I make a yearly visit to San Francisco and the Bay area. Before our daughter was born I would would fly out there 3-4 times per year. The area is so special to me that I chose to propose to my  wife at one my favourite parks in Mountain View. On a recent visit we decided to stay in San Francisco proper and re-explore the city with our 3 year old. We never travel anywhere without planning out visits to coffee houses – as we try to avoid Corporate coffee houses. On a recent visit we heard from our hotel’s concierge about a coffee house close to the old Mint buiding that specializes in small batch brews. This is where we found Blue Bottle Coffee Company. The store is located in the SOMA neighbourhood, in a renovated office building just behind the Mint and a courtyard on Beach street. If it’s cold outside, this is a perfect time to sip your favourite brew and warm up while braving the typical San Francisco cold.

Artisan prepared coffee in cool urban surroundings. The Blue Bottle Coffee Company, named after the first coffee house in Vienna, offers small batch brews of organically grown coffee with the freshest of beans – in fact all beans are freshly ground and roasted in the last 48 hours. Their coffee is made via drip, french press (my personal favourite), or via siphoning. The espresso is expertly pulled.

Single Brew Coffee Siphons Awaiting Action

Siphoned Coffee

Siphoned coffee has been popular in Japan for some years now. The UCC coffee stores found in Japan and in part of Metro Manila are probably the most well known stores for siphoned brews. Freshly ground coffee is added to a glass flask then waster below the coffee is heated by halogen lights until it begins to percolate upwards into the ground coffee. The rising water is stirred into the coffee, then the heat is turned off causing the the brew to trickle back down into a waiting coffee pot or cup. Yes, it’s entertaining to watch. But does it taster better? I have to say that is tastes better than drip coffee, but the french press still imparts the best flavour and cream of the many brewing methods. Also expect to pay a little more for the pleasure of tasting (and watching) the siphoned brew.

Single Brew Coffee Siphons in Action

Blue bottle begins serving breakfast around 10am. They have several types of stuffed brioches – the goat cheese and herbs hazelnuts and cinnamon are standouts. We also tried there Prosciutto Quiche. They use a less saltier pork so that you are able to enjoy your cappuccino without having to drink a cup a water to cope. Their quiche is backed in a phyllo dough rather than pie shell so you get a light crispy crackle with each bite. Bring a friend and split one of their brioches and a quiche.

Prioscotto Quiche

My cappuccino was medium bodied,  fruity and chocolaty but not with a winy taste . If you’ve ever had one of the Hershey’s dark chocolate candies with cherries or blueberries, this will remind you of it. I thought it was a little acidic but smooth enough to drink quickly if you were so unfortunate to be in a hurry. And of course it had a little love on top. Plan on making a few visits for drip coffee, cappuccino, and a siphoned coffee.

Note to Visitors: At the time I wrote this article, there were a few free parking spot just to the right of the coffee house. Be careful when parking on the street even for a “quick run in” to grab a coffee. No need to make your visit extra expensive with a parking ticket.

Capuccino with Love

Blue Bottle Coffee Company

1552 Beach St. #R
Oakland, CA 94608
510-653-3394

Website: http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/

We were meeting up with a friend on a recent visit to San Francisco. Since it was late she offered to take us to B*uppo’s for a quick bite; I know her to be a foodie and I think she saw the look on our face. The plan quickly changed and we headed up the street a few blocks into San Francisco’s SOMA district where one of the city’s best Mediterranean bistros – Zare at Fly Trap.  Thanks to Minnie for the great find! Chef/Owner Hoss Zare is at the helm. His food can best be described as Persian meets New American. Chef Zare began his career at this very location some 20 years ago as the Executive Chef. He went on to be Chef at Aromi, later to become Bistro Zare. In 2005 he opened Zare Napa to showcase his Mediterranean cooking style along with wine country cooking. He returned last year to Fly Trap and purchased the restaurant. Chef Zare can be seen at the restaurant greeting his guest as the enter and exit. We were so happy that the restaurant was both sophisticated and accommodating of children.

Isa Helping Chef Zare Prepare Dessert

Our 3 year old is a budding cook in her own right and was thrilled to get the opportunity to prepare a dessert alongside Chef Zare.

We decided to go with the on the single bone short rib, which was delicious. The reduction was one of the best I’ve had – well balanced between beefy, salty, and sweet. The short ribs are served alongside a delicious risotto which was not too creamy; like I like it. I had sworn off short ribs since in Texas it seems to be all over the place. I think I’m back! I am still voiding any restaurant’s short ribs which are boneless or flanken cuts.

We also tried the braised duck legs which are prepare with candied citrus peels, barberries, and pistachios. It is similar to duck confit; however it is both sweet and savory and has bits of orange zest, saffron, and demi-glace. The duck was tender and crispy in all the right places.

Braised Duck Leg with Candied Citrus

Our appetizer was also fantastic. It was a large “meatball” of Bulgar wheat, lentils filled with oyster mushrooms and served along with a creamy chili sauce. We will be back to try more of Chef Zare’s inventive cuisine on our next trip to the Bay Area.

Bulgar Wheat Meatball

Zare at Fly Trap

606 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94101, 415.243.0580

Artichoke Salad

Since it was our 6th visit to Napa, we decided to try the route to Napa that takes you through Sonoma. The highway through Sonoma is but 2 lanes; it winds through rolling hills until it reaches CA 29. On this trip we headed straight to St Helena – a small town just towards the northern tip of the highway. In St Helena you will find the training ground for many of America’s greatest chefs – The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.The school has its own restaurant called Wine Spectator that is focused on serving chef inspired menus created from locally produced and seasonal ingredients. We had visited the campus before, however this was our first time at the restaurant. The restaurant is situated on a terraced balcony with shaded outdoor seating that permits a good view of the country side to the east. Inside is a wine country bistro look with wood, stone, and copper. The kitchen is clearly visible from the entire dining room or bar, so you can hear and see the Chefs as they work.

Sardine Tapa from Today's Temptations

Like all restaurants in Napa, the wine selection has many good choices, so I suggest you decide before arriving if you will do a wine tasting or save your tongue for the few wineries you plan to visit that day. I have found that a day in Napa only allows for visiting 2-3 wineries anyway, so you could just begin your wine tasting here at the restaurant. We passed on the wine tasting since we would later be visiting Robert Mondavi and the Carneros vineyards.

We tried two of the restaurant’s signature drinks- the ginger infused peach jasmine tea and the natural grape juice. Both were refreshing and not too sweet. The grape juice was made from freshly squeezed grapes which I had not had before; it was like someone picked up a hand full of grapes and squeezed them into a glass. I am more used to what you find in the grocery store or fountain drink machines – both which are concentrates.

Lavash

The appetizers at Wine Spectator are more inviting the entrées – the entrées were bistro fare – good but not outstanding. We ordered 1 entree (the ricotta stuffed whole wheat raviolis) and 3 appetizers. The soft-shell crab BLT, the artichoke salad made of olive oil poached artichokes, watercress, walnut bagna cauda, and lemony aioli, and their season offering Today’s Temptations, which that day was different bites of Mediterranean influenced amuse-bouches.

I’ve been coming to San Antonio since I was a kid. I’ve seen it grow from a BBQ and Tex-Mex haven to having a more diverse and eclectic restaurant scene. Even with Japanese cuisine growing ever popular, San Antonio still is not the place you expect to find good Japanese food and sushi. Sometime finding the unexpected is half the fun.

We found Zushi Sushi by pure accident. We were staying in the northwest side of the city on a weekend visit and talking about where to eat that night. The usual suspects came mind – BBQ, Tex-Mex, maybe Italian. We didn’t feel like a driving  very far and we had heard that was a good Japanese restaurant just minutes walk from our hotel; we figured to give it a try. What a find! Zushi is not traditional Japanese and its not Americanized Japanese. You will find many of the same types of items common in chic hotel and department store restaurants. If you ‘re not familiar with the Japanese food scene, know that hotel food and department store restaurants are some of the best places to dine in urban Japan . Items like kushiyaki, which are small morsels of food fried on sticks – such as chicken, sweet plantain, or tofu.

Grilled Salmon Masubi

Zushi’s layout is modern but somehow very comfortable. You’ll find both a trendy set here and families with children out for a good meal. Do expect to wait for a table on a Friday or Saturday night. The waitstaff is well trained and has personal favourites and recommendations – so do ask.  Standouts on the menu include their Soft-Shell Crab Kara Agge – we had 4 whole crabs for $7.00.; rice dishes, and various chirashi. Zushi also allows you to customize your sushi order; from having it fried, torched, or rice-less if wanted. This amount of control can seem overwhelming for some diners if you think to much about it. If you are craving smaller portions of katsu (panko coated fried meats) they now offer mini versions of their larger katsu dinners.

Zushi-Sushi has now become a family destination for us on all our visits to San Antonio .

I-10 and Wurzbach
San Antonio, TX
210.691.3332

http://www.sushizushi.com/

Over the past few years the number of cupcake shops has grown greatly as Americans seek smaller, higher quality snacks and desserts. I’ve been debating with myself and others about whether this was a fad or something here to stay. I fall on the side of here to stay, but going the way of the bagel craze of the late 80’s and early 90’s. At that time there many different shops, most have closed. Those which remain are those with a good business model and a superior product. Since cupcakes can also be found in grocery stores, cupcake shops have to differentiated from what you can find in the grocery store for a 10th of the price.

Crave is one of Houston’s newest cupcake shops, located in the upscale Uptown park area just north of the Galleria. In the past I’ve visited Sugarbaby’s Cupcake Boutique, located on Richmond and Shepherd. Sugarbaby’s color scheme is pink, black, and white. It reminds me of a little girl’s tea room so I am not too comfortable  hanging out there. Crave is sleek, modern, and clean. It has a very un-Houston feel to it, although the company’s lone store is located here in Houston.

The cupcakes are the right level of sweet. Since cupcakes are generally topped with a sweet icing, the cake underneath should contain less sugar to compensate. I enjoyed the chocolate peanut butter and espresso chocolate cupcakes the most. The ingredients seem to be high quality – real milk, vanilla, chocolate, and sugar. The cake is moist, and does not fall apart under fork.

The red-velvet is their best seller; it is a very good good red velvet however most red-velvet cakes are good red velvets. The flavours and textures of Crave’s cupcakes are not homogeneous. You will not feel as though think you are eating cake batter shaped like a cupcake. Crave’s cupcakes are best eaten with a black coffee or a dark fresh hot tea. In true small coffee house tradition, their coffee’s are brewed to order , one cup at a time. If you say you will never spend $3.oo on a cupcake, Crave just might be the first place to go if you ever change your mind.

Houston, TX 77056
713-62-CRAVE
Crave Cupcakes

Boat Noodles

One of my favourite home style cooking Thai restaurants. We heard Chef Lee had opened his restaurant close to our home. We knew him from his transformation of Vieng Thai into a somewhat chic restaurant. The food at Thai Lily Café has the authentic Thai taste you crave after you return from a visit to Bangkok – the herbs, spices and use of krachai and black peppercorn strings. No Chinese food disguised as Thai or American-Thai here!
My favourites include his Pad Keemao with chicken and his Pad Ped Pla “Fried Fish in Red Curry”. The Pad Keemao has a that the taste of fresh chilies, peppers, and onions that defines good drunken noodles.
The fish is accentuated with the krachai, a rhizome with no English transaction – similar to ginger. The staff is very friendly and professional.

Pad Ped Pla “Fried Fish in Red Curry

Lightly salt fish, and dust with flour, fry, then set aside.

Heat oil on medium, then cook krachai, garlic, onions, and ginger for 2 minutes. Add red curry, cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, fish sauce and stir in. Let develop. Go by smell. Maybe 3 minutes or so.

Lower heat, then add basil, chili, keffir lime, and peppercorns. cook for 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk and put on lowest heat for 5 minutes. Add water if too dry, then Pour over fish and serve with steamed rice.

Thai Lily Café

713.474.8388
2390 S Dairy Ashford St
Houston TX 77077

Located in a small humble strip center near Houston’s Westchase District, Sasaki Japanese Restaurant is one of the few real Japanese restaurants in Houston. You will find many from Houston’s Japanese community eating lunch or dinner here.

CLOSED

We were really looking forward to eating at Robert Gadsby’s new restaurant Bedford, in the Houston’s Heights area. Along with Montrose and the hip part of Washington Avenue, Houston’s Heights is one of the top areas for new innovative cuisine.

First Visit

We were longtime fans of Chef Gadsby’s cooking from his time at NOE. The initial entry way into the Bedford is west coast chic. The restaurant was packed so our anticipation grew even more. On our first visit, we opted for the regular seating over the Chef’s table, which looks like a sushi bar with a small kitchen in front.

Please, everyone keep in mind: Yes, there is some confusion going on among the servers. This restaurant is new and the place was packed, but the service was friendly. We already have a our favourite server – she knew the items on the menu (how they were made, what the key ingredients were), had recommendations with explanations, and took great care of us.

The restaurant’s look is acceptable, but it will definitely remind you of a hallway in a hotel-a little bare and nothing that really establishes an ambiance. The addition of a few pictures, more art with spot lighting would help to cure this. The waitstaff’s uniforms were untucked shirts reminiscent of barongs or janitorial uniforms. We were informed by our server that the uniforms would be changing. Thanks – this is a good idea.

Mimosa Salad

The food was what we expected – great. The quail was perfectly seasoned and tender. The duck pasta was so delicious – balanced flavours of duck, without the greasy taste that turns some non-duck eaters off. The top dish had to be the papaya chicken salad. If you’ve eaten Robert’s mimosa salad at NOE, you will be familiar. This one dish should be given to everyone. It is absolutely delicious!

They ran out of lamb, that night -so I missed out. Looking into the kitchen, I saw lamb dishes coming up every 5 minutes or so. The tellicherry crusted tuna was also good. I recommend avoiding the shorts ribs. They are just “ok” and you can get short rib anywhere in Houston. We ordered 2 different desserts. I especially liked the Indian cheese donuts, but the bread pudding was so-so. Cappuccinos tasted hand made and not from a coffee machine.

Duck Ravioli Salad

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Second Visit

On our second visit, we decided go for the deep tracks. We went with the Chef’s table or what Bedford calls “Table One”. I thought sitting in the bar chairs would be hard for 2.5 hours. To my surprise, they were fine – even after 4 hours.

Our meal began with an amuse-bouche of a sweet cornbread topped with a garden vegetable butter. It was a good start. I think if you are inclined to do a tasting menu, be clear on whether you want to include wine or not. The servers will assume you want wine if you do not speak up.

Recommendations

• A mixed seafood soup with broth, artichokes, striped bass, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, potato, and lemon. This was one of the best soups I’ve ever had. Very simple taste and spirit warming.
• Steamed egg custard, with black truffles. This was the biggest surprise dish of the night. Perfect balances of earthy truffles, salty egg and kuzo.
• Duck roulade. This is a must try for duck meat lovers.
• 3 meat (bison, elk, and lamb) ravioli was flavourful and hearty. The pasta was perfectly al-dente and the meats’ tastes came together well, without and one meat overpowering the other and no gamey taste and all.
• The duck ravioli with scrambled eggs and truffles was my favourite dish. I could eat a entire meal of this. I hope this one gets on the main menu – highly recommended! I’ll be backor the duck and cooking classes.

Mako Shark