inuyaki | a food blog called "grilled dog"

Uncommon Ground on Devon

Arnold — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:52:05 +0000

Uncommon Ground is a restaurant/gallery/music venue/bar/cafe that boasts Chicago’s (and maybe the nation’s) first certified organic rooftop farm, which helps supply the restaurant with seasonal vegetables. The roof also houses two beehives, which helps provide pollination in their community as well as honey for the restaurant. Quite simply, this is urban farming that works. In fact, for every tree-tini (a martini with organic ginger-infused Rain Vodka, Liquor 43, tart apple syrup and apple cider) you order, Uncommon ground will plant a tree. For more information about Uncommon Grounds environmental efforts, check out their Web site.

Uncommon Ground’s rooftop garden.
Of course Uncommon Ground’s environmental commitment deserves to be praised, but what about the food? Well, we went in with empty stomachs for a Saturday brunch and left with full stomachs and smiles on our faces.

I had been planning on checking out Nuevo Leon for some chilaquiles on this trip, but we never got around to it, so I ordered them here. It wasn’t the down-home chilaquiles I was craving, but this more refined version totally hit the spot. The blend of crispy tortillas, chorizo, salsa verde and sour cream was perfect. The home fries were perfectly cooked and a couple dashes of Cholula gave them a nice kick.

Of course, I got to sample everyone else’s dishes, which included some really good halibut fish tacos, a ground buffalo corncake skillet and a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, mixed peppers, chihuahua cheese, cumin crème, spinach tortilla and smoked chili sauce. Check them out here:

We ended the meal with some Black Dog Gelato, which is made locally in Chicago. The flavors we selected were salted peanut, coffee cocoa nibs, and caramel goat cheese. The peanut ended up being our favorite because we liked the salty flavor, the slight sweetness and a nice coarse texture. The caramel goat cheese tasted like cheesecake (always a good thing), and the coffee cocoa nibs was good but still a distant third.

Black Dog Gelato Trio –
(clockwise from left) salted peanut, coffee cocoa nibs, and caramel goat cheese

Uncommon Ground is one Chicago restaurant that would be welcomed with open arms in the Bay Area. Their use of fresh, local, organic ingredients, as well as a commitment to running a completely sustainable, green philosophy permeates every aspect of the business, means that Uncommon Ground is doing in Chicago what many Bay Area restaurants only wish they could.

INFORMATION
Uncommon Ground
1401 W. Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660 map
773.465.9801
Web site

Desperate Times Renew Demand for SPAM

Arnold — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:59:10 +0000

I don’t post about it much, but SPAM is treated with reverence at inuyaki.com. “SPAM is good food” is still the default tagline for most of my online profiles and my Yelp avatar was a SPAM can before I started using the Inuyaki dog logo. I even wore a SPAM T-shirt to Slow Food Nation in San Francisco earlier this year.

Our personal SPAM shrine.
As the economy worsens in the U.S., Hormel looks like it will be one of the few companies that weather the storm as American demand for SPAM increases. SPAM sales are on the rise as Americans look for alternatives to more expensive cuts of meat.

From today’s New York Times:

Spam “seems to do well when hard times hit,” said Dan Bartel, business agent for the union local. “We’ll probably see Spam lines instead of soup lines.”

Even as consumers are cutting back on all sorts of goods, Spam is among a select group of thrifty grocery items that are selling steadily.

If you don’t know the history of SPAM, this passage breaks it down succinctly.

Spam holds a special place in America’s culinary history, both as a source of humor and of cheap protein during hard times.

Invented during the Great Depression by Jay Hormel, the son of the company’s founder, Spam is a combination of ham, pork, sugar, salt, water, potato starch and a “hint” of sodium nitrate “to help Spam keep its gorgeous pink color,” according to Hormel’s Web site for the product.

Because it is vacuum-sealed in a can and does not require refrigeration, Spam can last for years. Hormel says “it’s like meat with a pause button.”

During World War II, Spam became a staple for Allied troops overseas. They introduced it to local residents, and it remains popular in many parts of the world where the troops were stationed.

Thanks to the U.S. military, Filipinos have a long history of SPAM consumption, as well as canned corned beef and Vienna sausages, all of which I ate regularly as a child. But as I got older and tried to be “healthier” (whatever that means, haha), SPAM faded from my consciousness, although I do remember being introduced to SPAM musubi when I was in college.

About six years ago, SPAM reentered my life when I started working with a bunch of guys from Hawaii, where SPAM consumption is the highest per capita than anywhere else in the world. Then I met my my future wife, who is also from Hawaii, and SPAM became part of my life again.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t eat SPAM regularly—that would be crazy. But I don’t fear SPAM, and there’s a sense of comfort that arises from a bowl of SPAM fried rice or a plate of SPAM and eggs that can’t be duplicated by anything else.

Breakfast of Champions
I’m glad that SPAM is experience a renaissance, but it would be nicer if it wasn’t because of such dire circumstances. Maybe the economic downturn will help people truly appreciate SPAM instead of loathing it.

Hot Doug’s

Arnold — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:55:59 +0000

We’ve been doing these Chicago eating binges with our friend Maria, which allows us to do a lot more sampling than if it was just me and my wife. This is why we can order four different sausages at Hot Doug’s without feeling too guilty.

Chicago-style hot dogs differ from other styles of hot dogs because they generally include mustard, onions, an artificially colored neon-green relish, tomato slices, and a pickle spear, all served on a poppy seed bun. I made sure that all of our orders had everything on it, although this may have been a tactical mistake on the bratwurst, which I would have like to have tried with just sauerkraut. The bratwurst was still excellent since it was very juicy, probably because it’s soaked in beer. We also had The Elvis, a smoked polish sausage, and The Dog (below), a traditional Chicago-style hot dog.

But the best hot dog of the day was the spicy hot dog known as The Keira Knightly. What I liked about the Keira was that the spicy dog had a nice heat that balanced out the other flavors that were packed into the dog, especially the sweet relish. The other dogs were good, but Keira’s relative hotness separated it from the pack.

The menu described the Keira Knightly as “mighty hot,” but I thought it was a pleasant, mild heat. By comparison, the andouille sausage known as The Salma Hayak (which we didn’t order) is said to be “mighty, mighty, mighty hot.” If this is true, then Salma is hotter than Keira both in hot dogs and real life.

Still, as good as the hot dogs were, they were nearly eclipsed by an even more impressive concoction…duck fat fries. That’s right…french fries fried in duck fat. I shouldn’t have to say anything more, so here:

Duck fat fries are only available on Fridays and Saturdays, so plan your trip accordingly.

There’s a quote on the wall at Hot Doug’s by someone named Secret Robbie that says:

There are no two finer words in the English language than “encased meats,” my friend.

Word.

INFORMATION
Hot Doug’s
The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium
3324 N. California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618 map
773.279.9550
Web site

Crisp

Arnold — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:17:23 +0000

Korean fried chicken (KFC) is a favorite topic of mine, as seen here, here, here, and here. But KFC was the last thing on my mind when I started planning this trip until I started reading about Crisp on various food blogs and Web sites. So on our second day in Chicago, having tackled White Castle and Greek food the night before, I skipped out on the city’s pizza, hot dogs, and Italian beef sandwiches and headed to Lakeview for some KFC.

The essence of Korean fried chicken lies in its sauces and Crisp has three different offerings (Crisp BBQ, Seoul Sassy, and Bud’s Buffalo). We ordered two whole chickens and went for the Crisp BBQ and the Seoul Sassy.

The Crisp BBQ is a Korean sauce that’s got a mild heat, which was nice because other spicy KFC sauces I’ve had have totally blown out my taste buds. If you’re like us and like trying different flavors of KFC, then you’ll appreciate that even more. The heat does linger on your tongue, and I love that.

As much as we liked the Crisp BBQ sauce, the Seoul Sassy was our favorite. The ginger, garlic, and soy-based sauce was excellent, one of my favorite KFC sauces ever. This basket of chicken disappeared faster than that Crisp BBQ.

Sauces aside, the most important thing about this fried chicken is that it lives up to its name. The chicken skin is crispy, despite being drowned in sauce, and it’s juicy too. I’m pretty confident that most fried chicken fans could order the sauceless Plain Jane chicken and be very happy.

We got a chance to talk to Jae Lee, one of Crisp’s owners, and he was really cool. I told him that we don’t have Korean Fried Chicken like this in the SF Bay Area and that this rivaled the KFC we had in New York. Jae told us that he went to New York as part of his research and sampled pretty much everything they had to offer. Because of our conversation, our next New York trip is going to feature a trip to Unidentified Flying Chickens in Jackson Heights. But if you’re in Chicago, definitely check out Crisp if you’re looking for some excellent Korean fried chicken.

As their slogan says, “The bird is the word.”

INFORMATION
Crisp
2940 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
877.693.8653
Web site

Greek Islands

Arnold — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:19:42 +0000

Greek food might be the one cuisine that Chicago really does better than anyone else in the America. Luckily, Maria’s husband is from Greece, so we were comfortable following him all the way to Greek Islands, which is their favorite Greek restaurant because it’s consistently good.

Generally, my experience with Greek food had been limited to gyros, souvlaki, tzaziki, and spanakopita, so I was very excited to try some new dishes. It also seemed like a good way to purge the memory of the White Castle sliders we ate two hours before. Since we weren’t all that hungry, we ordered a variety of of small plates instead of entrees.

We started with Taramosalata, a blend of cod roe, potatoes, onions and olive oil. It’s described as Greek caviar, but it’s more of a dip that you can eat almost anything with it. I spread it on some bread and loved it because it’s a little salty, and you get the little crunch from the roe. It’s also pink.

The Greek salad was classic, but we discussed how this would taste with cucumbers in Greece since American cucumbers are fairly bland, as well as some heirloom tomatoes instead of the regular, boring supermarket tomatoes.

The Keftedakia are meatballs with tomato sauce. I could have had a couple more orders of this.

I’m normally not a fan of dolmas because they’re usually small and cold. At Greek Islands, the Dolmades are served hot with an egg/lemon sauce and they’re huge, with balanced mix of meat and rice. I’d eat these any time.

The grilled octopus was one of the best things we ordered. Meaty and grilled to perfection, my wife said this was better than the grilled octopus we had at Babbo…and that’s saying something.

Gyros are a Greek classic, and these were really good. Maria’s husband said that in Greece, gyros don’t look like shaved meatloaf as is traditionally the case in America. Instead chunks of meat are stacked on a spit, so when it’s sliced, you get…chunks of meat. Still, I loved the long strips of shaved meatloaf anyway.

Our last dish with the Flaming Saganaki Cheese. This is strictly a Greek American phenomenon. Basically, it’s salty cheese flambée. The server lit the cheese as he approached the table, and it was ablaze when it arrived. If you like fried or burnt cheese, this is definitely for you.

The service friendly and attentive, although I’m sure it didn’t hurt that our friends are regulars. I’m tempted to come back before we leave, but there’s a lot on our to-eat list. I do feel like Greek Islands gave us a solid foundation to use when we eat and evaluate Greek food from now on, which is indispensible.

INFORMATION
Greek Islands
200 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60661 map
312.782.9855
Web site

White Castle and Top Chef – A Match Made in Hell

Arnold — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:13:04 +0000

Our first meal in Chicago wasn’t on my list, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome either. I’ve always been intrigued by the White Castle hype, especially since the burgers don’t really look all that appetizing. My friend Maria mentioned that there were several White Castles near her South Loop condo, so we stopped by for a little snack on the way back from the airport.

The impromptu White Castle visit also coincided with the season premiere of Bravo’s Top Chef, and we made it back to Maria’s condo just in time to watch it from the beginning. Can there be a greater juxtaposition to White Castle than Top Chef?

I really don’t understand the appeal of these burgers. The buns are soggy, the meat is mushy, and for something so small, they kinda just sit in your stomach like a big grease bomb. I think they’re easily outshined by something as mundane as McDonald’s regular hamburgers. Why do people like them so much? Is it the nostalgia? Or do you really have to be high to enjoy them?

As far as Top Chef is concerned, the chefs seem pretty boring compared to previous seasons, although there are a couple Filipinos in the mix this year. Gene is looking like the anti-Dale (temperamentally speaking) and Leah definitely has potential. The two cocky Euros (Stefan and Fabio) should be make the show interesting though.

Student Challenges Master in Achatz/Keller Showdown

Arnold — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:54:01 +0000

From The New York Times:

Columbus Circle will be the center of the culinary universe for a few hours tonight as two of the country’s most acclaimed chefs—those without my Timesian fear of hyperbole might just go ahead and say “the country’s two most acclaimed chefs”—collaborate on a 20-course, $1500 dinner at Per Se.

Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz are the chefs in question, and tonight’s meal is the first of three they will be cooking side by side. The next will take place on Dec. 2 at Mr. Achatz’s home field, Alinea in Chicago; Mr. Keller gets home-court advantage for the final meal on Dec. 9 at the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif.

(Photos: Nicholas Roberts/Reuters; Peter Thompson for The New York Times)

Michael Ruhlman gives a great analysis of what this matchup means for both chefs:

“Grant estimated that if you got to the source of 90 percent of what he did, its source would be the French Laundry,” said Michael Ruhlman, who wrote “The French Laundry Cookbook” and the introduction to “Alinea.” Mr. Ruhlman met Grant in his first year working at the French Laundry; following both chefs over the year, he’s watched their relationship from a front row seat. “And I’ve always believed that the rigorous technique embraced while at the FL is the main reason he’s been able succeed at the relentlessly innovative cuisine he’s set out to do every night. He knows it, Thomas knows it, and they’re both grateful.”

Is there more to it than that? Is there, lurking beneath the mutual support and praise, a competitive streak? How often do the two chefs check to see who is winning this Amazon Meter?

“It’s probably more complicated from Grant’s perspective,” said Mr. Ruhlman. “Talk about the anxiety of influence, the need to slay the father. Keller looms so tall in this industry, I’m sure he does all he can to stay out of its shadow without alienating the friend and mentor to whom he owes so much.”

Of course, the anxiety can work both ways. “How did Thomas feel when Gourmet named Alinea best restaurant in the country?” Mr. Ruhlman asks. “How could Keller not feel competitive about this? All chefs are alpha dogs.”

My first reaction when I read this was a Keanu/Neo-like “Whoa,” especially for a dinner costing $1500. I honestly hope some of that money goes to a charity of some kind, but this match up is like the Super Bowl of cooking, and we all know how much Super Bowl tickets cost.

At least at this event, the food won’t suck, and it’s guaranteed to be a good game.

Ad Hoc – Sunday Brunch (11/9/08)

Arnold — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:20:04 +0000

We went to Ad Hoc for brunch today with some friends (and Ad Hoc virgins). I think brunch is a great way to introduce Ad Hoc to the unitiated. The menu follows the pictures.

SUNDAY BRUNCH

Deviled Eggs
bibb lettuce salad, fra’mani salami, sweet carrots
shaved fennel, marinated cucumbers, palladin toast

Rustichella Rigatoncini
with Prime Ribeye Beef
garbanzo beans, baby arugula, shaved parmesean
chanterelle mushrooms

Blood Orange Granité
sugar cookie
toasted almonds

I’m not really sure if I can pinpoint the real highlight of this meal, but the Blood Orange Granité is a strong contender. Those are strong sentiments when you consider the main course included prime ribeye with chanterelles and pasta and was one of the best entrees I’ve eaten at Ad Hoc.

Obama Pie? Yes We Can!

Arnold — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:16:35 +0000

(Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan)

Bistek Tagalog II (Kalamansi version)

Arnold — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:09:14 +0000

We’ve been cooking a lot for my parents this week, and when my mom showed me the bags of kalamansi (Philippine musk lime) she got from her friends, the first thing I thought of making was Bistek Tagalog (Filipino Beefsteak).

The first time I wrote about this, I only had lemons on hand, but kalamansi is the traditional ingredient.

Kalamansi are really small, and I think I used at least 30 kalamansi (I lost count) to get 1 cup of juice. The kalamansi juice is mixed with soy sauce and minced garlic and used to marinate the steak for about 30 minutes.

My mom said that the bistek she grew up with a had a strong citrus flavor, so instead of the 1:1 citrus/soy sauce mixture that I used before, I reduced the amount of soy sauce to let the kalamansi juice come to the forefront.

When my mom tried my bistek, she said it reminded her of home, which was the ultimate compliment.

I think regardless of whether or not I have kalamansi on hand or not, I’m going to go with this version of the recipe instead of the previous one.

INGREDIENTS
Thinly cut steaks
1 onion, thinly sliced into rings

Marinade:
1 cup kalamansi juice
3/4 cup soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced

DIRECTIONS

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate steaks for no longer than 30 minutes.
In a skillet, cook the steaks over medium high heat. If you’re using thinner steaks, this should only take a few minutes. After the steaks are cooked, remove from skillet and place on a plate. Keep warm.
Add the onion slices to the pan and cook until softened. Top the steaks with the onions
Add the remaining marinade to the skillet and reduce for about a minute to make a sauce. If the sauce is too strong, add a little water to dilute it a bit. When the sauce is ready, pour over the steak and onions.
Serve with steamed rice.

Toasted Pan de Sal and Peanut Butter

Arnold — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:27:49 +0000

My parents usually have a good supply pan de sal in the house, so I’ve been getting my fill of my favorite snack, toasted pan de sal and peanut butter.

Pan de sal is a Filipino bread roll that’s normally eaten at breakfast. Its name literally mean “salt bread” but it’s generally on the sweet side. The Filipino store near my parents gets their pan de sal from Valerio’s Bakery, which is pretty well known both in SoCal and the Bay Area.

I cut the bread in half and then to toast mine to the “medium” setting on the toaster oven so that it gets nice and crusty. This ensures that the outside of the pan de sal will have some crunch when you bite into it, but the rest of the roll should be soft, fluffy, and warm.

You can use any peanut butter you want, but I lean towards creamy because I love the sheen of the peanut butter as it starts to melt when it hits the hot bread.

So how do you like your pan de sal?

Afternoon Tea – Gordon Ramsay at The London

Arnold — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:07:45 +0000

We’re currently in Southern California visiting my parents, and as I was researching places to eat, I found a Chowhound post detailing afternoon tea at Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood. Having afternoon tea had never really been on my radar but I knew my wife would be interested, and it seemed like a great way to see what Ramsay had to offer, especially after it was awarded a star in the 2009 Michelin guide.

The main dining room at Gordon Ramsay is a really beautiful space. In the daytime, it’s bright and has a decent view considering its located in the middle of West Hollywood. In relation to the picture below, we were seated at the farthest table in the blue booth where the window meets the wall.

Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times

Here’s the menu we were served.

Selection of Teas

earl grey, English breakfast, green tea, chamomile, darjeeling,
organic peppermint, cassis, mountain berry, tangerine, fresh mint

Freshly Cut Sandwiches

Prosciutto and mozzarella with pesto butter
Goat cheese, watercress and sundried tomatoes
Smoked salmon
Prawn cocktail

Scones

Plain and Raisin
served with chantilly creme and blueberry jam

Pastries

Coffee and walnut cake
Chocolate and lavender cake
Lemon tart with pistachio
Fruit tart with lychee cream
Lemon pound cake

Here’s the whole spread as it arrived at our table:

My wife had the tangerine tea and I ordered the earl grey. I normally drink my tea straight up, but since we were doing a British-style tea, I added warm milk and sugar. The tea was really smooth and very soothing. I may start doing the milk-and-sugar thing more often.

We started with the plain and raisin scones, which were served warm and went perfectly with the creme chantilly and blueberry jam. One bite and you understand why this is a staple British treat. Here’s a close up of the raisin scone.

Of the tea sandwiches, the prosciutto/mozzarella/pesto butter (below) was a standout along with the goat cheese/watercress/sundried tomato. The smoked salmon and prawn cocktail sandwiches were also very good.

A perfect mini spinach quiche was served along the sandwiches.

The pastry selection was nice, though it was a challenge to split each bite-sized piece between the two of us. Since I love lemon flavors, my favorite was the lemon tart with pistachio. It reminded me of the lemon tart Thomas Keller serves at Bouchon except this one had light, custardy texture that I liked a lot better.

The chocolate lavender cake was nice because it wasn’t too sweet.

The fruit tart was interesting because it had passionfruit seeds and lychee cream. My wife thought the seeds were a bit weird and picked them out, but I didn’t mind them at all.

I don’t have a picture of the coffee/walnut cake :( but it was really good. The frosting tasted almost exactly like the mocha buttercream frosting in Goldilock’s mocha chiffon cake. (All you Pinoys out there should know exactly what I’m talking about.)

Tea service ended with salted caramel truffles and a pineapple pate de fruit. They really were as good as they looked.

Afternoon tea is served from 3-5pm between lunch and dinner service. Our reservation was right at 3 and there were still from stragglers from lunch in the dining room. Tea service is $28 per person, which is a bargain, especially when you consider that at Ramsay’s The London Bar in New York City, it costs $40 per person.

INFORMATION
Gordon Ramsay at The London
1020 N. San Vincente Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069 map
310.358.7788
Web site

Birthday Dinner @ Alexander’s Steakhouse

Arnold — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:52:29 +0000

I’ve raved about Alexander’s Steakhouse before and have been trying to manufacture excuses to go back. My birthday was as good a reason as any to make my return. My previous post has all the background info on Alexander’s, so let’s cut to the chase.

We were greeted with a nice amuse of cold sunchoke soup with crouton.

I started off with my usual Hamachi Shot of Grade 5 hamachi, red chili, frizzled ginger, avocado, truffled ponzu, which was a great way to get your head in the game and start off the meal. It’s $4 for one and a six pack is $20.

Next up were our appetizers. I ordered the “Steak and Eggs,” which was carpaccio, quail egg, deviled egg, and vegetable salpicon. The presentation was a little fussy, and I really wasn’t sure how I was supposed to eat it. In the end, it was really good, but I don’t think I’d order it again.

My wife ordered the Smoked Salmon Pastrami served with Boursin cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and toasted rye bread. She made these into open-face sandwiches that were delicious, although I found the sauerkraut a little subtle. Still, if this is on the menu next time we go back, I think we’d have to get this again.

Before our entrees came out, we had an intermezzo—a watermelon shooter with cucumber foam. I normally hate cucumbers (it’s a texture thing), but as a foam, I thought it was great and complemented the watermelon really well.

I was really torn about what to order for the main course. I knew it was going to be steak, but there’s so many options on the menu. Do I go with the 10 oz. filet mignon with shiitakes, scallions and candied bacon? Or how about the 2 lb. bone-in ribeye with barbecue demi glace and roasted tomatoes? The Melange had been reconfigured since my last visit and featured a filet steak with green olives and bleu cheese and a Kobe patty melt panini to go with the braised shortrib and brie en cocotte. In the end, I decided on the 28 oz. dry-aged porterhouse with black truffle mousseline. (I requested the mousseline on the side and it got cropped out of the picture.)

It was cooked to a perfect medium rare (as it should be), and I really loved the filet section of the porterhouse.

My wife ordered the pan-roasted halibut with beurre noisette of porcini, butternut squash, chestnuts, and brussels sprouts. Alexander’s might be a steakhouse, but their seafood is also excellent.

We both ordered dessert, but I also received a complimentary peanut butter chocolate mousse cake, so the table got a bit crowded. Every knows that peanut butter and chocolate are two great tastes that go great together, and this little birthday cake was no exception.

Continuing with the peanut theme, my wife had the Peanut Gallery, which was an assortment of peanut-based desserts, including peanut brittle, peanut butter chocolate mousse, caramel ice cream, and some chocolate popcorn with peanut butter powder, which was the best thing on the plate. The crunchy saltiness of the popcorn combined with the subtle sweetness of the chocolate and the little hit of peanut butter from the powder was pure bliss.

I had the Midnight Train, which was like a deconstructed tiramisu. I forgot to get more exact details about this dessert, but from what I remember it was a tiramisu cheesecake topped with meringue cookies, caramelized sugar strips, whipped cream and lemon zest.

Overall, it was a great meal to celebrate a late 30s birthday. My wife’s birthday is in a couple months…maybe I can convince her to go back for her birthday, too.

Pizzeria Delfina

Arnold — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:15:41 +0000

Earlier this year, I embarked on a quest to find the best Neapolitan pizza around. L.A.’s Pizzeria Mozza is my favorite, but in the Bay Area, that title currently belongs to Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur with Pizzaiolo in Oakland a close second. But after yesterday, Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco’s Mission District just squeezed itself into the number two slot.

I always like to start with the basics, so we ordered the Margherita pizza. The tomato sauce was a little bland, which was disappointing, and my wife said it could have used more fresh basil, as well. However, both the mozzarella and the crispy/chewy/salty crust were great and almost made up for these deficiencies.

Our other pizza was one of the daily specials, the Carbonara, which featured pancetta, leeks, Pecorino Romano and two runny eggs. Thanks to Pizzaiolo, I love eggs on pizza, but Delfina was able to ensure that the eggs covered the entire pizza so that there was a little in every bite. This pizza was perfect and sinfully good.

The Carbonara and Delfina’s pizza crust were enough to put Pizzeria Delfina just slightly ahead of Pizzaiolo in the pizza category. (To be fair, Pizzaiolo offers a much more diverse menu that includes fresh burrata, as well as some excellent pastas.)

Pizzeria Delfina’s in a great location about 4 blocks from the 16th Street BART station, which is good because finding parking was a big issue for us. But its 18th Street location means that it’s also sandwiched between the venerable Tartine Bakery and Bi-Rite Creamery, my favorite ice cream in San Francisco. Maybe next time we go to Pizzeria Delfina we’ll try one of their desserts, but with those two options nearby, would you blame us for asking for the check when we were done with our pizzas?

INFORMATION
Pizzeria Delfina
3611 18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110 map
415.437.6800
Web site

Michael Pollan Outlines Food Policy for Next President

Arnold — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:12:13 +0000

This weekend’s New York Times Magazine is an all-food issue and features an an open letter by Michael Pollan (An Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food) to America’s future President detailing the fundamentals of 21st Century food policy. The current instability in the U.S. and world economy has had a ripple effect on all industries, but food policy seems to be the last thing on people’s minds.

The crux of the Pollan’s argument is that while health care, energy independence, and climate change are hot-button campaign issues, progress can’t be made on any of those issues without considering the impact of how America grows, process and eats food.

For example, on the issue of greenhouse gases, Pollan says:

…the 20th-century industrialization of agriculture has increased the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the food system by an order of magnitude; chemical fertilizers (made from natural gas), pesticides (made from petroleum), farm machinery, modern food processing and packaging and transportation have together transformed a system that in 1940 produced 2.3 calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil-fuel energy it used into one that now takes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern supermarket food.

Put another way, when we eat from the industrial-food system, we are eating oil and spewing greenhouse gases. This state of affairs appears all the more absurd when you recall that every calorie we eat is ultimately the product of photosynthesis — a process based on making food energy from sunshine. There is hope and possibility in that simple fact.

Pollan’s letter outlines his three-pronged plan to help stabilize and reenergize American food policy and culture. Excerpts include:

I. Resolarizing the American Farm
Your challenge is to take control of this vast federal machinery and use it to drive a transition to a new solar-food economy, starting on the farm. Right now, the government actively discourages the farmers it subsidizes from growing healthful, fresh food: farmers receiving crop subsidies are prohibited from growing “specialty crops” — farm-bill speak for fruits and vegetables. (This rule was the price exacted by California and Florida produce growers in exchange for going along with subsidies for commodity crops.) Commodity farmers should instead be encouraged to grow as many different crops — including animals — as possible. Why? Because the greater the diversity of crops on a farm, the less the need for both fertilizers and pesticides.

II. Reregionalizing the Food System
A decentralized food system offers a great many other benefits as well. Food eaten closer to where it is grown will be fresher and require less processing, making it more nutritious. Whatever may be lost in efficiency by localizing food production is gained in resilience: regional food systems can better withstand all kinds of shocks. When a single factory is grinding 20 million hamburger patties in a week or washing 25 million servings of salad, a single terrorist armed with a canister of toxins can, at a stroke, poison millions. Such a system is equally susceptible to accidental contamination: the bigger and more global the trade in food, the more vulnerable the system is to catastrophe. The best way to protect our food system against such threats is obvious: decentralize it.

III. Rebuilding America’s Food Culture
Changing the food culture must begin with our children, and it must begin in the schools. Nearly a half-century ago, President Kennedy announced a national initiative to improve the physical fitness of American children. He did it by elevating the importance of physical education, pressing states to make it a requirement in public schools. We need to bring the same commitment to “edible education” — in Alice Waters’s phrase — by making lunch, in all its dimensions, a mandatory part of the curriculum. On the premise that eating well is a critically important life skill, we need to teach all primary-school students the basics of growing and cooking food and then enjoying it at shared meals.
…

Our agenda puts the interests of America’s farmers, families and communities ahead of the fast-food industry’s. For that industry and its apologists to imply that it is somehow more “populist” or egalitarian to hand our food dollars to Burger King or General Mills than to support a struggling local farmer is absurd. Yes, sun food costs more, but the reasons why it does only undercut the charge of elitism: cheap food is only cheap because of government handouts and regulatory indulgence (both of which we will end), not to mention the exploitation of workers, animals and the environment on which its putative “economies” depend. Cheap food is food dishonestly priced — it is in fact unconscionably expensive.

The article is very long, but like all of Pollan’s writing, it’s eye opening and well worth the read.

Shave Ice Showdown!

Arnold — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:06:02 +0000

It’s hot in Hawaii year round, and shave ice is a great way to cool off. Most people know the Big 3 in Oahu, but there’s one in Kauai that’s giving them a run for their money. Here my list in order of preference.

Waiola Bakery & Shave Ice

Waiola is the king of shave ice on Oahu with its finely shaved, snow-like ice and the killer selection of toppings. Plus it’s near Waikiki, especially Waiola II on Kapahulu Avenue (below), so you don’t have to drive an hour and half outside of town to get some. It’s really no contest.

On our last trip back, I discovered the power of Calpico at the Kapahulu store. Calpico is a Japanese drink with a tart yogurt flavor that is popular in Asia and other fine Asian delicacies, such as Yakult, yogurt soju, and Pinkberry.

Waiola’s Melona and Calpico shave ice

When you combine Calpico with Melona on shave ice, it’s the best of both worlds. The sweetness of the Melona works perfectly with the sour Calpico, and with vanilla ice cream on the bottom, you create a wonderful sweet-and-tart-and-creamy shave ice.

INFORMATION
Waiola Bakery & Shave Ice
Waiola
2135 Waiola Street
Honolulu, HI 96805 map
808.949.2269

Kapahulu
525 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815 map
808.735.8886

Hawaiian Blizzard

If shave ice was judged on purely on the ice, Kauai’s Hawaiian Blizzard might be the best in Hawaii. Yes…better than my Oahu favorites, Waiola and Aoki’s, and it makes Matsumoto look like a regular snow cone. It’s the lightest, fluffiest and most divine ice I’ve ever had.

Hawaiian Blizzard is a shave ice stand that sets up shop Mon-Fri from 1:30–5pm in front of the Big Save market in Kapaa. On our trip to Kauai in January, we landed in Lihue at around 3pm on a Friday and went straight to Kapaa to get some shave ice before driving down to our homebase of Poipu. The detour was definitely worth the trip.

Flavor selection is pretty standard, but I was excited that they had Melona, which in my mind is the perfect shave ice flavor. They might not have the flavors and varieties that the other guys offer, especially pretty standard add-ons like red beans or vanilla ice cream, but you can also opt for a “Snow Cap,” a drizzling of evaporated milk on top of the shave ice that’s a delicious alternative.

INFORMATION
Hawaiian Blizzard
(in front of Big Save Market)
4-1105 Kuhio Highway
Kapaa, HI 96746 map
Hours: Mon-Fri 1:30pm-5pm

Aoki’s Shave Ice

Aoki’s a couple hundred feet from their more famous competitor Matsumoto Shave Ice. The lines are much shorter, which means you generally don’t have to wait 20 minutes to get your shave ice, which is a big deal when it’s hot.

I like Aoki’s more than Matsumoto for one simple reason…the ice is shaved a lot finer, so it’s smooth and melts instantly once it hits your tongue. It’s actually very similar to Waiola, and my wife and I favor Waiola to Matsumoto anyway. Aoki’s is also where I discovered that Melona is my favorite shave ice flavor.

Aoki’s Melona and li hing mui shave ice.

If it’s your first time to visit Haleiwa, then go to Matsumoto’s just because it’s the “famous” one. But if you’re in Haleiwa for a repeat visit to Matsumoto’s, stop by Aoki’s and do a taste test and see which one you really like.

INFORMATION
Aoki’s Shave Ice
66-117 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96715 map
808.637.7017
Web site

Matsumoto Shave Ice

Matsumoto was my first shave ice experience and it set an excellent baseline for every other shave ice I’ve ever had. But with Aoki’s just a few hundred feet away, and the fact that my wife’s family is walking distance from Waiola, there’s really no need for us to go to Matsumoto anymore.

Nowadays, I only go into Matsumoto if we’re with a shave ice newbie or to buy souvenirs because they’ve got some of the best T-shirts on the island. The selection is great and they have sizes for everyone from newborns to adults.

Picture by soozums at flickr.

There will likely be a line when you get to Matsumoto’s because it’s so popular, but you’re on vacation…relax and check out the souvenirs and study the menu while you’re in line. But Matsumoto’s fame is probably best reserved for the souvenirs.

INFORMATION
Matsumoto Shave Ice
66-087 Kamehameha Highway
Haleiwa, HI 96712 map
808.637.4827
Web site

A shout out to House of Annie for inspiring this post.

Chez Panisse

Arnold — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:08:17 +0000

With all the praise and reverence that is bestowed upon Chez Panisse, it’s easy to become jaded about it before even stepping foot in the restaurant. I admit that I had my share of skepticism, but I also knew that the restaurant known for being the birthplace of California cuisine and an alumni list that reads like a culinary all-star team wouldn’t be around for nearly 40 years if it was merely mediocre.

Normally, Chez Panisse takes reservations a month ahead, but I called two days before our Friday night dinner and secured a late dinner reservation upstairs in the cafe at 9:45pm. Both the upstairs cafe and the downstairs restaurant offer different menus every night, but the cafe offers an a la carte menu with several options, while the restaurant has a set menu. We looked up the menu for the day online, so we pretty much knew what we wanted when we walked in the door.

We ordered a pizzetta of squash and squash blossoms, and it was the perfect starter. The toppings were really good, nice and balanced, although I’m more into eating squash blossoms than actual squash. The crust was perfect—crispy but chewy and salty—exactly how I like my pizza crust. I’d even say that the crust rivals that of some of my favorite pizzas, including Pizzeria Mozza and Pizzeria Picco.

My wife really liked her wood-oven baked lasagna with tomato, eggplant, basil and Parmesan, a simple, beautiful rustic dish. I ordered lamb with frisee, sausage, fennel, crispy potatoes and chanterelle mushrooms. The lamb and potatoes were perfectly cooked and delicious. The sausage was a little bland, but when eaten with its natural partner i.e. fennel, it was really nice. I even ate the chanterelles, and I don’t really like mushrooms.

For dessert, my wife ordered a strawberry and raspberry shortcake, which she loved. It’s a simple formula really… take the freshest fruit and combine it with a sweet, biscuit-like shortcake and a little creme chantilly, and you have a perfect dessert.

I ordered the mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate sauce, and I was in heaven. Mint chip is one of my favorite flavors and this iteration was one of the best I’ve had. The mint flavor was great, and I loved the dark chocolate chips embedded in each bite. It was served with what our waiter said were called “Killer Cookies,” which were like chocolate, chocolate-chip cookie slivers and lived up to their name.

Overall, we had an excellent meal and were already talking about a return visit as we walked out the door. If I had any regrets, it’s that I wish I had visited this culinary mecca years ago.

INFORMATION
Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, California 94709 map
510.548.5049 (Cafe)
510.548-5525 (Restaurant)
Web Site

Ad Hoc - 9/17/08 (Anniversary Dinner)

Arnold — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:30:48 +0000

It was our third wedding anniversary, Thomas Keller was in the house, and it was fried chicken night at Ad Hoc. Not a bad way to celebrate.

Salad of Petite Romaine Hearts
marinated white anchovies, pickled red onions
torn garlic croutons, creamy anchovy dressing

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
tfl garden cucumber salad
country style whipped potatoes

The Cheese Board
marshall’s farm honey
spiced nuts

Parfait
house made granola, black mission figs
vanilla cream

I also found out that our anniversary is the day after Ad Hoc’s anniversary (it was their second) and may explain why Keller was in town. Our waiter, Dan, said Keller was at Ad Hoc three nights in a row, and when I asked why they also served fried chicken last Monday, he said Keller was hosting some friends and they wanted to eat fried chicken. Add that to the normal Wednesday night fried chicken and fried chicken night tomorrow, and that’s three fried chicken nights in eight days. If you’re an Ad Hoc fried chicken junkie…it’s been a good week.

Pizzeria Picco’s Frozen Pizzas

Arnold — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:45:50 +0000

We went back to Pizzeria Picco a couple weeks ago when my sister in law was in town. (She ate really well during her stay with us.) As we were enjoying their sublimely delicious pizzas, I was reminded that they also sell frozen versions of some of their most popular pies, so we bought a few (Marin, Cannondale, and Seven) so we wouldn’t need to drive to Larkspur for our next Pizzeria Picco fix.

You can tell by the black char spots in the crust that the pizzas are par cooked, so you only have to heat them up in a 500F oven for about 3 minutes…it’s that simple. The crust isn’t quite the same as a fresh pizza, but it’s still the best frozen pizza I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, the pics I took of the Cannondale came out blurry, but here’s what it looks like fresh from the oven at Picco.

We haven’t eaten the Seven (seven mushroom pizza) yet, but the Marin (roasted garlic, young potatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, rosemary oil) was nearly as good as the fresh pie. (This pic is also from one of our Picco visits)

I used to hate white pies, but between Mozza’s Bianco pizza and Picco’s Marin, I’m definitely a convert. Next time we go back to Picco, I think I’m going to stock up on the Marin.

Ad Hoc - 9/7/08

Arnold — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:19:24 +0000

So we went back to Ad Hoc so that my sister in law could try their brunch. As luck would have it, Prime Ribeye with Poached Eggs was the main entree, but check out the Smoked Pork Bruschetta. Here’s the menu and pics:

Smoked Pork Bruschetta
bailey long pork tenderloin, red onion marmalade, living watercress
tfl garden cucumber & fennel salad

Prime Ribeye and Poached Eggs
heirloom tomatoes, garlic potato cakes
red wine jus

Parfait
jacobsen orchard nectarine jelly
housemade granola

As we talked and joked with the staff during the meal, it occurred to me that next Wednesday is not only our wedding anniversary, it’s also fried chicken night. So we’re going back next week, and holding out hope that they might serve fried chicken and waffles for dinner.