The Cute Epicure

San Francisco has been known as the Paris of the West. With its foggy haze, eccentric writers, and ardor for coffee, it makes sense we love our cafes. Tucked away from the robust winds, one will find a plethora of nooks and crannies to sit back with an enticing book, warm conversation, and that promising cup of coffee.

As I sipped my instant coffee at home, I thought, Enough! I shall embark on an endeavor to give anyone the jitters. I shall find, the best of the best, the creme of the crop, the hoopla of hoops, in coffeehouses. But how does one cater to all the tastes in the Paris of the West? Well I thought, OK! I must do justice to the vastness of our offerings. And then the idea to came to me, there can’t be just one, but it must be a list of ones. It’s better for all that way. So I’ll choose a nice handful of the finest to suit the appetites of our Parisians.

I left the homestead and ventured into the streets of fog and dog shit. On the hunt, there was something to be considered: San Franciscans like a competition. Ask anyone where the best neighborhood to live in is and you’ve forfeited your afternoon away to a debate of the city’s finest neighborhoods. But I digress… I traveled far and wide, over and under, and as I trembled my hand to my mouth after twenty-something cup, I did feel it was time, time to give the list, and here are the city’s finest coffeehouses:

Philz Coffee – The menu offers twenty blends that are all uniquely named and described on their menus. Each order is made one cup at a time. The baristas are knowledgeable and passionate about personalizing each brew. Like a good bartender, they’ll serve it up just how you ask it, straight, dirty with some cream or sugar, or with a sprig of mint.

Blue Bottle – Vienese coffee beans roasted 48 hours or less ago and personally brewed for each cup ordered. Taste the organic, pesticide-free, shade-grown beans in one sip and you are spoiled for the rest of your coffee drinking days. The location ambiances vary as much as the clientele, from an alley kiosk in Hayes to a modern space in the Mint Plaza.

Ritual Coffee Roasters – Green coffee roasting continually on the premises, you smell the freshness up the block. You take a sip, it just tastes better. Cement flooring and wooden furniture adds a warehouse feel to this establishment in the Mission. Fashionable hipsters mingle with SOMA sophisticates.

Trouble Coffee –  Nestled deep in the Sunset District. For $8 you can get a cup of coffee, a slice of cinnamon toast, and a coconut. A homey space to sit back with the paper (or iPad) and read away the morning.

De La Paz – A specialty coffee roasting company based out of the Mission. Their roasted beans are sold in cafes throughout the city. Serious business for them and they continue to keep it localized and unique. Technically not a sit-in cafe, but it brings the coffeehouse to your home or office.

Caffe Capriccio – Crazy not to list Caffe Trieste as the best in North Beach? Give me a chance to prove Caffe Capriccio. Sure it’s on a corner with al fresco seating like the older establishment down the block, but Capriccio emphasizes seasonal, local, and organic beans from sustainable farmers. The French Press or espresso will give you a kick for your buck, deep and rich, full and smooth. Plus, the menu is delicious.

Little Bird Coffeehouse – Whiskey Thieves owners opened the joint in the Tenderloin. The ‘bar’ of coffeehouses, this place serves it up to clientele hipsters and downtown goers. They offer Ritual and De La Paz beans, dripped by hand or pulled espresso on their snazzy bar. Worth checking out.

Asian Art Museum & MATCHA present: Shanghai’s Drunken Dish

San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum hosted another successful MATCHA event entitled “Drunken Dish” on the 19th. The evening of art, music, drinks, and culinary pleasures featured Shanghai’s gastronomic repertoire of dishes where food is dressed in wine. The starring chefs were Chef Nei Chia Ji of San Francisco’s Jai Yun and Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook. If this event foreshadows anything to come from the inner workings of the Asian Art Museum, then foodies and art connoisseurs alike are in for a great surprise of collaboration!

To recap the evening’s experience on mingling among hot San Franciscans, interviewing Chef Nei Chia Ji himself, and viewing Asian cultural artifacts, I will hand it over to my date from the night, the dapper Avi Fogel, writer and performer:

“It is indeed a brave new world. I had the pleasure to meet and discuss, life, philosophy and organic food with China’s new ‘’it’’ man about everything tasty under the sun. Accompanied by Maureen Olund, we leapt into a world of delicious subject matter lead by the distinguished Chef Nei Chia Ji.

Humble yet passionate about transforming peoples views on organic cuisine, the soft-spoken chef, informed us of his desire and real need to make organic food something more obtainable to the everyman.

With no formal training, Chef Nei has created quite a following for his organic and nutritional dishes. Growing up in the colorful streets of China and then diving into the lime light of the culinary world (with such unforgettable dishes as his famous drunken chicken), Chef Nei has learned first hand how to mold new world taste with old world charm.

This was mirrored in the crowded halls of the museum as Michael Jackson’s thriller shared the same space with classical statues, paintings and artwork from 6,000 years of history all under the same roof. Needless to say we were all in good company that night.”

For upcoming events presented by MATCHA, visit their website.

Warning: May cause hedonistic tendencies

Ingredients:
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (recommended: Häagen-Dazs)
Shaved Dark Chocolate (recommended: Valrhona)
Macerated Blueberries
Fresh Whipped Cream
Aged Port (recommended: Sandeman Ruby)

For macerated blueberries: Wash and drain. Sprinkle white granulated sugar over the blueberries. Stir and set aside. Allow 10 minutes. The blueberries will release their natural juices and create their own syrup.

For fresh whipped cream: In a large bowl, whip cream using whisk until stiff peaks are just about to form. Sweeten with sugar if desired, but recommended trying without. The tangy nature enhances and balances the sweet ingredients. Set aside.

Use a large wine glass or brandy glass for elegance. (Make this an occasion, so no paper plates here.)

One healthful scoop of ice cream. If you cannot find vanilla bean, plain vanilla will do just fine.

Scoop the blueberries over the ice cream.

Now, pour the desired amount of ruby port over the ice cream. The longer a port has been aged, the sweeter and more intense the flavor. When choosing your port, don’t skimp on quality here. (This is one sundae not to tighten the belt with.)

Spoon whipped cream over the sundae.

Add shaved chocolate over the top for a finale of decadence.

Recommended Eating: Enjoy with a loved one for sensual evening.

Virgin version: Try aged balsamic vinegar. The longer it has been aged, the denser in consistency and sweeter in flavor it is. Salt brings out the sweet in desserts. Our tongues like balance which favor the palette.

Farina’s Handkerchief Pasta with Genovese Basil Pesto

Perhaps moaning out loud, scraping the plate for the last morsels of your dinner, and ceasing conversation over dinner because of the intense focus on the meal is not the socially polite thing to do.

Well, sometimes it’s best to throw rules to the wind and take pleasure in the flavors of delicious gastronomy. Feed this rebel side of you with Farina Focaccia & Cucina Italiana. And start with the pasta.

Farina’s much-lauded handkerchief pasta with pesto lives up to its hype with its silky texture and creamy sauce. It is simple yet refined. The bright green hue of the sauce communicates its freshness from the moment it’s ladled over pasta and placed before your beaming eyes. The pasta glides into your mouth and the bite melts away within seconds. Close your eyes and dream of Italian countryside or open your eyes and appreciate the urban-sophisticate atmosphere inside the restaurant.

Farina Focaccia & Cucina Italiana is an experience to disrupt dinner conversation and make it socially polite to eat in silence on a dinner date.

Feeding the Appetites of San Fran’s FiDi

It’s 12pm on a Thursday in San Francisco’s Financial District (FiDi). A mass of men and women flock the streets, chatting up business proposals and weekend plans. The restaurant scene will agree: it’s business time. Dining is everywhere, from Chinese take-out to elegant sashimi. Around here, eateries cater to ones working hard and hardly working.

Approaching New Montgomery street, a line has wrapped around what appears to be a tiny cigar shop turned sandwich joint. Chef and owner Dennis Leary opened The Sentinel after his huge success with local dining hotspot Canteen. Leary, can be found behind the counter directing shots, assembling meat and bread, or taking orders at the cashier. Leary not only packs the establishment with gourmet ingredients and loyal customers, but with tons of personality. Don’t be alarmed but you have been warned: Leary is known to have a ‘no fuss, no mess’ attitude with all. He has been compared to Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi by many. He is a hard act to follow, just like the lingering tastes of his sandwiches.

The seasonal menu features items such as pork loin, spicy tuna, and lamb. One not to miss is the popular corned beef with cabbage, Russian dressing, and Swiss cheese. It is deliciously layered between warm baked bread and truly a taste of old Ireland. Follow up next door in the House of Shields for a proper Guinness. Though be wary of a possible decrease in work productivity for the day.

Noted, Leary does not forget his dessert. Every morning, Leary decides whether it’s a baked apricot crisp, strawberry rhubarb pie, or peach cobbler kind of day. Perfect to finish off the finger-licking grub. Along with the sandwiches and dessert, there is a daily featured hot meal. Leary tweets his featured item on The Sentinel’s Twitter account. So, not a luncher? The Sentinel loves its early birds, serving up rich espresso and warm coffee cake in the morning.

To the broker and broke, The Sentinel fits the bill for all appetites.