What a great city it is! Vibrant and welcoming with an outdoorsey-lifestyle that lasts all year round. Beautiful waterfronts, parks and piers. And food. Good food. Damn good food! We are talking fresh-from-the-farm fruits and vegetables. Just-caught seafood. And an incredible group of chefs who are doing magical things with these fabulous ingredients.
This was my third visit to San Francisco…. and I was excited to hit all the must-do items I had added to my list since the last time I was here. Needless to say - they all had to do with food!!!
First on my list was a Moroccan gem named Aziza where chef Mourad Lahlou is taking traditional recipes and presenting them with a Michelin-starred panache. The cocktails on this menu are muddled in-house with fresh herbs and they are a must try. I LOVED the olives on the menu. Pickled and amazingly creamy in texture, they have set a new olive-eating bar for me. The lamb shank was another standout because I have never tasted such melt-in-your-mouth texture of lamb. I don’t know how chef Mourad does it… and now I am feeling compelled to buy his cookbook to discover the answer.
The next day dinner plans took me to the Ferry building by the water where The Slanted Door by James Beard award winning chef Charles Phan is causing quite a stir. Here chef Phan presents a contemporary yet incredibly authentic version of Vietnamese food. Each dish is conceived and perfected in his text kitchen before it makes it on the menu. You must they the fried spring rolls. They were simply divine.
An afternoon is is well spent getting totally lost in the treasures of the wonderful and eclectic Mission District. Boutique stores and hip eateries dot the the two major must-visit streets: Valencia and Guerrero streets. You must stop by and enjoy the chocolatey treats at Dandelion Chocolates. But whatever you do…. do not miss the “The Rebel Within” and “Chocolate Croissant Stack” at Craftsman and Wolves right next door!
Being so close to the wine region merits at least a day trip, right? But not for the wine! Nope. This foodie goes there for the food. A French Dip Sandwich was calling my name…. It has been engraved in my memory ever since my first bite a couple of years ago. I have tried many other versions since then but none could match up to the one at Rutherford Grill in Rutherford. The thinly sliced beef is so tender and juicy. The au jus intensifies the flavor of the beef without too much additional seasoning. And the bread has the perfect amount of airiness to soak up all that au jus elixir. Yum!!!
On the way to Napa region, we detoured via highway 1 to visit a delightful little oyster shack. A couple of years ago Hog Island Oyster Co., near the town of Marshall, was a makeshift shack, serving freshly caught and shucked raw oyster. A handful of old-ish and weathered wooded tables and benches right by the water was all they had to offer back then. This time we discovered that the operation has really grown. They now have a “proper” shack offering raw as well as BBQ oysters.. wine…..beer…. proper restrooms and even a valet!!! Still a really really cool place to enjoy nature’ s bounty.
And now for the highlight of my trip. The one and only Chez Panisse in Berkley. This restaurant and it’s owner Alice Waters are legends in their own right. You notice how these days we hear a lot of buzz about farm or table dining, right? Heck it’s the latest marketing catch-phrase. But Alice Waters was already doing it at Chez Panisse since the 70’s!!! Chez Panisse is committed to healthful, organic, and sustainable dining. The restaurant has close ties with farmers and purveyors within a small radius. Food just tastes that much better here - simply by knowing that you are dining at a legendary place which offers such incredible ingredients. I mean, one of the items on the dessert menu was a bowl of fresh ….. Oranges. Just that!!! Why muck around with something that is already so fresh and so delicious! Doesn’t it offer a whole new meaning to “pure and simple”!
I noticed a lot of fruity and citrusy spritzers on the menus in California. They are such a great alternative to sugar and chemical laden canned sodas. They offer just the right hint of sweetness and tang - but a whole lot of brightness and spunk.
Ahhh… still so much to explore and discover in the vicinity of San Francisco. Guess they will have to wait until my next visit!
