past week’s highlight was definitely
the
I kicked Friday off with some of the exquisite cocktails at Clock Bar (Marcovaldo Dionysos’s daiquiri and version of the Manhattan are utterly fantastico), plus a few bites, like the standout (and sadly spendy) hanger steak. Then hit the dancefloor for my favorite way to work it out—let’s just say I was grateful for the chaat and chai over brunch at DOSA the next day that set me right. Sunday was the JC Cellars party in Oakland (I am now a fan of syrah-flavored ice cream), and Monday night, well, my tablehoppin’ booty was home writing this thang. Yup, salad night. Wanted to give you a little reminder that next Monday evening on August 11th is my appearance on TALK SHOW LIVE at 330 Ritch. Joining me will be sketch comedy troupe Kasper Hauser, and internet personality Jennifer Niederst Robbins—you can read all about us here. I am giving away a pair of tickets: all you have to do is forward this email to two folks, telling them about why they should sign up for tablehopper. Just cc (or BCC) luckyme@tablehopper.com so I know you sent it to two people! Deadline to enter is this Friday August 8th at midnight. I’ll let you know if you won on Saturday. Good luck! Doors open for live Django-gypsy jazz music and mingling at 7pm, and the guest interviews and performances start at 8pm. Didn’t win? Tickets are $15 each, or bring a friend and take advantage of the $20 Talk Show Live two-for-one ticket (available online). Anyone who buys their ticket online gets the special VIP package: seating up front in a reserved section, and entry in a VIP-only prize drawing after the show—you just have to be at the club by 7:30pm to claim your seats. 330 Ritch, between 3rd and 4th St., Brannan and Townsend. Have a rockin’ week,
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tablehopper supper last Tuesday at Rubicon
with Pillow Rd. and Ladera Vineyards—39 fabulous folks turned
up for one heck of a meal from executive chef Stuart Brioza and
pastry chef Nicole Krasinski, matched beautifully to the evening’s
wines. And yay, even Larry Stone unexpectedly turned up to join
us. Thanks to everyone at Rubicon who helped put this evening together,
and to all of you who attended—it was a special supper for
many reasons, including one that I have been asked not to talk
about yet… So, moving on. 
The next day my sis and I headed up to Calistoga to check out Solage—such
a blast navigating the property on their cute cruiser bikes! And
crashing out poolside at 6pm in the warm evening air was heaven
indeed—mud treatments and mineral water have that effect.
I made sure not to miss the “parking lot tacos” from
Vallarta Market, and I’m hoping to return to Calistoga soon
to check out JoLe. 
Thursday, the day of my reimmersion in the fog, I attended the
graduation dinner for the students in the 
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This Friday August 8th marks the opening of ~ZARE AT FLY TRAP~, and Hoss will be greeting diners with a complimentary glass of bubbles. Speaking of beverages, I wanted to mention Chris Blanchard, most recently of Redd in Yountville, is consulting on the wine list. 606 Folsom St. at 2nd St., 415-243-0580. ~PALIO D’ASTI~ is celebrating their eighteenth year in business, which means for the month of August all bottles of wine at dinner with dinner will be half off. Dude. Start with some free happy hour pizza, sit down for dinner and enjoy half-off wine, and then if you’re into cigars, you might want to know they’ve found a source for pre-embargo Cuban cigars (that's right, they're older than we are, and legal!), some of which have been aged in sherry casks for 40 years. 640 Sacramento St. at Montgomery, 415-395-9800. Thanks to a tablehopper reader, I have learned the ~NEW ITALIAN CAFÉ~ at 59 30th Street at San Jose is called Cafe Stefano. Grazie. Since we’re on café news, ~EPICENTER CAFÉ~ has opened next to Whole Foods, and according to some happy Yelpers, the barista action is commendable (there are a few obvious shills, but I will choose to ignore those), there’s free Wi-Fi, plus in-house baked goods. 764 Harrison St. at 4th St. The chaps behind Plouf (Eric Klein and Olivier Azancot ) and Garcon (Jerome Rivoire) have opened ~BONBON PATISSERIE~ in the former Kimi's Pizza space in the Financial District. On offer in the mornin’ are coffee and espresso, while lunch items includes some de rigueur Frenchie quiche and croques, plus the novel Alsatian-style pizzas, along with dessert/pastries, like croissants, tarts, and macaroons. It’s tiny, with only a few seats, so consider this place more for take-out. 10am–5pm Mon–Fri. 308 Kearny St. at Bush, 415-956-5005. Guerilla
farmers strike again on Thursday August 21st: Julia and Andy
from Watsonville’s
Mariquita
Farm
will load up their truck with ~MYSTERY BOXES~ and
head to Piccino.
To secure a farm-to-you, generously packed $25 “mystery box,” click
here
to place your order, and swing by Piccino from 5pm–7pm Thursday
night for your pick up. (And stick around for some pizza and vino
and socializing.) 801 22nd St. at Tennessee, 415-824-4224. I really hope you like tomatoes, in fact, you better looooooooove them, because there is a cavalcade of events this month. Here goes: The Lark Creek Restaurant Group is hosting its annual ~HEIRLOOM TOMATO FESTIVAL~, with special tomato dishes and menus at all of its Bay Area restaurants from August 1st–August 31st. Participating restaurants of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group include The Lark Creek Inn, One Market Restaurant, LarkCreekSteak, Lark Creek Walnut Creek, Yankee Pier in Larkspur, Yankee Pier in Lafayette, Yankee Pier at Santana Row in San Jose and Parcel 104 in Santa Clara. PlumpJack Cafe executive
chef Rick Edge rolled out his four-course ~SUMMER
HEIRLOOM TOMATO TASTING~ menu, available now through the
end of September. Most of the tomatoes are sourced from River Dog
Farms and Full Belly Farms. The tasting menu is $45 per person,
with wine pairings for an additional $21. 3127 Fillmore St. at
Filbert, 415-563-4755. ~HEIRLOOM TOMATO WEEK~ is from August 14th–24th, one of three major events in San Francisco leading up to the first ever weekend-long food and wine event: San Francisco Chefs. Food. Wine. A Weekend Affair to be held August 7th–9th, 2009 in Union Square. (Subsequent events will feature Dungeness crab in January 2009, followed by strawberries in April.) 52 restaurants in San Francisco will be showcasing heirloom tomatoes from local farmers in signature dishes or full tasting menus. Diners who visit participating restaurants during the promotion and pay with their Visa Signature card will receive a commemorative book including special recipes from the chefs and restaurants involved in the event (including Joey Altman, Bruce Hill of Bix, Traci des Jardins, and more). Reservations can be made through OpenTable.com. On Wednesday August 27th, Millennium is offering an heirloom tomato five-course menu for their ~ANNUAL TOMATO DINNER~, with an optional wine pairing and a flight of bloody Marys. Reservations are available from 5:30pm–9pm. $65/person, excluding tax and gratuity. $27/optional wine pairing; $14 Bloody Mary flight. 580 Geary St. at Jones, 415-345-3900. Looks like our East Bay friends decided to change the name of
their Southeast Asian street food restaurant (with a California
twist) from KAFFIR to ~BANYAN14~. Opening date
is still September 1st. 578 14th St. at Clay, Oakland.
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If you missed the chance to taste the new Pillow Rd. Pinot Noir or Ladera Vineyards’ Cabernets at last week’s tablehopper supper, you have another opportunity to try these world-class wines. Escape the city fog, and head north to Napa. Throughout August, tablehopper readers get $5 off the price of tours and tastings. Visit Ladera Vineyards on Howell Mountain to sample their rugged mountain cabs and limited production 2006 Pillow Rd. Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Take a tour of the “ghost winery,” see their underground caves, and enjoy the expansive gardens! All tours and tastings are available by appointment only. For additional information, call 707-965-2445 or visit www.laderavineyards.com or www.pillowrd.com. Remember to mention tablehopper to receive your discount! |
Pizzeria
Delfina 415-437-6800 Mon
5:30pm–10pm Apps
$5–$9
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AUGUST 5, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Can it really be that ~PIZZERIA DELFINA~ is already three years old? While I like to imagine every San Franciscan has tried the scrumptious pizza margherita here at least once, one of the city’s better deals for $11.50, I know that’s not the case. Let’s just say it: the lines can be frustratingly long—but that’s what happens when you’ve got Delfina in your name, you don’t take reservations, and you open a tiny 24-seat joint in a former used furnishings/junk store (with a name that will make me chuckle forever: Krims Krams Palace of Fine Junk—and there’s still a location rocking it on Turk Street in case you feel like you missed out). The eight counter spots overlooking the kitchen and array of antipasti are good ringside seats to watch the hipster kitchen staff crank it out—it’s almost like sitting at a sushi bar, allowing you to look longingly upon all the ingredients. There’s a bit of a New York vibe to this place, considering how tightly packed and functional it all is. The close tables in the front are best for those on a date, but the coveted outdoor seats under the heat lamps are like the holy grail; there are only five tables, so you consider yourself a chosen one if you ever score a spot outside. The past two times I’ve had lunch here, I’ve been really, really lucky: no wait. And at 12:30pm on a Thursday and Friday, positively freakish. (Don’t let this encourage you.) But if you are one of those freelancer or self-employed or late-riser types, this place is ideal for “linner” (late lunch meets early dinner) since it’s open continuously Tuesday–Sunday. The look is simple and functional, with shiny white tiles, a packed kitchen, a blackboard menu, and stacks of pizza boxes which I think are best reserved for leftovers—unless you live a block away or plan on shamelessly scarfing your pizza in your car out front, I don’t see how these pies can hold up in a box for more than a couple minutes. If you can, eat ‘em here, piping hot and crispy out of the oven. Admittedly, there is a dark side of me that wished they did slices, but the chaos would be like something out of Revelations. While the Neapolitan-inspired pizzas here are really, really good (you can take your pick from nine or so), I am equally a fan of the antipasti and rotating specials of the day, made with stellar seasonal ingredients. This place functions best when you have a partner in crime, so you can share at least a few dishes and split a pizza. Some folks can’t pass up the fresh-stretched mozzarella ($8.25) with a drizzle of olive oil, but I like saving up my cheese/caloric allotment for my pizza. The Venetian-style sardines in saor ($7) have been on the menu as long as I can remember, and their sweet and sour preparation takes me right back to my favorite enotecas when I was living in Venice. Have you had the spicy cauliflower ($7)? Uh, like, yo. I adore this dish, it reminds me of Southern Italy—an explosion of flavor with garlic, Calabrian chili, capers, plus the crunchy texture of breadcrumbs, all playing off the browned tenderness and sweetness of the cauliflower. And there’s a somewhat unhealthy dousing of oil—I say bring it. I’ve tried the recipe at home a couple times and it didn’t quite hit it. I guess I need to make it every day for a year or something before I can even come close to this version. Hey, let’s talk carbs: you’re definitely going to fill up on the delicious breadsticks. You might think they’re made in heaven, but they are actually from neighboring La Cocina Community Kitchen. And yes, the pizzas. I’ve found the pies can be a little inconsistent, but are always pretty darned delicious. Sometimes the crust is a sporting a bit too much char, but the flavor of the dough is always so pleasing. I love how thin it is, and yet it has a substantial and blistered cornicione (lip) that you can really hang onto. And chomp. The tomato sauce here has that divine balance of sweetness and tang—so fresh-tasting. Don’t pass up the experience of a margherita ($11.50) at least once. And while the fior di latte mozzarella is the traditional cheese to have on it, you can also considering swapping it out for the supplement of the creamy bufala mozzarella ($13.75)—because you’re worth it, baby. You can always sprinkle on a bit of the dried oregano, grated pecorino cheese, and feisty red pepper flakes that are provided on each table, but I’ve actually never used any of these condiments. Wait, I lied: I put that chili on anything I can. Although I draw the line at the baba au rhum (a fabulously boozy dessert that’s like an adult cream-filled donut doused in rum). I almost always try the pizza specials—they tend to vector me right in. I haven’t stopped dreaming about the special I had in the springtime called the Gricia, a spin on a Roman pasta dish, made with spring onion, guanciale, panna (cream), and chili ($16). That pizza was just sick. Creamy, spicy, salty, acidic. I’m pining for it like some long-lost Italian boyfriend. The other pizza that haunts me was yet another special: the Purgatorio, with spicy tomato sauce, pecorino, and two perfectly runny eggs. What a pizza—a combination that sets the benchmark for delicious. My grandmother used to make me “uovo in purgatorio” for cena (a light dinner that’s served on the later side) when I’d visit her in Calabria: a couple eggs with those decadent orange Italian yolks, cooked in her wonderful leftover tomato sauce from pranzo (the main meal served at lunchtime) earlier that day. She’d never make her sauce that spicy—my nonno couldn’t handle the heat—so it was always a treat to get my own version at night with a little chili kick added in. (Thank you Grandma Rose, mi manchi…) Now, I know Bi-Rite Creamery is beckoning just down the street, whispering its salted caramel siren song. But if you pass up the cannoli ($5.25) here, what can I say, you’re missing the boat (to Sicily). The crisp and flavorful shell is stuffed with a creamy Bellwether ricotta filling and the overflowing ends are then dipped in pistachio. Uh huh. In a town with a dearth of good cannoli, you gotta get a good one when you can. I’d drive to my hometown of San Mateo for one from Romolo’s, but luckily my mother buys them from time to time for post-family dinners. So as far as cannoli in the 415 are concerned, these are top notch in my book. I get super fired up on the wines by the glass here, too—there are something like 11 whites and eight reds. And bless them: not only are they served at the right temp, but true to pizzeria style, there are a couple glasses of red for $6.25 and under. They don’t have to do that, but they did, so bravo. So let’s do the math: you and your honey can get a substantial dinner of the spicy cauliflower, a salad or some other antipasto of your choosing, split a pizza (I’m figuring a margherita with the bufala supplement here because I like spoiling you) and a cannoli, and each get a glass of wine, for a total of $45.50. Figure in $1.25 each for the SF Health Care Ordinance (yup, they charge it here), and a tip for your hopefully friendly/with-it server, and you’re outta there for about $60. Not too terrible for a bougie and rather delicious date night out. Excited
about the upcoming Pizzeria Delfina opening in Pacific Heights?
I know I’m not the only one. |
AUGUST 5, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO 8 is a lucky number in Chinese culture, and the folks at ~BAR 888~ at the InterContinental Hotel are pretty dialed in for this upcoming Friday’s date of 08/08/08. You can take your pick from eight grappa drinks for $8.88 each, including two new ones that will be added to the menu, running August 8th–August 31st. InterContinental Hotel San Francisco, 888 Howard St. at Fifth St., 415-616-6566. ~CANDYBAR~ in the Western Addition/NoPa neighborhood is launching a happy hour this Wednesday August 6th, with $3 Peroni and Fat Tire beers, $4 sangria, $5 select wines, and daily snack specials from chef Boris Portnoy. Some delish-sounding bites include potatoes confit with romesco sauce ($2), stuffed zucchini blossoms with shrimp mousse ($3), stuffed piquillo peppers with beef cheeks ($3), and grilled cheese sandwich: Mimolette cheese on brioche. I know, yum. A few sweets will be milk chocolate finger cake ($2), and pistachio nougat chocolate bars ($2). Regular hours are Sun–Thu 6pm–10pm (closed Tue), and Fri–Sat 6pm–12am. 1335 Fulton St. at Divisadero, 415-673-7078. Lots of winos are anticipating the release of Bottle Shock, the new flick about the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. This Wednesday August 6th, Crushpad is hosting a ~BOTTLE SHOCK OPENING NIGHT PARTY/PRIVATE SCREENING AND A PARIS TASTING REDUX~. Guests will taste modern day versions of the wines, including both winners featured in the original tasting. You’ll participate in the judging and cast your vote after tasting four French wines and four American wines. After the winning wines are selected, you’ll hop aboard chartered buses for a short trip to the theater to view a private screening of the movie. Special guests will include Bo and Heidi Barrett and Gustavo Brambila, who won first place among the white wines at the Paris Tasting with their Chateau Montelena chardonnay, plus some folks from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, whose cabernet sauvignon captured first place among red wines. Bottle Shock producers Brenda and Marc Lhormer will also be present. Tickets are $75 per person; availability is limited. Your $75 ticket for the night includes the premium wine tasting at Crushpad, transportation to and from the theater, and admission to the private movie screening. Buy tickets. Bottle Shock blind tasting not quite in your budget? This Wednesday August 6th, ~IRON WINE AMERICA~ returns to William Cross. This installment is all about pinot noir: you will taste six different pinots from six different regions, and five different countries. As always with Iron Wine America nights, these wines will be tasted blind. The wines to be poured are: 2006 Willowbrook Pinot Noir Sonoma–California; 2006 Azul Profundo Pinot Noir Bio Bio Valley–Chile; 2005 Domaine Chevalier Bourgogne–France; 2005 Dr. Heyden Pinot Noir Oppenheimer–Germany; 2006 Bird Old School Vineyard Pinot Noir Marlborough–New Zealand; and 2006 Elvenglade Pinot Noir Yamhill–Oregon. A flight is $15. 6pm–9pm. William Cross Wine Merchants, 2253 Polk St. at Green, 415-346-1314. Next
Monday August 11th, Namu
is hosting a ~TASTING OF SAKES FROM THE JOTO PORTFOLIO~, one
of the fastest growing sake importers. You’ll also be able
to order dishes off Namu's tasty menu. $15 cash at the door.
Limited to 20 people—call True Sake at 415-355-9555 to
reserve your spot. 5:30pm–7pm. Namu, 439 Balboa St. at
5th Ave., 415-386-8332. |
GLAAD:
Long, Hot Summer Orson
5pm–8pm tickets $75 |
AUGUST 5, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO One hell of a swell and celebratory event is coming up: ~LONG, HOT SUMMER~, when the San Francisco Leadership Council of GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) is raising a glass in honor of Mayor Gavin Newsom and his pioneering efforts to advance marriage for gay couples. The bash—co-chaired by Chloé Harris and Frankie Frankeny—will be held at Orson, which Elizabeth Falkner is donating the use of for the event, and will feature food from Traci Des Jardins of Jardinière; Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake and Orson; Robbie Lewis of Bacar; Top Chef alumni Jennifer Biesty and Zoi Antonitsas; Joey Altman of Bay Café and Miss Pearl’s Jam House; Mark Sullivan of Spruce; Paul Arenstam of Americano; and James Schenk of Destino. Desserts will be provided by Miette, Humphrey Slocombe artisan ice cream, Blue Bottle Coffee, and TeaGW. Jacqueline Patterson of Orson and Scott Baird of 15 Romolo will mix drinks with liquors provided by Sagatiba Cachaca, Remy Single Vintage, and Damrak Gin; wine provided by Swirl Wine Brokers. Live and silent auction items will include dinners catered by celebrity chefs, vacation getaways, spa packages, private vineyard tours, and more. Two high-end auction packages will be offered live on eBay Giving Works; the site will be live soon at www.ebay.com/glaad. In addition, Mayor Gavin Newsom will announce the online launch of a third auction item, a wedding package that not only includes a wedding ceremony inside the Yud Gallery at the stunning new Daniel Libeskind–designed Contemporary Jewish Museum, but will also include catering, fine jewelry, professional photography, a custom wedding cake, and much more. The
evening’s entertainment will include Austin, Texas jazz
songbird Kellye Gray performing with award-winning bass player
Marcus Shelby; as well as the premiere of Kellye’s new music
video, Everything Must Change. MTV Rock Band will also
make an appearance. There will also be fashion shows, and Donna
Sachet will emcee. Don’t miss this one. |
Family
Winemakers of California—18th Annual Tasting Festival Pavilion 415-705-0646 Sun., Aug. 24th Mon., Aug. 25th tickets $45 in advance buy
tickets
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AUGUST 5, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO ~FAMILY WINEMAKERS OF CALIFORNIA~ returns for its eighteenth year, the largest tasting of California wines in the world, and a showcase for our state's small, family-owned wineries. Click here for a list of participating wineries. No one under 21 admitted, including infants, so leave the little
whippersnapper at home with a sitter while mommy and daddy go
tie one on. |
AUGUST 5, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Don't forget: this book is available at 20% off for tablehopper readers for two weeks following this mention at Green Apple Books—simply use the code "tablehopper" at checkout (either at the store or online) for your discount. As no new traditional “cookbooks” caught my eye this month, let’s check in with The Waiter. The Waiter has, for the last four years or so, written a witty, edgy blog at waiterrant.net, and he has since refined, edited, and shaped his best stories into a book, Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip—Confessions of a Cynical Waiter. (He has also been outed as Steve Dublanica; here’s the story). This is a fun book for those toiling tiplessly in the kitchen—see what wait staff really put up with. It’s also a fun book for waiters—think your clientele is bad? Check out suburban New York diners (and get a load of restaurant owner “Caesar”—what a piece of work). And it’s a fun (and educational) book for diners—you can learn not only how to get the best table, but also how not to have your food spit in. It’s an obvious but just comparison, made by Anthony Bourdain himself: “a front-of-the-house version of Kitchen Confidential.” Enjoy it before you enjoy your next meal out. Thank you for reading. |
AUGUST 5, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Her Perkiness, Rachael Ray, was at Spruce on Sunday. She was in town filming an upcoming episode of Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels/Rachael’s Vacation. She dined with her hubby, and they enjoyed the branzino. A tablehopper reader said they saw Tiffani Faison from Top Chef entering Shanghai 1930 with a tall, handsome man (goodness). More
Top Chef sightings: this season’s winner, Stephanie
Izard dined at SPQR last night with Jen Biesty. |
Eat,
Drink, Invest. If
you would enjoy free food and drink in perpetuity—plus
excellent projected ROI based on a unique location and built
in clientele—we are looking for a few good, environmentally
conscious people to join the
ownership group of the Bay Area’s quintessential
organic dining venue opening in Berkeley next spring at the new David
Brower Environmental Center across from the UC campus. $25,000
minimum shares. Our goal is affordable, 100% organic food expressive of a commitment to simple, seasonal cuisine. Familiarity with local, organic producers a given; pizza experience a plus. Our menu will be very vegetarian friendly with vegan options more than an afterthought. Email jsimon@fullplateconsulting.com or fax resumes to Full Plate Restaurant Consulting at 707-795-4885. Be sure to put “Berkeley Chef” in the subject line.
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All content © 2008 Marcia Gagliardi. I am more than happy if you want to link to my reviews and content elsewhere (thanks, glad you dig it), but republishing any part of them in any way, shape or form is strictly prohibited until we talk first. Please take a look at my Creative Commons license for more detail.
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