Mourad

photo - Yelp, Tony L.

Mourad, Drinks, SOMA

P&J:
OLIVES  preserved lemon . marash 7
PECANS  harissa

P:
VERVE ‘STREET LEVEL’ ROAST small pour over

J:
COCONUT | LEMONGRASS tequila . lemon . coconut . lemongrass . egg white . maraschino . lemon tonic


Notes:
We walked over to Mourad with our friends after having dinner at The Cavalier.  A mutual friend works there, so we stopped in to have a drink and say hello before going our separate ways and heading home.

Shortly after taking seats at the large communal table in the bar area, we were treated to some warm, marinated olives and spiced pecans.  Patrick was in love with the pecans - we'll need to figure out how to make them.  He was equally happy with his coffee.  My drink was citrusy, coconutty, and very pretty, the ice to drink ratio was a little off, but I was happy nonetheless.

Why am I even mentioning this place when I have so little to say about it?  Well, because maybe it's something that should be on our list, but I'm not sure I can bear to put it there. It's yet another overpriced, fancy-pants dining experience in San Francisco.  Mourad is the eponymous restaurant by the same man who is responsible for Aziza, a once-favorite of mine.  Like Mourad (the restaraunt and the man), Aziza is Moroccan.  I've had some of the most delicious food I've ever known at this lovely gem of a restaurant, which just happened to be in my neighborhood (and still is).  But once the restaurant gained notice, and accolades along with it, it started to change.  The food got smaller, more contrived, less real.  The cozy, calm atmosphere was lost, traded for communal tables and the fevered glow of red lighting.  It just wasn't what I fell in love with.  And now, there's Mourad.  Take the modernity of Aziza, add a healthy dose of investment dollars and contemporary design, and voila, uber-expensive, plated-with-tweezers Moroccan food.  I just don't know if I can do it.  But if anyone could convince me otherwise, it would be Patrick.  He likes Aziza, even as it is now.  Maybe he'd like Mourad, too.

Cavalier, Part II

The Cavalier, Dinner, SOMA
May 20, 2016

P&J:
Quail Egg Mayonnaise - celery salt and crispy shallot
Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips - vadouvan and lemon zest
Lamb Scrumpets - pickled chile and mint sauce
Baked Sweet Potato and Spring Vegetables - beets, heirloom carrots and apples, tumeric, yogurt, pumpkin seeds
Shepherd's Pie - minced leg of lamb, carrots, peas and curried mash
Fish and Chips - thrice cooked fries, minted peas, and malt vinegar aioli


Notes:
I know, I know.  I complained about this place the first time.  And the only reason I'm writing about this a second time (ordinarily, I'd keep these entries limited to a single visit) is because Patrick and I were together on this occasion.  How we ended up here so soon after I was traumatized by a Scotch egg, well...

So, the situation here is that we were meeting some friends, and food was ordered.  We didn't choose any of the food (except for the Shepherd's Pie), but it was brought to the table and we ate it.  And we didn't pay for it.  We did a good old fashioned dine and dash, you know, where you create a distraction at the end of the meal and just make a run for it?  I'm kidding.  We don't do that; I saw it in a movie once.  But we didn't pay, and I'm only putting that out there because I think it's relevant.

The quail egg mayonnaise...where do I begin.  Apparently, there is some "story" behind their eggs (that I missed), but to me, that translates into this-is-why-we-charge-you-2-dollars-for-half-a-quail-egg.  It's ridiculous.  I feel the same way about their $15 Scotch egg, so what this says to me is that I should never order egg-anything from The Cavalier because it gets me all worked up.  Here we had half a quail egg perched on a teeny dollop of mayonnaise with shallot and some chervil if I remember correctly.  It's their take on a deviled egg, except it's nothing at all like one.  Moving on.  The Brussels sprout chips were very good.  They must have one poor (literally), naive culinary student in the kitchen, peeling apart Brussels sprouts leaf by leaf so they can be flash fried and tossed with curry spices and lemon zest.  Well, great job, kid, they're delicious!  Lamb scrumpets were succulent little bits of lamb left on the bone, lightly coated and fried and served with a thin but flavor-packed mint sauce.  The meat was unbelievably tender and just the right amount of fatty; I ate these with my fingers and cleaned the bones.

The Sheperd's pie was served so hot it could barely be eaten.  But once we could, we found it savory and appealing, though nothing extraordinary.  The sweet potatoes were slender and creamy white and garnished with shredded raw beet, apple, and carrot; the turmeric yogurt sauce on the plate seemed out of place with everything else.  All very tasty, but again, nothing extraordinary.  The fish and chips I liked very much, though the rest of the table wasn't as taken.  For me, it was that the fish was nicely battered, crispy and not the least bit greasy, and I do like their thrice cooked fries.  (If there's one thing this restaurant knows, it's how to operate a fryer.)  For everyone else, it was just fish and chips, nothing to get excited about.

We didn't have dessert.


So, now would we go back?  It's leaning "no".  Aside from that ridiculous egg thing, everything was good, or very good, but nothing was truly amazing.  And because we didn't pay for anything, we have no idea what the bill should have been, so we didn't leave offended; but "it wasn't offensive" is not a feeling that would make us return.

The View Lounge

photo - Yelp, Dominic S.

The View Lounge @ SF Marriott, Drinks, SOMA
May 7, 2016

We ended up here looking for a place to have a drink and a chat with some out-of-town friends after a great meal in Chinatown.  I was familiar with this place only in that I knew it existed, and Patrick had been there himself a time or two, so we thought that might be as good a spot as any, especially with the view.

It was a Saturday night.  We walked through the expansive and near empty lobby of the SF Marriott and made our way to the elevators.  When the doors opened up on the 39th floor, I couldn't have been more surprised.  The place was packed.  Wall to wall people, a swarm at the bar, club music thumping loudly.  "Wait, this is the Marriott!" I exclaimed.  Since when did a Marriott become "the" place?

After pushing through the sea of people between the bar and seating areas, a small bank of seats opened up in a room off to the side, with little of the available view.  Our friends took the space; Patrick and I volunteered to get the drinks and headed back into the madness.  While Patrick squeezed his way through to the bar, I got up close and personal (not intentionally) with the couple next to me (I use the word "couple" loosely).  She's flipping hair everywhere, he's grabbing at her lady curves, she's bent over the bar chair.  "BUT THIS IS A MARRIOTT!!"  I thought.  It was so Jersey Shore; I couldn't handle it.

The drinks were good.  We had the Skyline Punch cocktail (white rum, pineapple juice, fresh citrus juice and brandied grenadine), and later shared a bottle of bubbles between the four of us.  The place eventually calmed down; we scored some seats near the windows and tried to figure out what was what in the city lights.  It was a fine end to a nice evening together.


We might go back someday, but never again on a Saturday night.  Oh, the horror.

The Cavalier

photo -Yelp, YueStudio Y.

The Cavalier, Snack, SOMA

J&Guest:

Corned Beef Scotch Egg, spring greens and chive creme fraiche

Thrice Cooked Fries, horseradish aioli

Cocktails:

Pimm's Cup, City of London Gin, Pimm's No. 1, ginger beer, cucumber, lemon, mint

The Treasure Hunt, Sipsmith Gin, Cocchi Americano, Tempus Fugit Cacao, lavendar bitters

Dark and Stormy, dark rum, ginger beer, lime juice

Notes:

My friend and I shopped the day away in Union Square and ended up at The Cavalier, being one of the few places around that was serving food at 4pm.  By the time Patrick joined us, we had already eaten a few bites, so he had a only cocktail.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't write about a place that Patrick and I didn't visit together, but I thought this worth mentioning since it's a question in my mind whether we would come back.

This place is on our list, with an upscale take on British pub food.  It's yet another restaurant in the Marlowe family, and I have a thing for these restaurants, the idea of them, at least.

My friend and I sat at the bar, and were eventually approached by "the aloof bartender", you know the type.  We ordered a couple of cocktails; nicely made, but it took longer than I think it should, a complaint I have in general with the "craft" cocktail.  For snacks, we opted for the Scotch egg and thrice-cooked fries.  The egg, a single egg, enveloped with a thin coat of finely shredded corned beef and deep fried, was served nestled in heavy sauce flecked with mustard seed and garnished with a few micro arugula leaves on the side.  The breading on the outside was paper thin, and evenly golden brown; when we cut into it, the white appeared tender and the yolk, perfectly runny.  It was a beauty, but it was nearly cold.  This masterpiece, this $15 egg, was cold, the sauce was oddly textured and unappealing (and definitely not the "chive creme fraiche" listed on the menu), and the little leaves of arugula were sharp with vinegar .  If I'm paying $15 dollars for AN EGG, it better be mother-loving perfect.  And it wasn't.

The fries were pretty awesome, though a paltry serving.  They forgot the horseradish aioli, and by the time I realized it, there was no bartender in sight to fix the problem.  And had I waited until there were, I would have had cold fries.  So I begrudgingly ate the delicious fries without the (delicious, I'm sure) horseradish aioli.

Soon after, Patrick joined us and ordered a dark and stormy from a different, slightly more amiable bartender.  The drink was terrible - entirely too much rum and not nearly enough of the ginger or lime - it was bitter and boozy.


So, after all of that, I'm not sure we want to come back here.  I'm not sure I want to give this place (and the food) another try based on my first experience.  If the prices weren't so outrageous, I might not be so...outraged.  But seriously, how could I not be?

CatHead's BBQ

photo - catheadsbbq.com

CatHead's BBQ, SOMA, Lunch
April 3, 2016

P:
Slow Smoked Pork Shoulder with BBQ Baked Beans and Mustard Slaw
Cathead Biscuit with Honey Butter and Pepper Jelly (to share)
Sweet tea ("Good," says Patrick.)

J:
Coca-Cola Smoked Brisket with Pimento Mac & Cheese and Dandelion Green Potato Salad
Unsweetened Tea ("Bad," says Patrick.)


Notes:
CatHead's is another one of those places on that BBQ list I was telling you about.  The main attraction here, if not the barbecue, is the cathead biscuit, so named because it is as large as a cat's head.

This is one of the first barbecue places I've ever been to which didn't allow for a "plate" with more than one meat choice.  Not to suggest that I couldn't have done this, but I allowed the menu to be my guide, and decided to stick with the "BBQ Plate with two sides".  The plates come with a mini-cathead biscuit, but since I believed the biscuit to be the reason we were there, I insisted we get a "regular" cathead biscuit and forego the minis.  The guy at the counter kindly substituted extra pickles in place of the biscuits.

We ordered, collected our drinks and utensils and sat at the bar overlooking the smokers.  As we waited, I tasted the different sauces at the counter: the usual BBQ, a mustard sauce, and a habanero sauce.  The BBQ sauce was average, the mustard sauce good (though not as delicious as Black Bark's mustard sauce) and the habanero sauce - delicious - smooth and thick with a wonderfully sweet heat.  Very nice.  Several minutes later, we were served.  The sides, in all cases, were generous.  My brisket portion was average if not a little less than, and Patrick's pulled pork was an insane mound of shredded goodness, which we had to assume was a heavy-handed error - no way was that the usual serving size. 

Everything was good, but I think the biscuit and sides stood out more than the barbecue, which is probably not the best thing to say about a BBQ joint.  I liked the pork more than Patrick, he didn't care for the way in which it was doused in sauce.  He preferred my brisket, but I thought it was on the dry side and didn't have much flavor.  The BBQ Baked Beans were well balanced and super-tender; a thumbs up, and Patrick isn't easy.  The slaw he thought good, but not great, and I'd say the same.  The loose and mashy Dandelion Green Potato Salad wasn't pretty but it was damn tasty, though the strong vinegar flavor of this creamy concoction got to be a little much towards the end.  Finally, the mac and cheese was good but nothing extraordinary, though it did hit the spot.

The cathead biscuit was probably our favorite part of it all.  It was crispy and buttery on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside.  The butter was generously sweetened with honey and the pepper jelly was so, so good, but there wasn't enough of it for that giant biscuit.

Barbecue can have off days, so we're not ready to dismiss this place, but we're not ready to call it a favorite, either.

Dirty Habit

photo - Yelp, Janelle Q.

Dirty Habit, SOMA, Drinks
April 1, 2016

P:
Oaxacan Express -
Espresso infused Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Pueblo Viejo Tequila, Suze, All Spice, Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacaco

J:
What I wanted: Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove -
Avua Cachaca, Barsol Quebranta Pisco, Lillet Rose, Velvet Falernum
What I got: Aloe Be Thy Name -
Banks 5 Island Rum, Chareau Aloe, Guava, Banana, Lime


Notes:
We came here for a drink after having some fabulous Vietnamese fare around the way.  Dirty Habit is on "our list" not only for the food, but for the cocktails, so we didn't argue for a second when it was suggested as our next stop.

I'm sad to say, I'm not sure we'll be able to humor this place a second time.  The bar/restaurant is located on the 5th floor (you're welcome - we searched 4 out of 9 floors before finding it) in the hip and trendy boutique Hotel Zelos.  This is one of those hotels where everyone, patrons and personnel alike, is young and attractive, and all have "that" look (you could interpret this many ways, and I'll let you).  The staff was not well trained, which resulted in the four of us doing a ridiculous dance just to get a seat.  (Make that three of us, I saw this coming and excused myself, finding respite in the toilet paper-less ladies' room.)  Then the drink menu was one of those 10-page deals, with a cute name and lengthy description for each cocktail, but with only one copy per four people, it took us a while to decide on what we wanted.  And when I ordered the Iron Fist in a Velvet glove, we learned it was one of the two cocktails being "phased out", and therefore unavailable.  Thankfully, I had a second choice in mind.

The drinks took 10 minutes, maybe more, maybe less; though, they were lovely.  But, at $13 each our bill turned out to be more for four drinks than dinner for five people, which might not have been so bad had the experience not been so lackluster.

So, here is the conundrum.  I'm too old (There, I said it!) to tolerate this sort of nonsense, but the food here is supposed to be HAYMAZING!  What to do, what to do?!  Maybe worth another shot?  I think so.  But on a Tuesday.  At 5 o'clock.  Early bird special.

Tu Lan

photo - insidescoopsf.sfgate.com

Tu Lan, SOMA, Dinner

April 1, 2016

P&J:

Imperial Rolls

Pork Shish Kebab & Rice Noodle

Beef Cubes VN Style

Fried Fish & Ginger Sauce

Notes:

This place is an institution.  It's also an institution that has been shut down by the health department on more than one occasion.  I found this out while perusing the interwebs for their menu prior to meeting up with some friends there, days later.  I didn't pay that much mind, though; the friend who recommended Tu Lan is no fool.

Five of us crowded around a table and ordered food to share.  The beef and fish were known favorites, and the Imperial Rolls and pork I read were "must try" dishes.

Everything was pretty incredible, flavors bright and fresh.  The saucy beef, doused in black pepper that somehow didn't overpower everything, shared the plate with a pile of sauteed onions and tomato.  The pork, caramelized on the grill, was sticky and succulent, served over plain rice noodles with cilantro leaves and grated carrot.  Thin fish filets, lightly breaded and flash-fried were accompanied by a punchy sauce of finely grated ginger and vinegar.  The Imperial Rolls were so-so; they seemed over-cooked and dried out, but tasty nonetheless, especially with the Nouc Cham (a sweet, vinegary dipping sauce) served on the side.

Apparently, Julia Child stopped here for a bite in 1985, her likeness emblazoned on the front of the laminated menus.  The near 30-year old newspaper snippet which made mention of her visit still hangs on the wall.

We'll be back.  At the very least we need to try Julia's favorite, the Lemon Beef Salad.