Lers Ros - 307 Hayes at Franklin St., SFCA

   People have been waiting anxiously for this new location of SF's fave Thai resto - at least that's what all the foodie sites and emags kept saying. It's a bit more upscale, with a small bar area, fancier furniture and decor. But it's basically the same menu as the Larkin St. locale, which means there are some dishes you don't see elsewhere.
   At the top we have the Fish Cakes (8.95), ground fish and red chili paste, deep fried and served with chunks of cucumber, chopped peanuts and a little sweet sauce. I would have liked to have had some of that day-glo thick sweet chili sauce that's commonplace, but I let it slide so I could enjoy the flavor of the cakes on their own. We all agreed that these were pretty good as fish cakes go.
   Curry is a must, so we chose the Kaeng Keaw Wan Talay (11.95), a medley of shrimp, scallops, calamari, Thai eggplant and carrot in a green coconut curry sauce. This was the standout of the meal, and I didn't hesitate to go into attack mode. If I'd been in a sticky rice frame of mind, I would have sopped up the leftover sauce in a heartbeat.

   Next is Justin's choice, the Kra Duk Moo Tod (8.95) tender marinated and fried spare ribs in a nice red chili sauce. The small green balls are young peppercorns, which Lers Ros adds to a number of their dishes. You have to try at least one. The ribs are bone-in and while they were fairly tasty, I could have used a little more heat. You can always ask them to ratchet it up.
   To help Rachel eat healthy, we ordered the Pra Ram Pak (8.95), a mix of vegetables and bean curd in a mild peanut sauce. This is a good dish to have if you've ordered a lot of spicy food; it'll take some of the edge off.
   Everybody has shredded papaya salad, but Lers Ros gives you some options. We chose the Som Tum Poo (9.95) which has raw blue crab added. I can't say that I enjoyed this as much as the salad I've had elsewhere, the dressing wasn't quite as piquant as I normally like it. Still, it twern't bad, and there was one small crab per person.
   I think I like eating at the original location, just because it has a little more down home feel to it. This new site may want to appeal to the Symphony/Opera crowd. There is a wine list...
  We give it a 4.5 on the new Food-O-Meter (1 to 5)
   To see the menu, go to:www.lersros.com

Caffe Delle Stelle - 395 Hayes at Gough St., SFCA

    Caffe Delle Stelle has been in business for twenty-one years, and you figure it's either good or they're somehow lucky. I think it helps being near the Symphony Hall, and it has a bit of old school charm in its decor and service. When a coupon showed up in my email, I jumped on it. Christine's brother was in town, so we made it a threesome on a Saturday night.
    We opened with the Crespella (14), rosemary and polenta crepes filled with roasted corn, spinach and zucchini and bathed in a basil-infused cream. This was just outstanding, a great blend of flavors, the sauce light enough to not compete with the other ingredients.
   As a pasta course, we chose the Pasticcio (14), as it's called in the online menu. The in-house menu just calls it ziti, with eggplant, tomatoes, capers and smoked mozzarella baked en croute. This sounded fantastic but in reality was a bit bland, needing a spice of some sort to give it a little edge.
    I chose the Cinghiale (17.75) as a main. This is basically wild boar braised in red wine with black olives and tomatoes and served atop grilled polenta. Again, there was something lacking to give this a bit of boldness. The meat was tender and had good flavor on its own, but there was no lasting finish in the mouth. I may have to find a recipe for this and come up with my own satisfying version.
    Christine's brother had the fish of the day, a nice Fillet of Sole (18.50) in a light tomato sauce on a bed of spinach, with mashed potatoes. Sounds like Tadich Grille fare, but it was by far the most appealing of the main courses. Perfectly cooked, tender and flaky, the butter in the sauce giving it a nice richness.
   Christine opted for Pollo (18), chicken breast scaloppini with black figs, pears and Gorgonzola in a red wine sauce. Honestly, it doesn't look all that appealing, does it? We agreed that it sounded good in theory, but the preparation and lack of a bright vegetable to set it off visually marred the intent. Personally, I would just use a boned out breast, cut a pocket in it and stuff with thin slices of the pear, and incorporate the cheese in a light cream sauce with the wine. The figs can be a garnish.
   We couldn't find anything tempting on the dessert menu, which didn't bother anyone because we'd eaten a fair amount of food. With tax, tip and a $28 bottle of wine, it came to $145.00 before the $40 coupon was used. On the new Food-O-Meter (1-5), I'll give it a 3.
   To see the menu, go to:www.dellestelle.com

Pizza Wars - Goat Hill Pizza, 300 Connecticut at 18th St., SFCA

   Goat Hill Pizza has been a Potrero Hill institution since 1975, and with all the time I've spent in that neck of the woods, I'd never been there. Getting a coupon for $20 off finally got me off my duffer, so Tobias and I dropped in yesterday. We each had a Dinner Salad (4.5), a nice mix of baby greens, ceci, kidney beans and black olives with ranch dressing. And those two pepperoncini. A good start.
   Of the specialty pies, we chose a medium Porky Pie (18.65), with bacon, red onion and whole roasted garlic cloves. Yowza! You have three options for crust and naturally we had the thin style. You can order it crispy or extra crispy - we chose crispy. And it was, in fact I'd put it up against the crust at Arinell's.
   This is one of the best pizzas I've had in a while. If you're a pizza hound, Monday is Neighborhood Night, with all-you-can-eat pizza and salad for $10.95.
   To see the menu, go to:www.goathill.com

Food For Thought

   "...the Caribs were not only cannibals but connoisseurs, though their preferences depended largely on the fancy of the chronicler. According to one (a Frenchman), the Caribs thought the French were delicious, the English so-so, the Dutch tasteless and the Spaniards so tough as to be virtually inedible." - From Food In History, by Reay Tannahill

Jasper's Corner Tap - 401 Taylor St, at O'Farrell, SFCA

   Had to wing it solo last Friday and it felt like burger time, so I decided to try this place, which has been on the 'to do' list. Located on the site formerly occupied by Ponzu, they've been at it for about 4 1/2 months now and are apparently doing a decent business. The menu is basically comfort food, with a variety of 'snacks' and 'first bites' plus sandwiches and hot plates like fish 'n chips, shepherd's pie, etc. I opted for the Cheeseburger (14), a 6-7 oz. patty of wagyu beef from Snake River Farms in Idaho, with jack cheese, house ginger dill pickle and all the other trimmings on a house rosemary bun. It's accompanied by some very nice thin fries and a full order is about twice what you see here - watchin' those carbs again. There is a small dish of black pepper aioli, intended for the burger, but I said the hell with that, we're dipping those fries in it! This was a tasty burger, but I could've used a bit more cheese.
   As for liquids, I had a pint of the Wells Bombardier Extra Bitter (7) and a shot of Caol Ila 12-year-old Single Malt (16). A bit pricey methinks, but hey, we're Downtown, nez pas? The bar here is beyond your average, and I declined to look at the specialty cocktail menu because I know myself  too well. Let's just say they're prepared to whip up some drinks you won't find at Finnegans Wake. There is a large assortment of syrups, bitters and salts on the bar and ice cubes of more than one size, just for starters. The selection of spirits is varied, with an emphasis on high end single malts and bourbons.
   As part of the Burger Wars, I'd give this one 4 out of 5 on the Meter; I still think the Guillermo Burger at B3 is the best high-end one I've had in SF. Jasper's seems like a good place to come after work for some small plates and cocktails, before heading out into the night.
   To see the menu, go to:www.jasperscornertap.com

La Torta Gorda - 2833 - 24th St., near Bryant. SFCA

   I read about this dish on Chowhound and decided I had to try it. It's called Chiles en Nogada (16.25) and it's a seasonal dish, usually served from late August on. The origin is disputed but most say it was created by Puebla nuns in the 1820's as a tribute to Agustin I, and it's the star dish of Independence Day or Diez y Seis de Septiembre, as it's known in Mexico. It consists of a poblano pepper stuffed with a piccadillo of minced pork, dried fruits and spices, covered in a sauce of walnuts, butter and cream, and topped with pomegranate seeds. The green pepper, red seeds and white sauce symbolize the colors of the Mexican flag.
  I had reservations about this one, and I honestly can say I wasn't all that excited after eating it. The meat tasted off, and hot sauce didn't help kill the richness of the sauce. Not everyone's cup of tea, methinks. I will be going back, however, to sample the 'Mega Torta Cubana', and not by myself!

Beers Of The World

   We're starting a little liquid appreciation society over here. I'm trying to get to BevMo, TJ's and Costco and perhaps the City Beer Store at least once a month to stock up my home bar. I'll buy one 4pak/6pak of something I'm not familiar with, and a single large bottle of ale/beer.
   Featured here is James Boag's Premium Lager (11.99), a product of Tasmania, Australia that comes in a 6pak of 375ml bottles. It's a fairly run-of-the-mill brew - it's OK as long as it's cold, very cold. Alcohol content is 5%. I don't think it's worth the dough, though.

Pupusa Wars - La Santaneca - 2815 Mission near 24th St., SFCA

   We've got pizza wars, burger wars, cheese steak wars, so why not pupusa wars.If I had to pick one dish that defines Salvadorean food for me, it's the pupusa. A handmade tortilla of corn or rice flour, filled with your choice of any number of substances - queso (cheese), revueltas (cheese and chicharrons), con loroco, (an herbaceous vine of Central America), shrimp, etc.- and grilled. With it you get some curtido, the Latin version of cole slaw, which I'm making my go-to salad for BBQ. At most restaurants, you can add beans and rice, platanos con crema (fried plantains with cream) and other sides. For myself, just the pupusas alone is a satisfactory lunch. I must say, the pupusas here are a match for my fave Mexican/Salvadorean resto, Los Panchos. I chose the Pupusasa de Queso con Loroco (4), and to wash them down, a new fruit flavor for me called Arrayan (2), a member of the guava family. I'm used to having tamarindo, horchata or jamaica (hibiscus), but this just knocked me out.
   One thing I noticed here, the place was full at 1:45 on a Tuesday, and I was the only non-Latin in the place. All the food I saw around me looked good, some of it unfamiliar, which ensures my going back.
  On the new revised and improved Food-O-Meter - 1 to 5 - we're giving it a healthy 4.

Tripe, Wings, Catfish, etc.

   We're just trying to get caught up here, so I'll cover the odds and ends of this last weekend.
   Friday found me with a cancellation on our visit to PPQ Dungeness Island, which will hopefully take place this coming Friday. Instead, I fell back on my standby, Z&Y Restaurant, 655 Jackson St. At the right we see the Beef Tripe In Chili Oil (5.5). My friend Janet asked me, 'why on earth would you want to eat that?' Well, why not? Lots of other people apparently want to. Tripe, tendons, pig's ear - I've had them all. It's just an excuse to enjoy the taste sensation of the chili oil with its 'numbing' quality from the Sichuan peppercorns. Other than that, its a different texture aspect that appeals to eaters of Asian
food.
  The real challenge came with the Spicy Bean Curd Egg Noodles (5.95). Noodles can be difficult to eat with chopsticks to begin with, but throw some hot oil in there and it's impossible (for me anyway). It wasn't that much easier with a friggin' fork. Nice enough dish though, with some ground pork, pickled vegetable and the ultra soft Japanese style tofu.
   Saturday I was at Finnegans Wake indulging in a little college ball and bourbon and I realized I hadn't eaten in a while. I sent a runner off to Burgermeister to procure some chicken wings, in part to do some comparison dining, after my visit to Wing Wings the previous Sunday. I gotta say, no comparison. While you do get 12 wings/ $10 at Burgermeister, they were even smaller than the ones at Wing Wings, and tasted frozen. The hot sauce and both the ranch and blue cheese dips were bland. The only positive note is that they do have "Wing Wednesday" with wings at $.50 each.

   Sunday started with another Ritchie Rosen lunch at Yuet Lee, Broadway and Stockton. Once or twice a year Ritchie, head chef at Chenery Park Restaurant, sends out the call to meet for crab in ginger and scallion sauce, salt and pepper calamari, BBQ pork chow fun, roast duck and lots of other savory dishes prepared by Sam, Cantonese chef extraordinaire. Afterward, cocktails and Pink Section puzzles at Vesuvio, and then I headed out to the new Southpaw Restaurant, 2170 Mission at 18th St. They opened last Thursday and discovered on Sunday that their smoker was busted. So, no smoked meat. Bummer. My friend Elizabeth is the host and co-owner persuaded me to stay and try something else, like the Catfish Sandwich (8), which comes with potato salad and house made pickles. A side of Vinegar Braised Collards (5) came to life by adding some sweet chili vinegar. I like my collards cooked a little longer, but these were still good. The catfish is fresh from a farm in Sacramento and was cooked beautiful, especially with a little Alabama style 'white sauce' thrown on. They will be brewing their own beer, along with eleven other taps, and there is an admirable selection of bourbons on hand. I'm not sure about the metal dining trays - I felt like I was either on a chain gang or in the Army. But the food's good, and I expect this one to go places!

Freebie Alert!

  DeLise Dessert Cafe, 327 Bay St., near Mason, will be giving away various ice creams, cookies, etc. today, Saturday, from 11am to 3pm.

New Product - McClure's Potato Chips

  Roger Soudah of Say Cheese dropped these off the other night and I've just had a chance to try them. Right off the bat I've got to say I'm disappointed. They're labeled 'Spicy Pickle' and I'm not getting a whole lot of either - if you want dill pickle flavor, try Tim's Cascade Chips. As far as a heat factor, barely a smidgen, but then again I've been at the hot food front for a long time.
   They contain: Potatoes, Oil (cottonseed and/or palm), Salt. The seasoning contains: Dextrose (corn sugar), Maltodextrin (malt sugar from corn), Salt, Sodium Diacetate (vinegar flavoring), Garlic Powder, Dill Weed, Spices, Citric Acid, Extract of Dill Weed, Dehydrated Bell Pepper, Chipotle Pepper, Canola Oil, Oleoresin Capsicum (red pepper oil), less than 1% Silicon Dioxide to prevent caking.
   Per 28g serving (about 12 chips): 150 Calories (80 from Fat): Total Fat 9 g (2.5 saturated); 0g Cholesterol; Sodium 300mg; Carbs 15g (fiber 1g, less than 1g sugar; 2g Protein.
   I don't have the price for these but it doesn't matter, I'm not adding them to my diet.

Cedar Hill Kitchen & Smokehouse - 3242 Scott between Lombard & Chestnut, SFCA

   I'm really sorry about not having pix for this review, but my new camera hadn't arrived in time. Created by an alumnus of Memphis Minnie's, they've been open for two weeks now. We parked across the street, and when I got out of the car I could smell that smell that I love. They use a J&R smoker and oak wood from up around Chico, CA. You have a choice of four sauces at table: a sweet KC style, a slightly spicy Texas style and with a nod to North Carolina, a mustard and a vinegar-based sauce. Sandwiches are available, but we went for the hard core: 1/2 lb. of Texas Brisket (8) and Half A Rack of Baby Back Ribs (14). The brisket was as good as any I've had in Texas, tender AND moist, a weak point with some of the places we visited on this year's Texas Tour. The ribs, while having a good rub and nice smoky flavor, were a bit on the dry side. Not being shy, I mentioned this to our hostess, who said she would convey the message.
   I wanted to try the Pit Beans with Burnt Tips ('brownies' in KC jargon), but Ryan is not a big beans fan. We opted for the Coleslaw (5. for a pint) and bucket of Sweet Potato Fries (5). The slaw was your non-mayo variety and I liked it with the exception of the red onion. All it needed was a little black pepper. The fries were on a par with most of the ones available in restos these days, quite tasty and plenty of them.
   A great thing to see on the menu is Original Formula Dr. Pepper (3) from the Dublin, TX plant, the only one that still makes it. Real cane sugar, baby, and in a glass bottle.
   The website is not completely up and running, so I can't show you the whole menu, but just keep checking at:www.cedarhillsf.com

  

Odds and Ends...

   I went to upload new pics last Sunday and discovered my camera's LED screen was broken, boo hoo. My new Lumix FH25 should be arriving tomorrow, Lord willin' and the crick don't rise. Also, we'll be trying out the new Cedar Hill BBQ in the Marina tomorrow, PPQ Dungeness Island on Friday, and hopefully the new Southpaw BBQ in the Mission over the weekend.
  If you haven't noticed, persimmons are in season and Chinatown has had them for as little as $.59/lb. with minor blemishes and $.79/lb in pristine condition. I'm seeing mostly the Fuyu variety. If you want a simple snack, trim and cut a few into chunks, toss with lime juice and salt.

Wing Wings - 422 Haight St. near Webster, SFCA

   This place has been on my radar for a couple of months and yesterday, after an exasperating moment at Mickey's Monkey, I decided to just walk on down and check it out. You have a small storefront with dine-in seating along two walls, no tables, only stools and shelves. The focus is on wings, of course, and you have eight different sauces and a dry rub to choose from. I chose the Buffalo (hot) and the Angry Korean. All wings are deep fried, including the buffalo, which I chose to eat without blue cheese just to get an idea of the quality of the chicken's flavor. They use only fresh, free range bird from Pittman Family Ranch and the flavor was good, although I thought the wings were a little small compared the ones I buy in Chinatown, but those are probably from giant steroid-infused hens. The Korean style utilizes a spicy and somewhat salty red chile sauce, which is going to be all over your face. One drawback here is that there is no toilet, as least not one you can use. There ARE wet naps provided, however, and you can really wash up down at Nickie's before having that shot of postprandial Fernet.
   The wings are 5 for $6/ 10 for $10/ 25 for $23.
  To see the menu, go to: www.wingwingssf.com. 

New Dishes at The Pot Sticker

    Tired of onion pancakes? Try these Pan Fried Leek Turnovers (5.95). There's no sauce with these, but you can spoon a little of the hot chile sauce that sits on every table onto the top of the leeks, which are finely chopped. Also, you need to let these sit for a couple of minutes because they are hot, and we don't want you to burn your little tongue or the roof of your mouth.
   One of the classic, simple home style dishes of Sichuan is ma yi shang shu, or 'ants climb a tree'. On the menu here its called Sauteed Vermicelli w/ Spicy Minced Pork (9.95). If you're not familiar with Asian vermicelli, they're generally made from mung beans, which is great if you're dodging 'white food' carbs. This was one of the best versions I've had in SF, and if you hold up some noodles in your chopsticks, the pork clings to them, giving cause for the name. They do have a propensity for using a lot of oil, so tell your server if you want less.

Freebie Friday!!

  Today from 3-7pm, the new Melt in One Embarcadero Center will be giving away soup and sandwich combos, if you know the secret code: Brie.

Casa Sanchez - 2778 - 24th St., near York, SFCA

   When I lived in the Upper Fillmore district in the 70's I used to stop in on my way home at a little nondescript store called Casa Sanchez on Fillmore St. near Pine. They sold a variety of Mexican food products, including my all time favorite tortilla chips, and La Victoria Red Salsa Jalapeno. This, along with a couple of quarts of Country Club Malt Liquor, was my comfort food of choice in those lean days. They also had a small restaurant and lounge next door, but I couldn't afford to eat out much in those days.
   That location has been long gone, but they still have their second location in the Mission, famous for the free burritos for life plan if you get their company logo tattooed on yourself. This has cost them a small fortune, but seeing as how their line of products is in the top five selling Mexican foods category in Northern California, they must be squeaking by.
   I went with Tobias on a $25 coupon, and I have to say that if they had to rely on the restaurant to make a living, it might be rough. I did like the chips and salsa bar, an idea not uncommon in Texas Tex-Mex spots. Mr. T. had the Chimichanga/Flautas Combo (9.75) with your choice of several meats. Both items seemed to have been unevenly fried and close to burnt in a couple of places. He said they were just alright, nothing to jump up and shout about.
   I ordered chile colorado, and after about five minutes was told they were out of it - at 2:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. I opted for the Chile Verde (10.50) which, to politely put it, was probably the least appealing version I've had in SF. It was about half the normal serving size I get at Los Panchos and it was barely warm; the sauce was passable but there was too much of it. I was never offered any tortillas and I didn't feel like bothering with it.
   It kind of a shame to see this, especially with a family owned business in existence since 1924.    Tobias said that Yelp reviews were generally unfavorable, and I have to join the crowd. 5 on the Meter.