Crab, Round Two, Sotto Mare, 554 Green St., at Columbus Ave., SFCA

   Many of you have heard me extol the virtues of Sotto Mare before. Great Italian-style seafood at reasonable prices in an old school, kitschy North Beach atmosphere. I'm there every four weeks, barring holidays, vacations and funerals. Having had my annual crab Louis at Swan's, I wanted the next best thing - a crab cocktail. To preface this I ordered a half dozen Drake's Bay Oysters (9) and a cup of Boston Style Clam Chowder (2.5). Spoon for spoon, this is still the best chowder I've had in SF.
   The Crab Cocktail (13) had over a cup of meat, which just about equaled the  amount in Swan's salad for $8 less. Not too heavy handed with the cocktail sauce, but maybe a tad over my salt preference. Still, a delicious way to start the day!! If you stop in and Gigi's there, tell him the tattooed guy with the twin brother sent ya!

On A Chilly Morning...

   Some days you just have to have coffee, but other days there's nothing like hot chocolate. And if you've ever been to Mitchell's Ice Cream and tried the Mexican Chocolate, you know how good that tastes. Ibarra Mexican Chocolate has been in business for over 50 years, providing this wonderful cinnamon-flavored delight. It comes in round cakes, neatly scored into 8 wedges each. One box is enough to make 24 cups of hot chocolate, for around $4 or less, depending on where you shop. It's available online at numerous sites, including Amazon, and at various supermarkets in the Mission.
   The cakes themselves can be a little hard, but what I do is heat up a good stainless steel chef's knife in a burner on the stove and use an oven mitt protected hand to press down on the cake. It's easiest just to cut a cake into four segments all at once - two wedges are needed for one cup.
   So fire up a cup, add some Bailey's and even marshmallows if there's a little bit of the kid left in you!

Home for Thanksgiving, sort of...

   This Thanksgiving found me much akin to a rudderless ship. I was suddenly without a place to go (boo hoo) except for an evening affair in Daly City. I decided to make things easy, so I went to Home Restaurant at 2100 Market, near Church St. It's close to my house, and it's always touted itself as a 'comfort food' kind of place. They offered a $40 prix fixe three course dinner and I knew I could walk across the street and catch the 37 to Finnegans where I would have an undoubtedly much-needed Fernet.
   All tables were booked, the place packed, everything warm and cheery. I took a seat at the bar and ordered a sherry, which the young lady tender was not acquainted with - this makes the second place in a week where sherry seems to be a foreign entity. They had port, but of course port comes after dinner, with cigars in the War Room, as you Firesign Theater fans are well aware. I settled for a Hendrick's Martini (11).
   All three courses had two options, and for the first I chose the Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad, with mizuna, pine nuts and Meyer lemon vinaigrette. Mizuna is a green I've not had before, but it worked well in this combination. The vinaigrette wasn't quite as citrusy as I would have liked, but the oil itself was mild and didn't dominate the other flavors.
   The Roast Turkey Dinner came with garlic mashed potatoes, sage and wild rice dressing, carrots and a Pinot noir cranberry compote that was outstanding. I like brown gravy, but I like cream gravy even better when it comes to mashed potatoes. The brown gravy served here was uninspired and lacking seasoning, plus I had to ask for extra - I do like my gravy. The potatoes were a little too moist for my taste, and the turkey could've used that extra moisture. The dressing was passable. A glass of House Red Wine (8) helped wash it all down.
   Dessert always makes up for everything else, and here we had the Apple and Huckleberry Crisp, with pecan streusel and buttermilk ice cream, and an espresso that they didn't charge me for.
   All things considered, I was still a happy camper.

5A5 Steak Lounge, 244 Jackson St. at Battery, SFCA

   We're always looking for a steakhouse that equals or surpasses Harris', and we're still looking. This was another coupon meal, $15 for $30 worth of food and drink. However, it was only good for the 'lounge' area, which meant I had to sit at a little round table that came to about knee level. I guess that was my punishment for saving $15. I asked for a fino sherry, and the server brought me a bottle of Sandeman Oloroso (8 a glass); I said what the hell, gimme some.
   For a starter I ordered the Smoked Salmon Pastrami (11), served with a lump of sauerkraut, dill creme fraiche and rye toast points. Why it's called pastrami, I don't know, but it was quite good and so artfully arranged, as you can see.
   I almost always get a Strip Steak, and here you have a choice between 4 Oz. and 8 Oz. (29). This is grass-fed, and all I got for a place of origin was 'Wyoming'. I asked to have it medium rare au poivre, or in other words, pepper steak. The server returned to inform me they don't serve any steaks au poivre. Now trust me, if you're a goldarned steakhouse you should be able to cook a steak any way the customer wants it, at least in San Francisco. I went with the house prep, which includes crumbled bleu cheese, garlic beurre blanc and demi-glace. The steak was cooked perfectly - it only took forty minutes to get it! However, the cheese tended to overpower the steak's already mild flavor. For a little vegetable balance, I had the Brussell Sprouts (8) with preserved turnip, soy sauce and fried shallots. I could have used a low-sodium soy here, but other than that, pretty tasty with the shallots, and enough for two people.
   I've been trying the grass-fed beef more often, and I've decided that it's OK for burgers but I still gotta have corn-fed for a steak. I want all the flavor I can get for my buck. After I finished eating, I regaled the server with my opinion of what was the best steakhouse ever in SF, and that was Phil Lehr's when it was on Ellis St. They had a meat case with all cuts of steak, and a gentleman in a suit and tie with a knife, cutting board and scale. You told him what cut you desired and he'd pull a short loin or sirloin or tenderloin out of the case, lay it on the cutting board, put the knife at one edge and start moving it slowly down the meat, and he'd say, 'Say when.' Then he'd weigh it, ask you how you wanted it cooked, write your name on a little wooden marker and send you to your table. Now that was class!
   Next on the steak trail is Bobo's, a place I've been hearing good things about.
P.S. You can also get Wagyu beef at 5A5, starting at $9 an ounce, and a 1.5 oz. shot of Louis XIII for $100.

From The Snack Tree...

  As Charles put it, I lost my Berkeley Bowl virginity. I'd never been to this hallowed temple for East Bay foodies, and I must say it's impressive, like Whole Foods on steroids and Rainbow grocery with less holier-than-thou attitude. If you've ever been to the Whole Foods mother ship in Austin, you'll know what I'm talking about. It could take you 10 minutes to decide which brand of balsamic vinegar you want to try, but even with all the brands, I didn't see any artisanal vinegars. Maybe a little too high end for the average shopper.
   After poking around a bit and making a nice little pile in my corner of the shopping basket, I found the bulk snack section. We have here some Chile Lemon Cashews (7.99/lb), Habanero Jumbo Corn Nuts (4.79/lb) and some Okra Snacks (9.99/lb). Maybe the nutritional info for these items is posted somewhere, but not on the bags. I'd say the best bet for your money is the corn nuts - best per lb. price and a 7 on the Flav-O-Meter. Actually not all that hot temperature wise, and you don't really get that distinctive habanero taste, but they do give you that sense of beer urgency that comes with any decent snack. The okra comes in second with crispiness and a slightly sweet taste, plus some residual sliminess that I guess even frying can't get rid of. A distant third are the cashews, which don't really have much of a lemony or chile flavor. Some are crunchy, some are kind of mushy and they all leave that pink stain on your fingers like Fiery Cheetos. You're better off buying Trader Joe's Chile-Lime Cashews.
   I'm looking forward to another visit during the week days, when there are fewer shoppers and I can poke even slower than I did on my first time around.

New Dishes in Chinatown

    We now have a solid game plan for Friday's culinary adventures. We will alternate Bund Shanghai, Z&Y Restaurant, Sotto Mare and one new place each month in North Beach/FiDi. Catching up on our Chinese dishes, we have Pork Belly in Garlic Sauce, shown here at the top, and Stir Fried Steamed Taro with Scallions, both new dishes that are not on the soon-to-become-revised menu at Bund Shanghai. The pork belly is served just slightly warm, and has a good balance of meat and fat. And of course, anything with garlic is good, even old shoes. The taro dish isn't something to write home about but I could handle it in small doses to provide a nice bland, starchy contrast to something heavy and spicy.
   This past Friday found me and La Janet at Z&Y, which is just across the street from Bund. Here we go from the mild, sweet cuisine of Shanghai to the fiery, flavorful food of Sichuan, Hunan, Yunnan and even a lamb dish from Xinjiang. Ironically, the owner, Michelle, is from Shanghai. Her two main chefs are from Chengdu, the capitol of Sichuan, and Beijing. We started with a small bowl of Sizzling Rice Soup, a standard of this style of cooking, with shrimp, white chicken meat, peas, carrots and the hot rice added to the broth at table that gives it its name. We followed with the Explosive Pepper Chicken, nuggets of dark and white meat stir fried and buried under a mountain of peppers. The resultant flavor is remarkable, and the heat factor is not as intense as you might expect, unless you actually consume one or two peppers themselves. Lastly, the Spicy Eggplant in Clay Pot, a rich, complex dish that remains hot longer due to the clay pot, so you have to be careful and not listen to the ghost of your mother whispering, 'Eat it before it gets cold', or you'll burn your mouth. This dish is definitely made to be eaten with some rice in a bowl, or on your plate if you wish. As always, I welcome you to join me so that more dishes can be sampled in a single sitting and we can just have a good time.

My Annual Visit To Swan Oyster Depot, 1517 Polk St., SFCA

    Yes, crab season is upon us, and every year I go to Swan's for my first taste. I've always ordered the Crab Louis (21) and a bowl of Boston Clam Chowder (2.5) and a glass of white wine. I hate to say it but the clam chowder was inedible, with a bitter taste, as if the milk or cream in it had gone bad. The salad was great, but it seems the quantity of crab has gone down a bit.
    Thirty-five years ago when I lived a couple of blocks away on California Street, Swan's was pretty much a neighborhood place. The Pacific Heights set would come down and buy illegal California sturgeon caviar, the store would get busted about once a year and that was the extent of the excitement. Nowadays,

it seems the place is listed in every tourist guide in the world. I got there at 11:30 on a Thursday and it was already packed. I'm glad I go just once a year.

Burger Wars - B3, 1152 Valencia, between 22nd & 23rd St., SFCA

  Heard good things about this place, especially the burgers, and when I saw they had a burger named after me - The Guillermo (16) - I said, 'That's the one.' This bad boy is 1/2 lb. of Marin Sun Farms grass-fed beef on an Acme bun, with manchego cheese, bourbon maple bacon (yow!) and a fried egg.
At lunch time, fries come with and they're Kennebec taters cooked in rice bran oil, crispy and salted just right. The weak link here is the slaw, which is pretty drab in flavor.
   You may say, 'Geez, $16 for a burger?' In this instance, it's worth it. The beef didn't have that gamy taste like some grass-fed meat does, and the overall combo of flavors surpasses the burger I had at Eos for the same price.
   Thumbs up!!

Gather Restaurant, 2200 Oxford, Berkeley, CA

There's something about being in Berkeley that just


tells you you're in Berkeley, know what I mean? Well, maybe not. At any rate, Daily Dish had a coupon for a free Brunch Pizza (15) so Charles, Joanne and I decided to get out of Dodge for a while.
   Gather is local, sustainable with vegan and gluten free food for the masses. Our pizza came with bacon, egg, caramelized onion and herbs. Charles wasn't totally happy with the crust on the edges - it was too BIG! Other than that we concurred that it was a tasty pie. The catch with this coupon was you had to buy two drinks, so I had The Hair of the Cat (11), a mix of Casa Noble reposado, jalapeno-cilantro syrup, orange, lime and egg white; Joanne had a Seasonal Bloody Mary (10) with Square One, tomato juice, horseradish, thyme, jalapeno, basil, ginger and tamari; and Chuckles had an Anderson Valley Summer Solstice (5.5).
   To make sure Charles had enough to eat, we ordered the Chanterelle Mushroom Stinging Nettle Scramble (12) with goat cheese, thyme, roasted potatoes and goat cheese bruschetta. This combination worked nicely with the pie, and left enough room for dessert, in the form of Pumpkin Cheesecake (7.5) with pistachio crust, huckleberries, persimmon and maple syrup. The only problem here was it was too SMALL! I think we could've each had our own serving and it would have been perfect.
   On the whole I like this place. I think the mixed drinks are bit pricey, but then again they're 'organic' and anything organic is always more expensive, or so it seems. I think next time I'll try the Pomegranate Kombucha Botanica - on tap, no less - for $3.50.
   Visit the website at:www.gatherrestaurant.com

Eatin' In Noe Valley - Fattoush, 1361 Church, SFCA

    My new found dining companion Susan had a $40 Groupon burning a hole in her pocket, so we tried Fattoush, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant owned by a friend of mine. Don't worry, we didn't get the Bauer treatment. I simply told the boss to give us about $60 worth of food.
   The Starter Combination for Two (15) includes a taste of all six cold apps - hummus, babghanouge, tabouli, khyar b'laban (yogurt cucumber salad with garlic and dill), rihan (tomato and grilled eggplant in basil sauce), m'nazaleh (ratatouille of eggplant, red bell pepper, tomato, walnuts and garlic in lemon juice and olive oil, plus some mini falafel, olives and pita. A nice way to begin.
   Mains were a Chicken Beriani (18) with potato, garbanzos, raisins and cinnamon, and the Bamieh (19), with lamb shank and okra cooked in a garlic tomato sauce. Both dishes come with almond rice.
   I have to honestly say that neither of us was knocked out by either dish. Bland would be the word here. I should've asked if there was any harissa. The okra tended to coat my tongue with that sliminess that puts a lot of people off. The yogurt cream sauce in the chicken tended to overpower other flavors and had no real zing of its own.
   This was one of those situations where you wanted to have the food that everyone else around you was having!! I also thought the prices were bit high, but it is in precious Noe Valley and I'm sure the rent is stiff. I want to come back for the weekend brunch on the back patio. If you like Middle Eastern food, look for my reviews of Alaturca and Tuba.

Eatin' In The Haight - Parada 22, 1805 Haight, at Schrader, SFCA

When I first heard of this place getting ready to open I was under the impression that it would be bringing Puerto Rican street food indoors. The menu describes the food as 'homestyle Puerto Rican', and you're not going to see the cuchifritos (street food snacks) like pasteles, pinchos, empanadas, alcapurrias,etc. like you see on the East Coast.
   Not to say we didn't enjoy our food. Since it was lunch we decided to try sandwiches and sides; the Biftec (9) sliced sauteed steak with onions, garlic and jack cheese, and the Berenjena (8) grilled marinated eggplant with red bell pepper, jack cheese and a cilantro-garlic sauce. Served on fresh baguettes and accompanied by baby greens in a light vinaigrette, both were quite tasty; the biftec tender and the eggplant a welcome contrast to the eggplant sando I had at Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store last week.
   For sides we had the Habichuelas Blancas (4), white beans cooked in a sofrito of potato, carrot and calabaza (squash); Maduros (Fried Plantains, 4), a pleasant sweet contrast, cooked without too much oil; and Yuca al Mojo (3.5) cassava root marinated in onion, garlic and olive oil. This was served room temp, and reminded me of German style potato salad. I'd have to pick it as the winner in the sides division.

  When I go back I want to step up to the principales, or main courses. They feature fried trout and Cornish game hen, roast pork and Camarones a la Criolla, shrimp in a creamy tomato, onion and pepper sauce.
   There are also salads, desserts and a selection of bottled beers, tea, lemonade and wine.
   Thumbs up!! To visit their website, go to:
 www,parada22.com

  

No. 395!!! San Dong, 3741 Geary Blvd. at 2nd Ave., SFCA

   San Dong ( Shandong, San Tung, Shantung) is one
the three most heavily populated provinces in China, lying in the Northeast above Jiangsu Province and bordering on the Yellow Sea. Its cuisine is among the Four Great Traditions of Chinese cooking and has had a major influence on the entirety of Chinese food.
   The major attraction here is hand-pulled noodles. I'm reasonably sure that no one in SF has made these since the demise of Happy Family and San Tung Noodle House. The noodle chef has his own station, with giant bags of flour, and you will see and hear him kneading, twisting, and whapping the dough on the counter before separating it into chewy strands of goodness. I chose the Dan Dan Mian (8), actually a famous Sichuan street snack food from days gone by. In most versions you see here, cucumber is used; traditionally the dish calls for ya cai, a preserved mustard green used extensively in Sichaun cuisine. Some use peanut sauce as well and some serve it in broth. This version is pretty much the basic recipe with a little ground beef, sesame and chili oil and spices.
   From the cold appetizers, I selected the Spicy Shredded Potato (3.99), strands of raw potato marinated in vinegar, garlic and salt, quite a bit of salt it seemed. This provided a nice contrast to the Spicy Beef Combination (3.99), a mix of thin-sliced beef and beef tendon in a sauce of garlic and numbing oil. The salt and acidity of the potato helped cut through the oiliness of the beef.
   The problem at San Dong seems to be service. Appetizers come first as a rule. Here the noodles came quickly and five minutes later I had to ask the waiter where the apps were. Two minutes later I got the potatoes, and three minutes after that, the beef. These are cold apps and the server has two hands, so what's the deal? I liked the food and plan to return soon, hopefully with some adventurous dining companions, so get it together San Dong!

Eatin' in North Beach - Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store, 566 Columbus Ave., at Union, SFCA

   I was stoked about going here because A) my bud Charles says the Eggplant Focaccia Sandwich (8.75) is one of his favorites, and B) I had a $30 coupon for food and drinks. Food cohort Janet joined me and had the Tuna Salad (8.5), which she said was decent, but the dressing could've used a bit more vinegar to give it some umphh.
  What can I say about the sando? You know how fingernail polish smells? Maybe not, but that was a taste I detected. This was breaded and served with a marinara sauce. Perhaps it was the sauce or perhaps it was the eggplant - whatever it was, it put me off my feed. The focaccia itself had that taste you get from a flat top that hasn't been properly cleaned, though I think this was heated in the pizza oven. I ate half the sando.
  Tack on a House Campari (4), Ice Tea (2), a glass of Shiraz (5.5) and an Espresso (1.75) and we tallied $30.50, plus tax and tip. I like Mario's because you can get a cappuccino with Vov, and if you don't know what Vov is, go and find out!!

Bistro Burger, 845 Market, Westfield Shopping Centre, SFCA

   Utilizing my coupon for $16 worth of food and drinks, I had the Bacon Cheeseburger Royale (7.29) with pepperjack cheese and grilled onions (you have to ask for these); a Half Caesar Salad (4.29); and a bottle of Gordon Biersch Marzen (4.5). Not a bad burger per se, just not great. Niman Ranch meat, about 1/3 lb., with a Sciambra bun. I'm thinking the meat was simply cooked on the flat top, not char-broiled. The bacon was tender enough that I could bite through it without demolishing the sando. The surprise here was the Caesar salad - actually pretty good for this kind of operation.
   On the downside, I spotted una cucaracha skittering across the prep table, and my fork had some schmutz on it. There are number of  Bistro Burgers in town, and I'd like to try at least one other but I pass judgment. The one on Drumm St. across from the Hyatt Regency definitely has a char broiler because you see and smell the smoke coming out of their flue.

Everett & Jones BBQ, 126 Broadway at 2nd, Oakland, CA

   I know I've been lax with posts here recently, due to Giants fever and the fact that my two main dining cohorts have been out of commission. People have been asking about BBQ in the Bay Area and what I like. For my money, Everett and Jones rules, especially the one in Jack London Square. Pictured here is the Brisket-Link Combo with Beans and Slaw (16.5) I'll put these links up against any other Q joint in the Bay Area - they are the BEST! Made in house, the meat is coarse ground and the flavoring is super.
   I'm a KC boy, so I like my sauce. Although E&J's is not quite like the sauces I grew up with, it's pretty otay. Sweet, with three degrees of heat (I prefer the hot), it's a good match for the smoky goodness of the brisket and the spiciness of the links. Speaking of brisket, it's about as good as anything I've had in Texas, The BBQ Brisket Capitol of The World.
   Another added plus here is lack of attitude. Some places seem to think that selling inferior food to certain racial groups is a good way to stay in business. Well, they don't teach that at the Columbia School of Business Administration.
   I've never tried chicken or ribs at EandJ's, but I'm sure I'd approve. Go check it out!
   To see the full menu, go to: www.eandjbbq.com