Smokin' Buns

Photo by Jasmine

Smokin' Buns, Dinner, Jacksonville
July 29, 2016

P
Combo plate: pulled pork, brisket, beans, fried okra, toast
Peach fried pie

J:
Combo plate: catfish, ribs, potato salad, coleslaw, toast
Coconut fried pie


Notes:
We went to Smokin' Buns at the suggestion of our loving hostess in North Little Rock.  And, catfish!  Oh my gosh, why didn't I think if this before?!  Catfish is abundant in Arkansas, so why hadn't I sought it out?  Thankfully, someone had my back.

Hansen's Sno-Bliz

photo by Jasmine

Hansen's Sno-Bliz, Snack, New Orleans
July 27, 2016

P:
Cream of peach/Cream of coconut

J:
Cream of nectar/Satsuma


Notes:
This was our last stop during our stay in New Orleans.  Winner of a James Beard Foundation "America's Classics" award in 2014, this place was on our "must" list, and not just because it was late July in New Orleans.

Willie Mae's Scotch House

ptoho - Yelp, Alma C.

Willie Mae's Scotch House, Lunch, New Orleans
July 27, 2016

P&J:
America's Best Fried Chicken - Three pieces of chicken (wing, thigh, breast) served with your favorite choice of a side 
Sides - fried okra, seasoned green beans and rice, mashed potatoes and gravy
sweet tea (good)*
unsweetened tea (evil)*


Notes:
I've been wanting to come here for a long, long time.  I first heard about Willie Mae's in 2005 when the restaurant was recognized by the James Beard Foundation.  They have since become known as serving "America's Best Fried Chicken".  This is hotly debated no doubt, especially in New Orleans, but eleven years later...here we were.

Commander's Palace

photo - Yelp, Kelsey R.

Commander's Palace, Dinner, New Orleans

July, 26, 2016

P&J:

Shrimp and Tasso Henican

Wild Louisiana white shrimp, tasso ham, pickled okra, sweet onions, 5 pepper jelly and Crystal hot sauce beurre blanc

Foie Gras Beignet Au Lait

Molten foie gras and brandy soaked blackberry beignet lollipop with honeycomb, cocoa pecan butter, croquant, cinnamon swirls and praline milk

Soups 1-1-1

A demi serving of 3 soups: Gumbo, Turtle and Soup du Jour

Commander's Crisp Romaine Salad

Hearts of Romaine, grated parmesan, pressed egg, housemade bacon, French bread croutons, shaved Gruyere and black pepper dressing

P:

Filet of Black Angus Beef

Chargrilled 8 oz tenderloin of beef with roasted mushrooms, whiskey smoked onions, French potato puree and tasso marchands de vin

Southern Style Pecan Pie

Vanilla & sugarcane infused custard pie with roasted New Roads pecans, served with house-spun vanilla bean ice cream

J:

Crispy Soft Shell Crab

A jumbo Louisiana blue crab with grilled corn, tiny tomatoes, mirliton & ripped herbs with goat cheese stone ground grits and cebollita revigote

Ponchatoula Blueberry Shortcake

Sugarcane marinated blueberries, Chantilly cream & lemon curd

Notes:

Commander's Palace has been on my list for some time, probably since high school.  This place is a New Orleans institution and the former home to such chefs as Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, and Jamie Shannon.  I even had the cookbook at one point, but I can't say I ever used it.  Clearly, I didn't know what I was missing.

Cafe Du Monde

photo - Yelp, Don S.

Cafe Du Monde, Snack, New Orleans
July 26, 2016

P&J:
Cafe au Lait
Iced Cafe au Lait
Beignets


Notes:
What's a trip to New Orleans without chicory coffee and beignets?  Our stay in New Orleans was very short, so we only had time to score this perfect any-time treat at one place (lots of great beignet shops to check out these days), and because we weren't sure where else to find chicory coffee, Cafe Du Monde was it.

The place is overly crowded and the wait is long.  But in the end, so worth it.  The beignets, rectangular, poofy pockets of fried dough, are fresh, piping hot and heaped with an excessive amount of just enough powdered sugar.  And the chicory coffee?  Delicious, just like I remembered.

Shortly after we received our coffee and beignets, the rain came.  We sat in the outdoor, but covered, cafe and watched as the downpour grayed the skies and flooded the streets.  Lightning flashed every now and again; the sound of the rain pummeling concrete and asphalt echoed through the patio.  The scent in the air was clean and satisfying.  Once the rain let up, just a bit, we scampered away from the cafe, in the direction of our next destination, completely drenched by the time we reached it.  This was one of Patrick's favorite days, ever.

I have a couple of significant memories* attached to this place, and with this experience, another.  I'd like to come back for more.

*When I was a teenager, I became truly obsessed with food.  My G'ma will tell you that's how it always was; she loves to tell stories about me as a kid, imitating Julia Child.  But it was the once-outstanding Food Network, which started up shortly before I graduated high school that solidified the way I thought about my future, and that future was food.  My parents, in what seemed to be an encouraging gesture, decided to take me on a road trip to New Orleans to visit a restaurant of one of my favorite TV chef personalities, Emeril Lagasse (this was well before we all tired of the "BAM!").  While impossible to get a reservation at his eponymous restaurant, his seemingly less formal NOLA was available to us that one summer.  It was then, over 20 years ago, when I had my first fine-dining experience, my first tasting menu, my first soft-shell crab.  And!!  My first beignets at Cafe Du Monde, where I also had the best coffee I'd tasted since I visited Paris with my Mom and G'ma, just a year or so before**.

**In seventh grade I had to choose a language class - French or Spanish.  My Dad told me he'd one day send me to whichever country spoke the language I chose to learn.  I knew he wasn't completely serious, but I foolishly chose French anyway (Spanish would have been entirely more useful).  Several years later, and a junior in High School, I had the opportunity to visit Paris with my Mom and G'ma.  (Though unassociated with my Dad's "offer" so many years prior, I always like to remember this story in this way.)  We stayed at a quaint little hotel which offered breakfast in a tiny room below the lobby serving fresh, crusty bread, sweet butter and jam with coffee or tea.  Each morning, on our way down the narrow steps to the very small, wood-paneled room, a gentleman behind the front desk would simply ask, "Cafe ou the?" [phonetically - "Cafe oo tay?"]  I didn't remember much French (my interest in the subject heavily waned in high school and I had dropped it by this time), but I loved saying "cafe" in my best French accent; I felt so grown up, so cosmopolitan.  And I didn't even like coffee.  But somehow, I fell in love with that French coffee, and that perfectly simple French breakfast.  I never could find coffee that tasted quite like it did at that hotel in Paris, until I found the chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde.

Bacchanal

photo - Yelp, Ryan P.

Bacchanal, Dinner, New Orleans
July 25, 2016

P&J:

gazpacho - watermelon, peppers, vinho verde, cucumber

grilled hanger steak - yuca, chimichurri, tomato

poached shrimp - crema, grilled corn, masa cake espelette

Notes:
Bacchanal was our first stop for eats in New Orleans.  Listed as a "local favorite", Bacchanal is a tiny wine shop with a little kitchen and a sprawling outdoor seating area just out the back door.  You order and pay for your wine in the shop, then head out back, grab a menu and order food from a window in the kitchen.  There is live jazz nightly, a solo cellist played for us on this particular evening, and the place was packed.  It was a Monday night.

I held the table while Patrick approached the kitchen to place an order.  What he chose would come as a surprise to me, I only offered that I'd like one of everything (he has yet to indulge this request).

Patrick went with the gazpacho first, since I'm a big fan (especially on a sultry New Orleans eve), and he wants to understand why (generally, the cold vegetable soup doesn't excite him).  Here, finely textured, bright red soup redolent of watermelon and red bell pepper was garnished with a drizzle of fragrant olive oil. Small dice of red bells and a julienne (long, thin strips) of crisp cucumber appeared here and there, and while the cucumber added a nice accent in flavor, it was awkward on the spoon.  I found this to be a fine representation of gazpacho and particularly refreshing; Patrick remains unconvinced.

Next was poached shrimp over two round masa cakes with roasted corn cut off the cob and cherry tomatoes, all generously garnished with crema - lots of crema, and fresh herbs.  The shrimp were succulent and super tender, Patrick's favorite part of the dish.  The masa cakes (think tamale dough) were dense, but small enough that they didn't seem heavy.  The sweet, slightly charred corn with the juicy, sweet-tart cherry tomatoes, was summer in a bowl.  Delicious.

Our other entree was a smoky, grilled hanger steak, beautifully cooked to medium rare.  The accompanying chimichurri was a whole-leaf version, which I didn't much care for.  Chimichurri is an herb sauce pungent with fresh garlic and parsley, brightened with a touch of vinegar and amazing with grilled meats.  Here instead was essentially a parsley salad and it wasn't a great complement to the dish.  The yucca fries, however, with their fluffy interior and golden crust, served as a nice alternative to potatoes.

This was a nice way to start our stay in New Orleans.

Amy's Ice Cream

photo - Yelp, Michael B.

Amy's Ice Cream, Snack, Austin
July 24, 2016

P: Sweet Cream Hot Fudge Sundae

J: Chocolate Puddin'


Notes:
Amy's is an old favorite of mine.  It's quintessential Austin - weird.  I can't really put it any other way.  Their ice cream is dense, creamy and rich.  While I always knew Amy's for their wacky and inventive flavors, the menu board seems to be overwhelmingly tried-and-true these days.

Their Key Lime Pie ice cream is hands down my favorite, but I haven't seen it on the board in ages; I silently wonder if they still make it.  Every time I visit Amy's, and Key Lime Pie isn't there, I'm a little sad.  This time, I drowned my sorrows in Chocolate Puddin'.  It was intensely rich and chocolatey.  Woe is me!

Patrick, on this 90+ degree day, decided to beat the heat with a hot fudge sundae; thick and decadent fudge sauce over sweet cream ice cream (think vanilla without the vanilla).  He was very happy.  Well played, sir.


We'll be back.  Maybe next time, Patrick will let me take him to the Arboretum location so we can play with the cows.

Contigo

Contigo, Drinks, Austin
July 23, 2016

P:
Moscow Mueller - vodka, pear, lemon, ginger

J:
El Pepino - tequila, cucumber, lime, mint
Frozen Churchill Cooler - bourbon, tea, mint, lemon


Notes:
We simply stopped by here for a drink.  I love this place, and I wanted Patrick to see it.  The drinks were good, though Patrick's take on the Moscow Mueller was a little too sweet.  The surprise winner was the Frozen Churchill Cooler - an adult slushee, if you will; ice cold, boozy yet refreshing, and fun.

I want to have a party here (not so subtle hint)!  At the very least, I want to come back for some food.  Did I tell you I love this place?

ThunderCloud Subs

ThunderCloud Subs, Lunch, Cedar Park
July 23, 2016

P:
California Club on wheat - turkey, avocado, bacon with everything except onions; chips and a sweet tea

J:
Turkey sub on white with everything, no cheese; chips and an iced tea


Notes:
I worked at ThunderCloud, way back when.  It was my third job ever, I worked there for 7 years and had a ton of fun doing it.  ThunderCloud holds a huge place in my heart.

The food is pretty damn good, too.  As an employee, I got 50% off.  Being a young, on-again-off-again college student working a slightly-above-minimum-wage job, 50% off = I lived on ThunderCloud, and it was awesome.  My "favorite" thing there morphed from one wacky thing to another, depending on my mood.  When I was feeling "healthy", I made a crispy, crunchy, all-veggie sandwich I insisted on chilling in the fridge for hours before consuming.  When I needed something "big", I went for a tuna salad sandwich with bacon, jalapenos, and avocado (I highly recommend you try this combination sometime).   And then there was that summer of exceptionally good tomatoes which required ham, mayonnaise, mustard and pickles (and nothing else) on wheat.

One thing I rarely ate, though, was the turkey sandwich.  By far the most popular thing on the menu, generally employees steered clear of it - too boring, or maybe we were just tired of it.  Now, whenever I go back, that's all I want.  Funny how that works.

Patrick humors me.  He's not so into sandwiches, but he knows I love ThunderCloud, so he comes along and orders something for himself.  He likes their sandwiches well enough, but he's just happy to watch me bounce up and down in my seat with my first (and second, and third...) bite.  It does that to me.


I love Thundercloud so much, I'll even eat it at the (Austin) airport on my way out of town if I didn't get my fix.

Cafe Java

Photo - Yelp, Anthony C.

Cafe Java, Breakfast, Austin
July 22, 2016

P:
1 breakfast taco with eggs, cheese, potato and chorizo, 1 breakfast taco with eggs, cheese, refried beans, bacon and avocado

J:
2 breakfast tacos with eggs, cheese, potato and avocado


Notes:
We love this spot in Austin for breakfast tacos.  It's a crowded, noisy, bustling breakfast & lunch place in a strip mall next to not much else.  They have a huge menu and a sizable specials board, but we always go for the tacos.  Steamy hot, soft flour tortillas are filled with scrambled eggs and whatever else you can think of (your choice!).  I like mine pretty basic, Patrick tends to go wild.  They're served with a simple tomato-y, slightly spicy pureed salsa, and they're a perfect little breakfast.  Not so little, I guess, if you go wild on those tacos.  Ahem, Patrick.

We heart Cafe Java.

Mel's Drive-In

Mel's Drive In, Dinner, Tenderloin
July 16, 2016

Mel's is not unlike any other diner you've been to before.  Interiors dripping with 50's nostalgia, servers in aprons and white paper hats, coin-operated jukeboxes at the table, cushy vinyl seats at the bar.  We usually go to Mel's for french fries and a chocolate malt, though on this particular day, we split a hot dog too.  It's not the best of anything, but the malts are pretty damn good, and the food hits the spot.

We'll be back; there's always the need for fries and a malt.

Crab House at Pier 39

Photo - Yelp, Liz D.

Crab House at Pier 39, Lunch, Fisherman's Wharf
July 16, 2016

P:
Crab Cakes
Garlic Noodles with crab, parsley, garlic, paprika butter sauce

J:
Crab Caesar


Notes:
I know I've talked alotta smack about the quality of restaurants (or lack thereof) at Fisherman's Wharf, but we have a couple of friends who love this place and so we met them at the Crab House for lunch.

It seems they specialize in steamy, roasted cast-iron platters of seafood, plastic bibs recommended.  I came close to indulging in one of their sizzling skillets myself, but I would have been alone, and this is not something you do alone.  Maybe next time (?).

Instead, I played it safe with the Crab Caesar, and I was not disappointed.  Whole leaves of baby romaine were generously coated with dressing and grated Parmigiano, a small mound of crabmeat laid in the center.  It wasn't a life-altering salad, but it was a really good salad; no complaints.  Okay, well, the 1/2 roll/slab-crouton might have broken my teeth, but I managed.

Patrick enjoyed his crab cakes, though they weren't mostly-crab, as we prefer crab cakes to be.  Again, nothing life altering, but good.  The garlic noodles were a different story, though.  While nicely flavored, they were swimming in oil.  Swimming!!  (There was about an inch of oil in the bottom of his bowl.)  It was a huge turnoff.

Will there be a next time?  Based on Patrick's experience alone, I'd say not, but my salad was perfectly good and our friend across the table had some fabulous shrimp and chips (garlic fries, really).  We won't give up on this place altogether, though you might not find us there on our own.

Nido Kitchen & Bar

photo by Jasmine

Nido Kitchen & Bar, Dinner, Waterfront (Oakland)
July 9, 2016

P&J:
TOTOPOS CON GUACAMOLE - guacamole with salsa & tortilla chips
ENSALADA “CESAR” DE COGOLLOS - salad of little gem, avocado, watermelon radish, breadcrumb, cotija de cabra, pepita & queso cotija dressing
TACOS - puerco adobado: braised pork in ancho chocolate sauce, avocado, onion, serrano & cilantro; muslito de pollo asado: chargrilled chicken thigh, chamoy glaze & citrus tomatillo salsa
COCONUT FLAN – strawberry, stone fruit
MARGARITA DE CASA - cimarrón blanco, lime, honey
LA PICOSA - cimarrón blanco, housemade spicy bitters, citrus, honey
AGUA FRESCA - strawberry, jamaica


Notes:
Never tiring of Mexican food, we decided to give this place a try before hitting up a comedy show in Oakland.  We arrived at around 4 pm, thinking we would enjoy a little food and drink from the Happy Hour menu, while killing time until the dinner menu became available at 5.  Instead, we ended up ordering most of what was offered during Happy Hour, and by the end of it I was in love with the place.

We started with a round of house margaritas and the chips, salsa and guacamole.  Everything was delicious and well made, the salsa was deeply flavored, tart and a little spicy.  The portion of chips and such was modest, but I'm one of those people who can just eat chips and salsa forever (at the expense of my comfort, if you know what I mean), so it wasn't a bad thing that I was forced to save room in my belly for something else.  The margaritas were delicious, perfectly balanced; who knew honey would work so well here.  Patrick was pleased with everything, especially the guacamole.

The "Cesar" salad was right up my alley.  Little gem lettuce is my favorite of the lettuces (yes, I have a favorite lettuce), it's super crispy yet delicate, and the mild flavor still comes through in a well-dressed salad.  And well-dressed this was.  Creamy, slightly tangy, dressing coated the little gem lettuce in perfect proportion; thin sliced watermelon radish (which tastes just like a regular radish, except it's prettier) and chunks of avocado throughout.  The salad was garnished with salty grated cheese and large, golden crumbles of bread.

The tacos were marvelous, well-proportioned and tasty.  First off: fresh tortillas.  In one, shredded pork in a roasty-rich slightly sweet sauce; the chicken (my favorite) was nicely charred and the spicy-tart flavor of the chamoy glaze was outstanding.

For dessert, we tried the coconut flan.  It was silky, rich and creamy; a thicker consistency and less eggy than I know flan to be, but no less delicious.  The strawberry and stone fruit garnish was jammy and almost too sweet, though; I didn't much care for it.

I also tried a spicy-type margarita, but I far preferred the house version (only on the Happy Hour menu).  Patrick's jamaica (hibiscus) and strawberry agua fresca was not particularly sweet and very refreshing; the two flavors played well with each other - we should try to make this one at home.


So why did I fall for this place?  Well, for Happy Hour, the food was great, the drinks were great, and the bill was more than reasonable, even after tipping the kitchen 10 bucks (I've seen this on a few different menus now, and I love it).  We would definitely like to go back, though knowing Happy Hour is such a steal, we may not go any other time.

Taco Trail, Addendum

Mezcal (not pictured), Dinner, San Jose
July 3, 2016

After finishing up our Taco Trail in Fresno, we decided to grab dinner in San Jose on the way back home.  I was craving a margarita, so we ended up at a place that was somehow known for making a good one.  Oh, and they make guacamole to order!

I'm not sure how much I want to say about this place; it was a remarkably disappointing finish to our fabulous 2-day taco excursion.  Watery, underwhelming moles (their specialty!) were served with chips in lieu of salsa (bad idea).  The margaritas tasted of sub-par sweet and sour mix.  The guacamole, the best part of the meal, was unhappily prepared tableside by a disgruntled server.  And our sampler of "Oaxacan Appetizers" turned out to be a sad platter of fried assorted things (this was not well-described on the menu - we would generally never order such a thing to begin with) served over browned, wilted lettuce.  Yuck!

We would never in a million years go back to this place.


Krispy Kreme, Snack, Daly City

What better way to erase the memory of a terrible meal than a Krispy Kreme donut.  As luck would have it, the "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign was aglow when we arrived.  Two Original Glazed, please.  It doesn't get much better than that.

We don't frequent Krispy Kreme, but sometimes it's called for.

The Little Chihuahua

photo - Yelp, Frank K.

The Little Chihuahua, Brunch, Lower Haight

June 26, 2016

P:

Breakfast Burrito

A toasted flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, chorizo, jack cheese, refried beans, fresh chopped cilantro & onions, Mexican potatoes, sautéed poblano chiles and onions and smoky chile salsa

J:

Stacked Enchiladas

Corn tortillas stacked and filled with jack cheese, sautéed poblano chiles and onions, Mexican potatoes, black beans and braised pork. Smothered in red guajillo sauce and topped with two over easy eggs, chopped avocado and cotija cheese

Notes:

We wanted Mexican food on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, and we pass by this place every so often, so it was time to give it a try (and their brunch menu looked fabulous).

The restaurant is small and a bit crowded; it's one of those places where you order at the counter and the food is brought out to you.  It's also a happy meat place (meaning, the meats and seafood used are raised/caught sustainably), so it's more expensive than average [Mexican food], but not overly so.

They have a self-serve salsa bar, so we got a bowl of chips because you can't sample all of those salsas without a bowl of chips.  Some of the salsas were better than others, we found the smokey chipotle salsa to be the most flavorful.

Patrick was expecting a burrito of the handheld variety, but it arrived plated with sauce drizzled across the top.  He was happy with it, though.  That flour tortilla was packed with all kinds of Mexican breakfasty goodness: scrambled eggs, chorizo, refried beans, cheese, salsa, yum. 

Mine, also pretty satisfying, consisted of corn tortillas layered with deliciousness (tender, roasted red potatoes, chiles, black beans and bits of tender pork), and smothered in smooth, earthy red sauce. Melted cheese and two fried eggs with runny yolks crowned that lovely monstrosity (it was huge).


We'll go back, though we'll try something off the regular menu next time.

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

photo - Yelp, Frederick D.

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, Dinner, Outer Richmond
June 17, 2016

P:
Enchiladas Suizas (with chicken), served with salad, beans and rice
Milagro margaritas, with salt

J:
Pollo Pibil, served with salad, beans and rice
Milagro magaritas, with salt


Notes:
Tommy's is close to my heart.  When I first lived in this neighborhood way back when, my friend and I would meet here on Friday nights after work and sit at the bar for hours, drinking margaritas and eating chips and salsa.  I brought my Dad here when he visited (he likes a good margarita).  Julio, the gentleman who runs (and maybe owns?) the place, knows his regular customers by name and thanks them for coming, every time.  The bar is always packed with Tequila aficionados and locals alike.  Patrick and I live practically right around the corner, and it's a place we're just in the mood for sometimes.

Tommy's takes margaritas (and tequila, generally) very seriously.  They're prepared on the rocks (though they'll make 'em frozen, if you insist), as this is the best way to taste the nuances in the tequila.  Giant bins of half cut fresh limes sit on the bar, waiting to be squeezed into every glass.  And you'll find no sweet and sour here, only agave syrup.  Tequila, lime and agave syrup, that's all; they make a fantastic margarita.

The food is okay.  It's not the best Mexican food you'll ever have, but it definitely satisfies a craving.  I find their chips and red and green salsas addicting, though some might argue their salsas are not much more than just spicy.  They serve a little salad before the meal consisting of whacked up iceberg lettuce, a couple of slices of carrot and radish, topped with a splash of red salsa.  Gourmet, no, but delicious, yes; I love that simple little salad.  Their guacamole is pretty tasty and generously portioned.  Patrick usually gets the Enchiladas Suizas, which hits the spot for him.  I don't have a usual, but often go with a chicken quesadilla.  On this particular evening I went rogue and ordered the Pollo Pibil, chicken breast and onion marinated in savory achiote (think earthy red pepper), wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled.  The chicken was completely overcooked, but the smokey flavors imparted by the charred banana leaf were really fantastic with that marinade.  Although, I'd probably go back to the quesadilla next time - it goes better with a margarita.


As they say at Tommy's: "If you live in SF, please do not forget to remember how lucky you are."

House of Bagels

photo - Yelp, Hui U.

House of Bagels, Lunch, Inner Richmond
June 11, 2016

P:
Jalapeno cheddar bagel, toasted with cream cheese
Raisin bagel, toasted with cream cheese

J:
New York Bagel - Everything bagel with cream cheese, nova lox, tomatoes, capers, red onion, not toasted


Notes:
This is our neighborhood bagel place.  It's a homegrown place that's been in operation since 1962, and at this very location since 1964.  I'm no bagel connoisseur, but they make a good bagel here, and it's a nice stroll from our apartment, so win-win.

Usually, I just get an Everything bagel toasted with cream cheese.  This time, I got bold and decided to try the New York Bagel, one of my favorite combos.  And, speaking of bold, I went also went untoasted; I haven't had a bagel since reading all about the virtues of untoasted bagels while writing about our visit to Beauty's Bagel Shop in Oakland.  I was happy with the toppings; the cream cheese is a little thin, but has a nice flavor, the lox is average but good, and the capers, red onion and tomato were in proper proportion.  I'm not sure I liked the untoasted bagel.  I felt it was harder to eat, and whatever it is I'm supposed to appreciate about the untoasted bagel, I couldn't here - there were just too many things going on.  I haven't given up, though; next time, I'll go back to plain ol' cream cheese on my Everything bagel, and I'll try it untoasted.

Patrick often gets two bagels, and when he does, one of the two of them is always raisin.  He's definitely a fan.


We hit this place up about once every month or so.  It's good for a fix, especially now that I know I can get a decent bagel with lox and cream cheese, toasted or not.

Lou's Cafe

photo - Yelp, Bailey N.

Lou's Cafe, Inner Richmond, Lunch

June 4, 2016

P:

Loquito - Chicken Breast, Avocado, Lime Juice, Jalapeno Rings, Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips, Monterey Jack Cheese, Lou's Special Sauce, on a Soft and Sweet Roll, toasted

J:

Design your own - Soft and Sweet Roll, Turkey, Everything (Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onions, Pickles, Lou's Special Sauce, Jalapeno Spread), Avocado

Notes:

Lou's is open 6 days a week, and on the weekends at least, there is always a line out the door - which may have been the reason it took us so long give it a try.

I am VERY into sandwiches, I always have been.  For some reason no one here in California seems to know how to make a good, basic, regular ol' submarine sandwich.  Instead, sandwiches around here are always on some fancy bread or roll, with wacky fillings, and they're toasted.  They're always toasted, for the love of Pete, always.  What is so wrong with a cold sandwich?  Now, I have nothing against those wackadoo sandwiches, or toasted sandwiches, but sometimes I just want a basic sandwich, with basic fillings on a soft white roll.

Well, I may have hit the mother lode at Lou's.  I had to build my own, but I was pretty happy with what I got.  The bread-to-everything-else ratio was a little off (the roll was a tad too big), but that was my only complaint.  Okay, yeah, and the green leaf lettuce may not have been shredded iceberg, but I still enjoyed every bite.  I heeded the advice of the menu board and went with their sauces, versus my preferred mayo+mustard (and oil & vinegar, when it's offered), and I regret nothing.

From their menu board:

Lou's Special Sauce is an aioli base spread which consists of garlic, mayonnaise and other natural herbs blended to perfection.  The Jalapeno Spread has an olive oil base designed to complement Lou's Special Sauce to add a hint of spice!  Ask for extra Jalapeno Spread to elevate the level of spiciness!!!

"TRUST US, YOU WANT LOU'S SPECIAL SAUCE AND THE JALAPENO SPREAD TOGETHER ON YOUR SANDWICH!!! TASTY AND DELICIOUS!!!"

Trust us, it says!  Tasty and delicious, it says!!  (Trust them.  They don't lie.)

Patrick isn't into sandwiches.  Patrick was...well, he'll have something else next time.  He picked one of Lou's menu board options - and Lou's has alot of 'em.  This one just seemed to have too much going on for him, and it didn't hit home.  I didn't care for it so much, but I was there for basic, and this one was wackadoo.  Though, I will say that soft and sweet roll toasts up nicely.


We will definitely brave that line again for a delicious Lou's sandwich.  Someday.

Fish.

photo - Yelp, Suliman A.

Fish., Dinner, Sausalito

May 28, 2016

P:

The Saigon King Salmon Sandwich - Grilled, marinated wild king salmon with a blend of fresh carrot, jalapeno, cilantro and house made Vietnamese ginger-scallion sauce atop a fresh roll; served with a choice of chili-lime coleslaw.

J:

Tuscan White Bean and Tuna Salad - The Fish. version of the old Italian classic, served with Iacopi bombaloni beans, house-poached albacore tuna, red onion, black olives, fresh lemon, olive oil and aged red wine vinegar.

Notes:

We've been to Fish. once before.  Today, it was our last stop before heading back home after a day of roaming aimlessly around the Bay Area.  (Side note: if you have never found yourself roaming aimlessly around town, I suggest you give it a try.)

Fish. is a sustainable seafood restaurant on the waterfront in Sausalito; their mission is to serve sustainable seafood alongside locally grown organic fruits and vegetables.  The food is always very good here.  I wouldn't say it's always amazing, but it's always very good.  Take the Saigon King Salmon Sandwich, for example.  The name suggests it will be a take on the Vietnamese sandwich: a soft roll filled with a rich meat (typically pâté, or roasted pork, or pork belly...and the list goes on), and filled with crunchy raw and pickled veggies, jalapenos and piquant sauces.  Well, here we had the soft roll going on, and the raw veggies, and a generous hunk of beautifully cooked salmon, but the whole was not greater than the sum of its parts.  The sandwich was plain, it had no zip; with a little something more, it could have been amazing.  The slaw, to boot.  No zip!  Where was the chili?  The lime?

And, then there was the Tuscan bean and tuna salad; I absolutely love this type of thing.  Here, it was a mountain of flaked tuna (I'm not kidding, it bordered on obscene), tossed with some giant white beans, a few slices of red onion and a smattering of black olives.  All good, but it was a little dry, and the flavors weren't coming together.  If you've ever had this dish made proper, and clearly whoever created this dish has not, no one ingredient overwhelms another (except for maybe the dressing - it's usually swimming in olive oil and lemon juice) and it's a magical combination of textures and flavors.  This dish was good, but missing the magic.

Though nothing we had this time was spectacular, most of what we had on our first visit was memorable, so I know this to be a great restaurant.  And, yes, it's expensive, but the portions are ridiculously huge.  We could easily get away with 1 dish between the two of us, which we'll try to remember next time we visit.

Padrecito

photo - Yelp, Tristan L.

Padrecito, Dinner, Cole Valley
May 18, 2016

P&J:
chips y salsas con guacamole
queso fundido - pt. reyes toma-oaxaca cheese, refried black beans y corn tortillas
sweet corn esquites
budino de chocolate (for dessert) - ancho-pepita brittle, 3 twins salted caramel ice cream y cajeta caramel

P:
chipotle chilaquiles - duck carnitas, fava beans, poblano pepper rajas, chipotle mole y crema latina
requero (cocktail) - blanco tequila, gran classico bitter aperitif, maraschino, lemon oil

J:
grilled arctic char tacos - achiote rub, avocado aioli y mango jicama slaw
pinata (cocktail) - reposado tequila, pineapple, serrano chile, rosemary, lime
boliviano (another cocktail) - bolivian pisco, lime, alpine herbal liqueur, pineapple cordial


Notes:
Patrick found out about this place one afternoon, and made reservations immediately thereafter.  We're both huge fans of Mexican cuisine.  I hadn't heard anything about it before, but only knew it was the sister (or should I say brother?) restaurant to Mamacita in the Marina.

In an attempt to be good girls and boys, and not order everything in sight like I usually try to make us do, we settled on an appetizer to share and an entree for each of us, with a vegetable side.  "Should we get chips and salsa?" he asked.  "No, it's fine, we can be good," I said.  We were seated near the kitchen, and one server after another walked through that doorway with chips and salsa, going to what seemed like every table but ours.  "I can't watch this anymore.  I think we need chips and salsa," he said.  I giggled.  We got the guacamole, too.

The chips were fresh, though not plentiful, I suppose a good thing given the amount of food we had coming.  They were served with three little pots of salsa - a mild tomatillo, a roasted tomato, and a smooth, smoky hot chipotle, Patrick's favorite.  The velvety guacamole was served with a little pot of fruity habanero salsa, which was my pick for best of the bunch.  It had an unbelievable amount of flavor, it went beyond just hot; eventually, I was putting it on everything (a little goes a long way).  The queso fundido was a nice surprise.  Well seasoned and smooth refried black beans rested below a generous layer of blistered, melty cheese, waiting to be mounded into fresh corn tortillas.  The beauty of this was that the cheese did not overwhelm in a tangled, stringy mess when you spooned it from the dish, and the piping hot beans underneath kept the cheese warm and gooey, long after it sat.

Next came our entrees and the veggie side.  Patrick's dish looked amazing, my tacos were simple but beautiful, and the corn looked like the thing I needed to try first so I did.  Aaannd, I lost my mind.  This corn was so flipping good that I couldn't think about anything else.  I took small bites and savored each one (I don't normally do this) because I wanted this dish of corn to last forever.  FOREVER!  It was a flavor bomb.  Corn, cut fresh off the cob, is mixed with a concoction of smoky ancho chile sauce and crema (think thin sour cream) and topped with salty cotija cheese and finely chopped pumpkin seeds.  Sounds simple, but it was so amazingly complex and mother loving delicious.

Patrick was pleased with his chilaquiles, but he didn't get too far into them, hoping to save himself for dessert.  His was a dish of corn tortilla chips tossed in a smoky chipotle mole with shreds of duck meat, tender fava beans and roasted poblano peppers scattered throughout.  For the tacos, fat pieces of arctic char, which took on the color and earthy, savory flavor of the achiote marinade, were finished on the grill and placed on warm, fresh tortillas (so good) with a finely cut slaw.  That habanero salsa was right at home with these babies.  These were both very good dishes, but I couldn't get over the corn; it was the winner.

We did end up having dessert, and we went for the chocolate budino, which was essentially a warm pudding cake, so I'm not sure I need to go into any more detail other than warm pudding cake.  It was delicious and chocolatey and rich and delicious.  Yeah, I said it twice.  Patrick was pleasantly surprised by this - he felt the menu description didn't do it justice, we only ordered the dessert on the recommendation of the server.  But had he known, HAD HE KNOWN!  He would have ordered it, himself, recommendations be damned!


Oh man, we'll be back.