Makings of a home cook

A year ago, I had the idea of doing a multi-course tasting menu with wine pairings.  The initial inspiration was a bottle of txakolina that I received as a gift, and wanting to really savor it, I began to dream up potential food pairings.  As I kept dreaming, life moved along at its unrelenting pace, and I had not, until now, found the time (or energy) to make a proper go at it.  I am by no means whatsoever accomplished in the arts of the master chef or sommelier, merely an amateur dabbling in the kitchen, so this dinner was also a test of both my technical abilities and creativity.  Thus, with the table finally set, as it were, I invited a few friends, who were so graciously willing to be my test subjects, over for a small dinner party.

Brasstacks

It certainly has been a long time since I have written in this space, and I do apologize for my negligence. I write this sitting on my balcony, enjoying one of the last few days warm enough to do so, surveying the variegated patchwork of autumnal foliage blanketing the hills of Brookline, musing upon the wisps of pipe smoke that pirouette as if dancing upon the breeze before being swept away.  The shrill sirens of a passing ambulance, a sound all too common around here, rouses me from my reverie.  However, my mood has already entrenched itself firmly in the realm of nostalgia.  Allow me, then, a few, or I rather suspect many, words on events that have passed some time ago.

Summer (v.)

2 AM pastries at Café Lalo

Father's Day in Kent Narrows

Yamazaki smash with shiso and yuzu

Goofing around on Yirrell Beach

Lobster roll, Belle Isle Seafood

Waitiki at the Charles Hotel

Tiki Tuesdays with Brother Cleve at Noir

Backyard burgers for the Fourth

Sand sculptures on Revere Beach

Docks on the Charles

Picnicking on the Esplanade

Hobnobbing in Rockport

Chris Collins at Clio

San Francisco: The Sips

Alistair was put to good use on my trip to San Francisco, keeping ahold of my memories when I was unable. For the most part, my logs are fairly complete, though I do think a few slipped through the cracks, as it were. Allow me to preface the following details by just saying that for a lush like me, San Francisco is a great place to visit!

Bar Agricole

After having a couple gin tonics on the plane, I arrived in relatively good spirits, but I was eager to have a proper drink. Thankfully, my friend had anticipated as much and took me to Bar Agricole after dinner. Despite the large crowds around the corner on that Thursday night, Bar Agricole itself was fairly quiet and empty, and we easily found a couple seats at the bar in front of Craig Lane. I couldn't resist the opportunity to start the night with a cocktail featuring agricole rhum, which seemed to me altogether too apropos. What better way than a Ti' Punch with cane syrup and Neisson élevé sous bois. Being accustomed to the Clio ti' punches with sugarcane juice, this version was decidedly drier and certainly put the rhum in the spotlight.

I stayed in the realm of classic and straight spirits for the rest of the evening, getting a Zazarac next. Far more complex than the more commonly known Sazerac, this cocktail combines Russell's Reserve rye, La Favorite Vieux rhum, Dolin sweet vermouth, and a melange of dashed "bitters," which included absinthe, maraschino, hibiscus bitters, and aromatic bitters. I certainly enjoyed the relatively quiet atmosphere at Bar Agricole, and it gave me the chance to really chat with the men behind the bar. Over the course of my conversation with Craig, the topic of brandies came up, specifically the brandy industry in California. Sipping on a brandy sling made logical sense as we continued to discuss the topic.

Craig was then kind enough to let us sample a few brandies:

• Marian Farmhouse Espirito - biodynamic from the San Joaquin Valley
• Honey, vanilla, baking spices, caraway, thinner
• Osocalis Rare Alambic - pinot noir grape base from the Santa Cruz area
• More delicately spiced, pears, caramel, richer
• Cognac Dudognon - Grande Champagne Premier Cru
• Grape must, apples, roasted peanuts, pralines, tangerines? so soft
• Château de Pellehaut - 10 year Armagnac-Ténarèze
• Very grape-y, cinnamon toast, a rougher texture

His hospitality is really what made the experience a delightful one, and I immediately felt at home. Craig even offered to arrange a pickup of some of the Marian Farmhouse brandy, which was not available retail. If I were to move out to the Bay Area, I can see this being one of my regular bars.

The next evening we decided to explore a few of the bars in the Tenderloin, just down the hill from my friend's apartment on Nob Hill. First up was Mr. Lew's Win-Win Bar after finding Rye too busy. It was a Friday night, so it shouldn't surprise me that every bar was pretty full, but at least at Mr. Lew's you could see the bartender. I started the night with a Tom Tom Club with gin, Campari, grapefruit, and soda. The combination of Campari and grapefruit is a natural one, and the cocktail served its purpose as a cooling spritzer. Next, I got a Last Word variant that simple substituted mezcal in place of gin. The idea was a good one, but the ratios could have been better balanced in this case.

Bourbon & Branch

We continued our barhop by going up the street to the Bourbon & Branch. Unfortunately, we didn't plan ahead and were unable to get into the main bar, so had to settle for the library room. Fighting through the crowd to get to a bar clearly in the weeds, I got a simple Bobby Burns with scotch, sweet vermouth, and Bénédictine. I would like to think that the drink quality is better overall on a less busy night, but I have been to plenty of high volume bars before where quality does not suffer (Eastern Standard when it is five deep at the bar comes to mind). As it would take far too long to get another drink, we moved on to Cantina. To my surprise, the bartender seemed baffled by a number of fairly simple questions. The number of spirits on the shelf indicated variety, but little of this was put to use. I got a Pisco Punch off the menu that was mediocre at best, and I had the general impression that the barman was not that interested in cocktails. Suffice it to say, with the plethora of good bars in San Francisco, I can't see myself going back.

We took a break from cocktails the next day with our day trip up to Healdsburg and the Russian River Valley for some wine tasting. After lunch, we walked a couple blocks down to the tasting room for Williamson Wines. An old friend from summer camp suggested it to me as she grew up in Sebastopol and was friends with family. Since our day trip coincided with a Wine Road event, the tasting room was pretty busy.

• Fizz - sparkling wine
  Would match nicely with chevre
• Joy - Sauvignon Blanc 2010
• Amourette - Chardonnay 2009
  Pineapple and custard
• Rapture - Pinot Noir 2010
  Cherry, cracked pepper, dusty
• Sultry - Cabernet Franc 2008
  Black currant, touch of cedar, velvet, good structure
• Inspire - Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
  Overripe cherries, cheerios (?), tighter structure 
• Tango - Malbec 2007
  Really quite soft compared to Argentine malbecs
• Enchant - Trinity 2009
  Fantastic nose, candied figs, lemon bars
• Elate - Grange cuvée 2009
  Strawberry, barbecue sauce, caramel
• Amour - Reserve Merlot 2004
  Sweeter and very silky

Papapietro Perry

The next stop was one recommended by an acquaintance in Boston who is in the wine industry: Papapietro Perry. Again, the Wine Road folks were swarming all over the place, but we managed to squeeze into a spot at the bar. This was a small, sort of garagiste winemaking operation. The owners were hobbyists originally, and they continue to buy grapes from various sources without owning the vineyards themselves.

• Pinot Noir, Russian River, 2008
  Oranges, really juicy, something savory, tomatoes?
• Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, 2008
  Plums, touch of black pepper, currants, raspberries, satiny
• Pinot Noir, Elsbree Vineyard, Russian River, 2008
  Strawberry candies, sweeter, really juicy cherries
• Pinot Noir, Elsbree, 2007
  Grapefruit, orange zest, a hint of caramel
• Zinfandel, Pauline's, Dry Creek, 2008
  Peaches, passionfruit, tangerines, creamsicle, so much candy
• Pinot Noir, Russian River, 777 clones, 2008
  Oak smoke, pimenton, preserved lemons, cherries
• Zinfandel, Elsbree, 2008
  Big fruit, grilled peaches, cooked fruits

Our last destination before heading back to San Francisco was Geyser Peak, because a friend works there. However, by the time we got there, he had left for the day as it was close to closing time, but we managed to sneak in a few tastes.

• Gewurztraminer, Mendocino, 2010
  Roses, lychee, lemon
• Block Sauvignon Blanc, River Ranches, 2010
  Green bell pepper, a touch of lime
• Walking Tree Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
  (with 8% shiraz; aged in 10% French oak and 90% American oak)
  Ginger snaps on nose; blackberries, velvety
• Ascentia Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
  Cherry, tobacco, leather, soy sauce, very structured
• Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
  Nose is amazing, red bean paste, dark fruits, a bit of cucumber, structure could be aged more
• Shiraz Port 2006
  Nose of dried dates and aged shoyu; dates, figs, a touch tannic for port
• Late Harvest Riesling 2008
  Honey, lemon, melon, nectarines, lychees

Trouble Waters at 15 Romolo

Later that evening, we decided to check out a couple bars in North Beach after dinner. We went first to 15 Romolo, the entrance to which was up an alley around the corner from a couple strip clubs. A friend used to frequent the place, but he hadn't been in awhile. Again, Saturday nights are typically among the times I avoid when going out given the hoi polloi, but my short time there necessitated braving the crowds. Unfortunately, it seemed like there was some kind of event at the bar, a huge crowd of very drunk individuals. We somehow managed to nick a couple seat at the corner of the bar, which allowed us to order a couple rounds of drinks. The Troubled Waters with Oxley gin, Campari, lemon juice, Angostura, and a vanilla+cardamom syrup was refreshing enough, continuing my apparent habit of starting the post prandial tippling with a Campari and citrus combination. It did not seem to me that the Oxley gin was really necessary in this drink, and something with a bit more backbone could have been better. Second was a Buffalo Nickel with bourbon, Root liqueur, ginger syrup, coffee tincture, and bitters. My impression of the drink was dominated by the sassafras from the Root, with very little recollection of any influence from the coffee tincture. By this point, however, a group of sloppy gentlemen had positioned themselves next to us and after a couple spilling incidents, we decided to take our leave. Also, the bartenders seemed to be physically scrambling to and fro down the length of the bar. My overall impression was that this bar could be nice on a quieter night, but at least, at the time we chose to visit, the quality to execute was simply getting overrun.

Comstock Saloon

Next, we moved down the street a couple blocks to Comstock Saloon. While the rest of my group found a booth, there was a single seat at the bar that I quickly took for myself. Compared to the relatively revelrous atmosphere at the previous establishment, the saloon was lively in a more restrained sense. The décor certainly took a vintage bent with many charming touches, such as the antique ceiling fans. I asked for a drink featuring genever and received a cocktail containing the requested genever along with Carpano Antica, cherry Heering, and absinthe. The drink remained nameless, but as I sipped on it, the idea that flitted about my mind was "Blood of Breda." The Heering and vermouth combination makes me think of the blood portion of the classic Blood and Sand, while both the Heering and the genever has Dutch roots. For one reason or another, Velázquez's masterpiece, The Surrender of Breda, entered my mind, which depicted the surrender of the city of Breda to General Spinola who commanded the Spanish besiegers. The city was one that changed hands many times over the course of the Eighty Years War, and the Spinola siege was also depicted by Arturo Pérez-Reverte in El sol de Breda as one book in the Alatriste series. The added fact that Spinola was an Italian from Genoa, the southerly neighbor of Savoy, from where Carpano is derived, made the name rather relevant in my mind. A brief detour into history aside, my second drink contained rye, Cynar, Punt e Mes, and "tinctures." Again unnamed, it was a nice and bitter digestivo to end the evening.

Alembic

The following night, I spent half the night hanging out with a friend at the dive bar where he works. After sipping a scotch-style single malt from St. George spirits in nearby Alameda, we decided to attempt a Mr. Bali Hai with the ingredients on hand. The results were.. ahem, interesting. For more serious drinking, I adjourned to Alembic, a bar I had first heard about through Erik Ellestad's Savoy Stomp as playing host to Savoy nights. Recalling that a friend had told me some time ago that her "new" favorite drink was the Vice Grip, I had to try one before I forgot. Made with Araku coffee liqueur, brachetto d'acqui, and a porter foam, it would have made a great dessert drink on which to end the night, rather than begin it. Deciding I wanted something stiffer to follow, I next ordered a Vow of Silence containing rye, Bénédictine, crème de griotte (cherry brandy), and bitters. The name of the cocktail I assume refers to the Order of St. Benedict after which the liqueur was named, even though it isn't actually produced by monks. However, the name did get me thinking about a liqueur actually produced by monks, Chartreuse, leading me to request bartender's choice featuring this spirit. To my slight disappointment, the drink I got in return was another Last Word, popular as they seem to be. By this point, the bar was finally emptying out, which allowed me to sit briefly at the bar and strike up a conversation with Danny Louie. For my last cocktail of the night, he made me an añejo old-fashioned with Partida añejo tequila. Although a straightforward drink, the bartender's technical skill shone through, and it ended up being a rather contemplative way to end the evening.

Smuggler's Cove

On Monday evening, we thought it finally possible to get a seat at Smuggler's Cove, having driven by on a couple occasions earlier that weekend and seeing a line out the door. Intuition proved correct, and we quickly found seats in front of Steven Liles. Tiki master Randy Wong had been unequivocal in reminding me that I had to check this place out while in town, so I certainly had high expectation. I started with a Dead Reckoning, which I thought I had seen before in Beachbum Berry's Remixed as a creation of bar owner Martin Cate. There was no mistaking the drink for tiki, but a few subtle layers of complexity made it stand out. I continued with a couple more classic tiki drinks: the Hell in the Pacific and the Jet Pilot. The Jet Pilot being one of Steven's recommendations, I further pushed him to make me something of his own designed. He replied with a Bulkhead featuring a house blend of El Dorado rum, apricot liqueur, oloroso sherry, falernum, and orange bitters. Lacking any juice, it was moving into the realm of late evening drinks, and as I have weak knees for anything containing sherry these days, this drink hit the spot. I wanted to end the evening on one of the excellent sipping rums among the collection for which the bar has a reputation. Steven picked the Plantation Guadaloupe 1998 Reserve for me, which is produced by Pierre Ferrand, the cognac house. I noted the presence of passionfruit, a bit of lychee, other juicy fruits, and a noticeable hogo. Smuggler's Cove lived up to expectations, and it certainly made me wish that Boston had a dedicated Tiki/rum bar.

Jet Pilot in foreground at Smuggler's Cove

On my way to the airport, we decided to stop by Heaven's Dog, as I had been informed via Twitter that Erik Ellestad would be tending bar that night. I must admit a unabashed admiration for Erik, and his blog detailing his attempt to recreate every drink in the weighty Savoy Cocktail Book was one of the first resources I had discovered when I first entered the world of cocktails. Therefore, much credit must go to him for reeling me in and laying the foundations of what is current one of my chief passions. When we arrived, there was a bit of an after-work crowd, but we had no problems finding seats in front of Erik. Putting ourselves more or less entirely in his hands, the first drink I received was a King Cole, a Savoy cocktail, appropriately. It is essentially an old-fashioned with fernet instead of bitters. Next, Erik made a Brooklyn variant that he had tinkered with to replace amer picon with Cardamaro. At this point, Trevor Easter, another bartender arrived behind the bar. He contributed his own twist of the Brooklyn by making a Wall Street, which involved Old Bardstown bourbon, Punt e Mes, Nocino della Cristina, Luxardo maraschino, mole bitters, and allspice. What was especially interesting to me was the use of nocino for a decidedly more nutty element compared to the usual Brooklyn's more citrus/bitter bent. At this point, continuing with the nocino thought, I also introduced Erik and Trevor to the In Vida Veritas that Misty Kalkofen of Cambridge's Brick and Mortar made me a couple weeks prior. For my last drink in San Francisco, Trevor took a rather experimental tack, making a cognac-based Sazerac, but one topped with a whipped cream flavored with absinthe instead of the traditional rinse. Despite being a little rushed to make my flight, it was certainly time well spent!

Sazerac with absinthe whipped cream at Heaven's Dog

Thanks to all my friends who showed me around the city, as well as all the gracious bartenders who were so accommodating and put up with my banter. I cannot wait to make the trip west again soon, provided my wallet and liver have sufficiently recovered, of course. Cin cin!

San Francisco: The Tastes

When I was planning my trip to San Francisco, what immediately came to mind was my perception of the SF food scene as being more culturally diverse than Boston.  While I certainly have a few hole-in-the-wall gems in Boston that I deeply treasure, there really are not that many options for obscure regional cuisines.  Therefore, the list of restaurants I compiled reflected my desire to explore some more unusual culinary traditions that I are few and far between in Boston.  The Chowhound boards and other internet food blogs/reviews were immensely helpful.

Dinner at Poc Chuc: taco with chimole de pavo and cochinita pibil

Immediately after arriving at the airport, my friends picked me up, and we went straightaway to get dinner.  I had picked this Yucatan/Mayan-style Mexican restaurant in the Mission as it was on the way from the airport to the bar to which we were planning to go.  While I did not get a chance to sample the more popular taquerias in the Mission, I was quite pleased with this dinner.  We started with an appetizer order of platanos fritos, which were wonderfully sweet and served with crema alongside.  As I had not eaten since lunch in Boston at this point, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and I ordered both a taco with chimole de pavo and the cochinita pibil entrée.  The chimole de pavo was a shredded turkey stewed in some kind of black sauce, the exact composition of which I cannot say, but it was an absolutely unique flavor.  I literally tried to mop up the sauce that spilled onto the plate with whatever scraps of tortilla I could find.  The other dish I ordered, the cochinita pibil, was a stewed pulled pork served in a brick colored sauce and with accompaniments of tortillas, rice, pickled onions, and limes.  As I had scarcely a clue as to how to eat it, I tried making tacos at first, but that quickly grew to be a messy affair.  I then decided to eat it in typical Asian fashion by spooning the pork over the rice, which yielded a more satisfactory experience.  Again, the flavors were immense and complex, and I had a difficult time picking out precise descriptors.  None of the dishes were spicy, but they were all very nicely spiced.  It was an excellent beginning to my sojourn.

Lunch at Wooly Pig: Red coconut curry pork bánh mì

The next day, we met some friends for lunch at a small sandwich shop around the corner from UCSF's Parnassus campus.  Described to me as an Asian-inspired sandwich shop, my thoughts instantly turned to bánh mì.  My initial instincts proved to be largely correct, as bánh mì was certainly on the menu.  However, their special that day was a red coconut curry pork bánh mì, in addition to their regular roasted pork offering.  Although the bread was not the baguette that I associate with bánh mì, the curried pork and other accoutrements worked very well together.  The tartness of the pickled carrots and daikon cut the richness of the pork; the whole composition was a bit of the sweet side, but I did not mind.  Also, I had a bowl of roasted shiitake soup with truffle oil, which was full of earthy and umami goodness, though also a bit heavy on the salt.

After an afternoon in Golden Gate Park and the de Young Museum, we went to dinner at The Pot's, a hot pot restaurant in the Inner Sunset. While an all-you-can-eat option was available, we opted for à la carte, since two of our group were not big eaters.  The variety was certainly far greater than what is available in any of the hot pot restaurants I have been to in Boston.  We had a split pot with half ma la broth and half black chicken and herbs; the broths were flavorful and better than most.  Our choices were not too unusual and included lamb, beef sirloin, beef tongue, shrimp, pork loin, frozen tofu, fresh tofu, enoki and oyster mushrooms, watercress, cabbage, fish balls, rice vermicelli, and more.

Lunch at Barndiva in Healdsburg: Croque madame

On Saturday, we drove up to Healdsburg for a taste of wine country.  After first stopping in Sausalito for a quick peak at some house boats and an iced coffee at a cafe called Taste of Rome.  Despite the rather uninspiring name, the place was full of locals and made a rather good cup of coffee.  Once in Healdsburg, we headed to Barndiva for lunch, having read a fairly good SF Chronicle review of the place.  While it completely baffled me that the hostess asked us to wait at the bar for a good 15 minutes despite the restaurant being half empty, the food ended up being decently good.  My croque madame came as a set of three mini sandwiches, each topped with a fried quail egg.  Slathered in butter with good quality ham, I felt like it did not have enough Mornay sauce.  This complaint is certainly not restricted to this particular experience, as I feel like most croque madames I have had of late have the same problem.  At least this time, the Mornay was not a congealed, lumpy mess, which was my latest croque experience in Boston.  The "chips" were closer to Chick-fil-A waffle fries in texture, as they lacked crunch.  My friends' salads, as well as the smattering of endive, beets and other produce on my plate were all very fresh.

Dinner at Angkor Borei

On our way to dinner back in the city, we got mixed up with all the celebratory Niners fans after their last minute win over the Saints in this year's playoff.  We finally made it to the restaurant, Angkor Borei and were lucky enough to be seated almost immediately.  The five of us decided to eat family-style and ask for the owner to order for us.  As the ordering happened while I was away from the table, I do not know what exactly was ordered.  There were a couple stir-fried dishes: one with chicken and the other with beef. The chicken dish was nicely seasoned, but in both cases, the meat was a touch overcooked. We also had a shrimp curry served in a clay pot and a pan-fried fish in a sauce akin to sweet and sour with a hint of spice.  I was hoping to like Cambodian food a little more, but it did not stand out very much from Vietnamese or Thai cuisine as much as I had hoped.

For lunch the next day, we went to Burma Superstar on the recommendation of a friend, and it ended up being a delightful exercise in atypical Southeast Asian fare that the previous night had been unable to deliver. We started with the vegetarian samusa soup, which contained an amazing diversity of ingredients. The soup was followed by the rainbow salad, superstar shrimp, bun tay kauswer noodles, and pork curry with potatoes and pickled mangos. We had ordered the pumpkin pork stew, but that order got switched for the curry. I certainly didn't complain though as the curry we did get was delicious as well. What stood out to me was that the soup, salad, and noodles all were notable for the variety of flavors and textures involved: crunchy, crispy, soft, chewy, they were all present. The playful textural interplay was matched by the surprising gustatory influence of each component. Of all the dishes, the shrimp seemed to be the most quotidian, tasting good, but very much like what I've had at many Chinese restaurants in the past. All of this was accompanied by rich coconut rice, which has become a hallmark of Burmese cuisine to me.

Burma Superstar: Rainbow Salad and SuperStar Shrimp

Burma Superstar: Pork Curry and Bun Tay Kauswer

After such a lovely lunch, it was unfortunate that the day's last meal was to be the most unremarkable Chinese-American takeout. I have no recollection of what we ate or from where it was ordered. You may be assured that me sitting at a dive bar and eating takeout was for the sake of good company and friendship.

Yes, we ate with plastic sword drink picks

As a friend wanted to do a few touristy things in town, we headed to Fisherman's Wharf the next day. In anticipation, I had picked out lunch at an Argentinean food truck called Tanguito, but sadly it was closed as the owner was on vacation. Instead, we decided to pick up lunch at a fish and chips truck next door. Admittedly, the fish was pretty good, and the fried twinkie at the end was fun, and this fare was certainly better than the tourist trap options in the vicinity, but I have to say that I remained disappointed given the frequency with which I already get fish and chips in Boston.

Fish and chips at the Codmother, Fisherman's Wharf

On the way to the airport to drop off a friend, we decided to take advantage of being in the area and swing by Ramen Dojo in San Mateo. Despite the substantial line and wait, I was quite pleased with the outcome: one of the best bowls of ramen I have had to date. Sadly, the wait had meant that they had run out of the tonkatsu broth by the time we were seated, but the shoyu was still decent. This ramen-ya specializes in sutamina, or spicy, broths, and the spice certainly gave the whole bowl a big kick. I also added extra toppings: napa cabbage, mushrooms, quail eggs, and extra noodles. The result was nothing less than absolutely filling. The charsiu was a rich piece of tender and flavorful pork, and the noodles had great pliability and resistance. In hindsight, I should have added extra fried garlic, as these dark gold nuggets were wonderful. My only complaint is that the quail eggs were overcooked. As I left, I rued not having such a ramen-ya in the Boston area.

Ramen Dojo, San Mateo

On my last day in the Bay before my red-eye home, I had to visit a former lab colleague who had moved to Berkeley for her post-doc, so we made plans to meet for lunch. She picked me up from BART station and drove me to Café Fanny for a light lunch. I got the croque monsieur, which came with a sprinkling of greens and pickled carrot slices. We sat by the small pergola despite it being a relatively cool day. For being Alice Waters in name, though, I was not terribly impressed. The sandwich was good, to be sure, but it does not stand out in my mind in any way. It was great to catch up with a friend though! I did pick up a nice baguette at Acme Bakery next door too.

Croque Monsieur at Café Fanny, Berkeley

I had a bit of downtime in the afternoon, so I stopped by the Ferry Building marketplace on my way back. Having great memories of the place from when I visited as a kid with my mom, the return trip did not disappoint. It felt smaller than I remembered it, but the nibbles were just as good. First off, I picked up a roll of nduja for later and a cone of charcuterie from Boccalone salumeria. I probably grinned with whimsy as I set off perusing the other shops. I loved browsing the mushrooms at Far West Fungi and rued the fact that I couldn't buy any or cook some up before I left. The Cowgirl Creamery was a necessary stop where I got a wheel of Red Hawk and a wedge of Midnight Moon. Next time I'm out there, I would love to go to the actual creamery.

Charcuterie "cone" from Boccalone

Cheeses at Cowgirl Creamery

My last meal in the Bay was a truly informal and intimate affair with old college friends. Takeout tacos picked up en route to my friend's apartment in Parnassus and the baguette, nduja, and Red Hawk from my afternoon jaunt were on the menu as we gathered in her small kitchen. Though some great bites were had, it was a momentary reminder that in the end, the companionship of good friends is the key to a pleasurable sojourn.

Breakfast in O'Hare: Pain au Chocolate from Acme

San Francisco: The Sights

Last month, I took a short trip on holiday to see a couple dear friends out in San Francisco. Although I've been to the Bay Area before on several occasions, its always rather pleasant to visit. As those days were quite filled with a multitude of charming adventures, my chronicles of my travels are here divided into three. This, the first, features a few of the memorable vistas.

Looking eastward across the Bay from the top of the Twin Peaks

The de Young Museum

Ruth Asawa's sculpture of tied wire

Overlooking the Richmond District towards the Marin Headlands

The Golden Gate Bridge at sunset as seen from Land's End

Sitting on the cliffs at Land's End

The sun setting beyond the horizon

Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge

Sausalito, Galilee Harbor

Sausalito, Galilee Harbor

Transamerica Pyramid as seen from North Beach

Postcard Row Painted Ladies, Alamo Square (aka. Full House houses)

View of Downtown at night from Treasure Island

Ferry Building Market

Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill