Mustards- Napa Valley

When I said I was going to San Francisco on Facebook, it was pretty unanimous that I should also go to Napa.  I had no idea they were so close, but I sure am glad they are!

On our second to last day, we rented a car early in the morning and drove up to Muir Woods (INCREDIBLY beautiful!) and then to Napa.  Our first stop was for lunch at Mustards Grill (recommended by Randi and Chris).

Our waiter was incredibly knowledgable about not only the menu but WINE!  As soon as I told him what kind of wine I liked, he said he had something perfect and he hit the nail on the head! Amazing wine.

He also recommended the “onion rings” which were more like onion straws.  They were actually quite tasty, but I probably wouldn’t order them again.

Mike and I both went with the special.  Mike got the lamb burger special with arugula, fontina, onions, and paprika aioli.  I couldn’t eat it due to the spicy factor, but Mike seemed to enjoy.

One of the specials also called to me as it had a number of my favorite ingredients in it.  Petrole Sole with brussel sprouts, chanterelles, golden beets, bacon, and blood orange vinaigrette.  It was delish!

This was a place that just screamed “get dessert here!”  Oh am I glad we did. Mike went with the rum golden raisin ice cream

But I chose right with a dessert that sounded absolutely irresistible: warm chocolate hazelnut truffle tart!  HOLY CRAP! This was probably one the best desserts I have EVER had. 

I almost picked this plate up to lick it.

Overall, the food was sensational and this was my favorite meal of the trip (up until our dinner that same night!)  The wine and entrees were great but that dessert just shot it over the top.

Total Nom Points: 8.5 out of 10

Cafe de la Presse- San Francisco

One of my coworkers recommended that we go to Cafe de la Presse since we were in the area (Union Square).  We had popped in one night looking for dessert… but nothing struck us.  Then on Friday night we were home a bit early and had little desire to wander far after a long day on our feet, so off to Cafe de La Presse we went again.

The meal began with a little amuse-bouche that I believe was a take on “ham and swish.” Delish!

We ordered the special “tarte” (crispy flatbread) with arugula, cheese, apples, and dates.  It was SENSATIONAL.  Dates on flat bread with cheese are one of my favorite combos.

Mike chose the squash risotto.  It was just okay. Was a bit more like rice than risotto in my opinion.

I went with my fave… Boeuf Bourguignon (really I just LOVE beef stew no matter what nationality it comes from).  It was very tasty, but somehow… lacking.  The meat just lacked depth of flavor.

Zuni Cafe- San Francisco

When I asked one of my favorite foodie friends (Noa) where to eat in San Francisco, she immediately said we had to eat at Zuni.  The only day we could squeeze it in was for lunch the day after Christmas. 

I had read a LOT of reviews to determine what to order and quickly realized it was a hot debate.  Eating the roasted chicken at Zuni was nominated as number one item on the list of top 100 things to try before you die..  Some people agreed that this was THE. BEST. CHICKEN. however, others mentioned that it was good… for chicken.  I knew what to expect… an hour wait… so we ordered a Caesar salad to split while we waited.

The restaurant was actually quite beautiful and set up very well.  Nice atmosphere while you wait.  Mike got another glass of his new favorite beer, Anchor Steam.

Then finally… IT CAME!  It is listed as served over a “bread salad.”  Mike and I speculated exactly what a “bread salad” might be, however, we severely underestimated how delicious this was.  It was really great homemade bread chunks that was browned (char grilled?) and then soaked in dressing (though not at all soggy).  It was DELICIOUS!

The chicken?  Ehhh… don’t get me wrong. It was REALLY… REALLY good… but in the end it’s still chicken.  (And I have a place in my heart for the roasted chickens that came out of a gas station restaurant near my college.. Yes… I am TOTALLY serious).

Completely delicious.  But I wouldn’t say it’s one of the things I would demand you must try before you die.

I think that list really hurts this place, as I probably would have ordered something different had I not heard SO MUCH about the chicken.  And it’s really hard to rate a restaurant on a caesar salad and chicken… but…

Total Nom Points: 7 out of 10

The Stinking Rose- San Francisco

On Christmas night, after spending the day seeing a movie at the Castro, wandering that neighborhood, then making our way up to the painted ladies and then strolling through the Civic Center area, we found ourselves at our evening destination: The Stinking Rose. Mike and I LOVE garlic… and I mean LOVE.  We roast heads and eat the whole thing and add at least twice as much garlic as is called for in any recipe.  So what better than an entire restaurant themed around garlic?

We started with a pot of roasted garlic.  It was a LOT of garlic but, surprisingly, not really garlicky.  It was wholly disappointing compared to the ones we roast up in our oven (cut the top of the head off to expose the cloves, brush with olive oil, wrap in tin foil, put in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, scoop or squeeze out the cloves… you’ll thank me).

We ordered drinks and I know Mike got his new favorite, Anchor Steam beer.  I went with the blueberry margarita.  It was okay, but I wanted more blueberry!

For my entree, I chose the garlic prime rib.  What could possibly be bad?  Weeeellll… it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.  It was just… bland.  How can THAT much garlic be BLAND?

Mike got the Porterhouse Pork Chop, pan-roasted with sweet garlic relish and caramelized apples… and well… the apples were good.

We decided we would go for broke and try the garlic ice cream. Why not?  This was actually the BEST part of the meal (by far).  The sweet garlic was flavorful without being overpowering and the caramel sauce on top just added the right kick to it.  We really enjoyed this… and only this.

Without getting too personal, I must confess that the aftermath of so much garlic (regardless of how weak it tasted) was NOT pretty.  I think both Mike and I were thankful we weren’t a new couple!

Overall, The Stinking Rose was completely boring.  My theory is they rely too much on their gimmick to worry about fresh and well cooked ingredients.  It has so much potential and it just fell entirely short.  It was fun though!

Total Nom Points: 4 out of 10

Sears Fine Foods- San Francisco

We had no idea what to do on Christmas Day.  We knew it would be tough to find places to eat and our only plan was to have a merry Jewish Christmas at the movies (specifcally to see “Nine” at the famous Castro movie theater!)  We asked the concierge where we might find a place open for breakfast and they recommended Sears Fine Foods right up the street.

The place was kitschy but cute.  Very diner-like with a theme revolving around getting a token as you leave to spin a slot machine for a free meal.  (We didn’t win) 

We went all-in for the breakfast.  Mike got 2 eggs, 2 strips bacon, 2 sausages with 2 pancakes.

I went with the “Sears’ World Famous 18 Swedish Pancakes” (with a side of sausage).  They were actually quite tasty!  I still like my own better, but these were still good.  Light and flavorful.

Though I’m not sure if I’d call them “world famous.”

Overall, Sears Fine Foods was exactly that… fine.  I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there again, but if it’s the only place open on Christmas Day, it’s not a terrible option.

Total Nom Points: 5 out of 10

Nomming along the San Francisco Waterfront

Our first day out in San Fran was Christmas Eve.  We were worried that a lot of things would be closed, however, we lucked out for the most part (and even Alcatraz was open).

Our first stop was in the ferry building where I got breakfast and coffee from the famous Blue Bottle Coffee Company.  I got the New Orleans style coffee and a cinnamon brioche.

They did a very pretty leaf on the top of the coffee.

Both the coffee and brioche were delicious.

The brioche was perfect.  Buttery and perfect balance of cinnamon, nuts, and pastry. 

Our next stop was outside the Fisherman’s Wharf.  When I iPhoned the restaurants on the wharf, all reviews were pretty abysmal.  I also knew that dungenous crab is popular in SF AND it was in season.  So I figured the little huts along the water would be a fun place to eat some authentic crab.

I was wrong… both the crab sandwich and the lumb crab meat were… bland. At best.

Perhaps I’m too used to New England crab and there is a big difference, otherwise the crab just wasn’t great.

And we were still hungry… so we both decided to have our first In-N-Out Burger experience.

I know it was animal style. And it was delicious.  I managed 2 bites before my arteries started to protest.

The Animal Fries, however, wow!  They were delicious, fast food, gross goodness.  I had a few more bites of this than I intended.

While the food left a lot to be desired (I think a lot had to do with our selections), it was a beautiful walk and I just loved the waterfront.  Our trip to Alcatraz was also awesome.  I was really impressed with the tour.  Sure it’s touristy, but it’s fun and interesting.  Next time I’ll do some more research or stick to the restaurants on the inner part of the peninsula. 

First Crush- San Francisco

I heard so many good things about the food in San Francisco (especially from one of my fave bloggers, Feisty Foodie).  I was incredibly excited when I was asked to travel there for business (I had never been) and extended the trip to include leisure travel with Mike over Christmas week.  I was so excited to try so many different restaurants in SF (plus I knew it was prime artichoke growing territory… MMM!) and we planned the last 2 days in Napa where more wonderful nomming was to take place.

It was just my luck that I came down with a wicked case of food poisoning or a stomach bug about an hour before leaving for the airport.  (I do not wish having stomach problems like that on an airplane to my worst enemy!)  It actually had me completely in bed for 24 hours after the trip and sans food for the first two days.  I somehow dragged myself to work on Day 2 but it wasn’t pretty (I was so bad off that I never would have gone in had they not paid for me to fly out there and I knew I actually had to SHOW UP or risk them not reimbursing me).  By the end of that evening, I was finally feeling semi-capable of nourishment and went with chicken soup from Westin’s room service.  It was actually quite tasty and I’m pretty convinced it was slightly magical as that was the turning point.

By the next night I convinced myself I was well enough to eat again.  We were staying in the Union Square area and used our Urban Spoon iPhone app to pull up a convenient restaurant.  First Crush sounded like a good place so we went for it without much research (very uncommon for me!)

We started with something that sounded right up my alley: roasted winter squash with chestnuts, pearl onions, squash puree, and pomegranate reduction.  It was really, really good!  I was a bit dissapointed that there weren’t more (and bigger) chestnuts since I love them, however, I got over this very quickly with the amazing flavor combination and freshness of the ingredients. 

Mike went with the pistachio crusted wild hawaiian walu with rainbow carrotes, roasted fingerlings, fried shallots, and glace de veau. The crust was perfect and the fish was moist and flavorful.

I ordered the artichokes braised a la barigoule with toasted barley, flageolets, sunchokes, and lemon oil.  It was good but I was expecting a bit more robust artichoke flavor.  (I think I expect too much of my favorite veggie).  I really enjoyed it, however, and I’m glad I ordered this dish.

Overall, for a random restaurant in the middle of an unknown city, I thought we found a gem.  None of the desserts sounded especially appealing (which was surprising for a wine place… I always expect those 2 to go together) so we skipped.  What we ordered, however, was especially fresh and very tasty.  We enjoyed this first meal at First Crush very much.

Total Nom Points: 6.5 out of 10

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have finally made it to the post just before I left for my San Francisco trip (where there are many Noms to be written about!) dating this baking expedition back to 12/20/09 (sorry… way behind with so much to write about).

My mom and my sister were gracious enough to cat sit while I was gone, and I had to make SOMETHING to thank them.  Mike suggested peanut butter cookies and, since I love me some peanut butter and chocolate together, I decided to find one with chocolate chips.

(Have I mentioned I love my Silpat?)

The recipe was very easy (see below) and when they say you need to flatten the cookies on top, they mean it. I scooped with a melon scooper and then flattened with the back of the spoon.

I really enjoyed these, though it’s my classic problem with peanut butter.  I LOVE peanut butter (I eat it off a spoon, and a little too often). I love chocolate chip cookies. But I just don’t love peanut butter cookies.  They’re good, but not GREAT.  I think these are the best ones I’ve ever had though in this small category.

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RECIPES
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Ingredients

·      1 cup butter, softened

·      1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

·      2 eggs

·      1 cup peanut butter

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·      2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

·      1/4 cup cornstarch

·      3/4 teaspoon salt

·      1 teaspoon baking soda

·      1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·      1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.
3. Add flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Roll into balls about 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls (or use cookie scoop) and place onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly because they do not flatten much while cooking.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.

Homemade Pasta

After epicly failing on the bread… I decided I had to redeem myself. So I decided to put  my new KitchenAid (with pasta roller attachment!) to work and make some pasta. On a whim, I also secured myself the cookbook “Pasta Sfoglia” by Ron and Colleen Suhanosky with Susan Simon after reading about it in one of the food blogs I constant.  I’m strange about cookbooks… I love having them, but I hardly ever use them.  I usually find recipes on the internet as I am a complete slave to reading reviews of the recipe to determine if I’ll like it, what I should change, and how it’s ranked.  Yes, I love crowd sourcing.

This book, however, is already pretty sticky with bits of butter and dough that have escaped out of my bowl (happens often) and onto the pages.  My first attempt was surprisingly easy and left me wondering why I thought pasta making was so terrifying and complicated.  It couldn’t have been easier!

I made the fresh egg pasta from the book (full recipe below) and then I wrapped it in plastic and stuck it in the fridge for about an hour.  It seemed to have a perfect consistency when I took it out (pliable without being sticky).

Though I noticed by the time I put the 3rd dough patty in, it had warmed up to a bit stickier than I wanted (so I added some more flour and prayed… though it did require more reworking than the first 2).

The tip in the book for making pappardelle was to put 3 sheets on top of each other with flour between them and lightly roll…

…Then cut into wide noodles.

Then unroll and presto! Perfect thick noodles (I used a pizza cutter and it worked perfectly).

They were excellent all cooked up (though I did wish for more flavor… I’ll have to explore upping the salt and try with some other types of flour, especially some healthier whole grain options).

I put some more of my new favorite homemade grape tomato sauce on top and MMM was it good!

I still can’t believe I made this all from scratch. This is one of those days that I look back to how far I’ve come (I hermetically sealed a pot while making Rice-A-Roni for the first time in college).

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RECIPES
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Fresh Egg Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. EVOO
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• Rice flour for dusting (I just used regular flour)

Directions:

1. Add the all-purpose flour, eggs, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse several times until the dough resembles medium crumbs. (I actually don’t have a food processor so I just gave it a few pulses in the mixer)
2. Turn out the dough onto a clean, dry, rice flour-dusted work surface.  Gather the dough together and knead it until it comes together and is smooth and elastic.  Cover the dough with a kitchen towel or plastic film and let rest at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours. (if wrapped tightly, dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days or frozen for 2 weeks and then defrosted in the fridge.  The book notes that the dough will discolor slightly but the flavor will be fine.)
3. Rolling the pasta (pappardelle, tagliatelle, and fettuccine):
   1. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and flatten each into a disk.  Dust with flour.
   2. Set roller to setting 1.  Feed the disks through, one at a time, and fold the dough to meet in the middle and press down to seal between each pass.  Put the open side of the dough back through the rollers for a total of 3 times on setting 1.  Fold dough so both ends meet in the center and press down.
   3. Adjust to setting 2.  Feed the open side of the dough through the roller twice.
   4. Adjust to setting 3 and feed through the roller twice. Since the roll will be long, cut it in half.  Feed through on setting 3 one more time.
   5. Dust each sheet with flour and stack.  You can now cut it as I outlined above.
   6. I have cooked my pasta immediately each time, so I can’t advise on storing it (yet).  Google!

Cheesy Biscuits!

Left with a few hours to kill one weekday evening, I reached out to a friend to see if she’d want to grab some dinner. Turns out she already had dinner plans with her boyfriend and a friend of mine from college (small world that they knew each other!)  Turns out that they were going to… Red Lobster

Most chain restaurants would not be exciting, however, Red Lobster with their cheesy biscuits is always a good call in my book (their real food isn’t half bad either!)

I believe this dish was the shrimp and fish (?)….

Then shrimp and steak…

Shrimp, Shrimp, Shrimp, and more shrimp.

And then I just had an appetizer of the coconut shrimp which had a pina colada dipping sauce that I could have drunk. It was scrumptious!

Red Lobster is not a place I could eat every day (especially with their calorie counts!), however, it’s a fun treat every now and again.