Just Winter 2012 Dine About Town . . .

Kobe Beef Tartare

Loyal Readers may recall the San Francisco foodie event known as Dine About Town which I have written about in the past.  This 11th Annual Event is when a wide variety of restaurants throughout the city offer prix-fixe two course lunch menus for $17.95 and three course dinner menus for $34.95 for two weeks.  

Dine About Town is a great opportunity to try new restaurants or return to an old favorite.

This year my friend An picked Chez Papa Bistro for our culinary adventure.  Chez Papa Bistro is a small quaint restaurant located at the corner of 18th and Missouri Streets in Potrero Hill.

I will start off by saying this restaurant is very small and they pack as many tables as they can in the front of the house.  If you are looking for a quiet intimate dining experience this might not be for you as the noise level is quite high.  Be prepared to lean in for any conversation you might want to have.

For my three course meal I started out with the Kobe Beef Tartare with Dijon Mustard, Ketchup, Parsley, Shallots, Capers, Cornichons and Quail Egg.  This was a great starter.  It is lightly seasoned and goes well with the toasted bread slices it came with.  I would recommend breaking the quail egg and spreading it over the Kobe beef for additional flavor.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli

For my second course I chose the Wild Mushrooms Ravioli with Truffle Oil, and Shaved Parmesan Cheese.  This dish far exceeded my expectations.  My only complaint is that there were only two large ravioli on the plate.  It was so good I wanted more!

Chocolate Fondant with Creme Anglaise

For the third course I chose the Chocolate Fondant with Creme Anglaise.  This was very rich and decadent.  If you like chocolate fondant you will probably like this, however I feel like chocolate fondant is something that you can get at any restaurant.

For something different try the Lavender Creme Brulee; which was the dish An chose for her third course.  The lavender made for a lite yet fulfilling way to wrap up the meal.  After the rich flavor of the Wild Mushroom Ravioli I think the Lavender Creme Brulee would have been a better third course for me to choose.

Out of all the Dine About Town experiences I have had, Chez Papa Bistro is by far the best quality offering so far.  The good news for you Loyal Readers is that Chez Papa Bistro is going to offer their Dine About Town Menu year round!  So even though the official event ends on January 31, 2012; patrons at Chez Papa Bistro will be able to continue enjoying the above meal throughout the year.

Just A Treat From Piccino . . .

If you are on the hunt for a great mocha and pastry in the Dogpatch district of San Francisco be sure to stop into Piccino's Coffee Bar on 22nd Street.

This side cut out off of Piccino's restaurant on 22nd and Minnesota Street is perfect for picking up your morning java with a freshly baked artisan sticky bun or quiche.

I chose the bacon and Gruyere quiche on this visit and it was a savory slice of heaven.

I can also attest for Piccino's restaurant where I enjoyed one of the best salads I have ever tasted.  As I type this sentence thinking about the kale and butternut squash salad with pomegranates, toasted pecans, and celery root puree; it just makes my mouth water.

Piccino's should be on everyone's must try list!

Just Somebody That I Used To Know . . .

This is fantastic!  Thanks Dyanna for sending me the link!

The band is Walk Off The Earth and they have since performed this song live on the Ellen Show.

Just The Plaid Rap . . .

There is a shout out to The Gap and Old Navy's Plaid Shirts in this YouTube clip!

And while we're on the subject of Gap Plaid, here is the classic "Plaid Romance" by Lady GapGap from a few years back.

Just A Cup Of Roadhouse Coffee . . .

 I tried Roadhouse Coffee Co. on Third Street this week and had a delicious Mexican Mocha.

This mocha had a little extra kick from the added spices which gave it a unique flavor.

In addition to coffee; Roadhouse also has a wide variety of baked goods, bagels, and sandwiches.

I had the Cinnamon Crumb Cake which was very moist and sweet.  The cake was even better when served slightly warm.

If you are craving a small "Mom and Pop" coffee over the big brand machine of Starbucks stop into Roadhouse Coffee Co.

Just Live Your Life (Jan. 21, 2012) . . .

Regulation 21

You are required to work at whatever you are told to do.

Institution Rules & Regulations U.S. Penitentiary Alcatraz

Just Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous . . .

It's been over 30 days since the Bay Area has experienced rain and this week we finally got a downpour.  

After less than 24 hours of rain I was already over it.  The dry spell, though bad for snow pack and the drought was kind of making winter in San Francisco AWESOME!

Maybe it was a subconscious wish for dry warmer weather or just a desire to fill my sweet tooth's needs; but during one of the big downpours I found my way to Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous ice cream shop.

I have been wanting to try this hip ice creamery since it opened in 2010 and have just never hit it at the right time.

Located in the City's historic Dog Patch district it's clean aesthetic, minimal vintage decor, and daily evolving menu just may cause me to make a return visit.

On this rainy day I had the Caramel with Sea Salt.  It was quite tasty, but I couldn't help but notice they also had cookies, peanut brittle, and peanut butter malt balls.   Maybe next time.  I didn't want to over do it on my first time.

Just For Etta . . .

Cyndi Lauper performs At Last.

From the 2003 album At Last.

Just Mr. G and Celine . . .

From Summer Heights High.

Best Show Ever!

Just The NFC Divisional Playoff . . .

I went to my first San Francisco 49ers game and it just so happened to be the NFC Divisional Playoff!

It was an incredible game with lots of ups and downs and in the end the "Faithful" were rewarded with a win, because "Who's got it better than us?  Nobody!"

Fireworks Pre-Show

Let The Game Begin!

We Just Scored!

My Favorite Sign - Defense!

The Gold Rush Doing A Dance

Two Lone Brave Saints Fans In A Sea Of Red!

The Moment Of Victory 36-32, San Francisco 49ers Beat The New Orleans Saints!

The Aftermath Of Victory!

The Sun Sets On Candlestick Park

Eat More Cake Mix . . .

I seem to create the most dialogue on this blog when I talk about food, so here is my latest kitchen adventure.  

I volunteered earlier this week to make something "Sweet" for our "Post Holiday - Holiday Party" at work.  After a long day at the office I was not overly excited to have to start baking at 8 o'clock at night, but I didn't want to take the easy road by just buying something pre-made at the store.

I opted to whip up a batch of Aunt Barbara's Graham Cracker Toffee Bars.

Loyal Readers may recall the last time I made a batch of these I won the Cookie Category of the Holiday Bake Off at work.

The cookies were just as popular this year as they were in the past.

I had some extra graham crackers so I thought I would try crushing up some graham crackers into pancake batter for some extra texture and sweetness.  

I used:

• 2 Crushed Honey Graham Crackers
• 3/4 Cup Bisquick
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup Milk

The "Grahamcakes" should be cooked on a slightly lower flame than what you would typically cook a pancake on to avoid burning the graham.

The end result was a tasty variation on a standard pancake.

The Song Of The Day - Kandi (Eat More Cake Mix) by One Eskimo

Meet Me . . .

The streets of the downtown Financial District in San Francisco are filled with office towers that reach towards the heavens creating a beautiful and unique skyline.  These office towers are filled with the headquarters of numerous large corporations.

The City by the Bay is also known for restaurants run by world renowned chefs.   So it is not a shock that the cafeterias of these large corporations can become the "hot" lunch meal ticket.

At one point the Gap cafeteria which is also known as the "Gapeteria" even had its own Yelp review. (A link that has mysteriously disappeared off the Yelp site.)

Why is the Gapeteria so popular?  

Well, first there is the view.  The largest of the Gapeterias sits on the seventh floor of their headquarters overlooking the Embarcadero.  On a clear day the view from the outside terraces is nothing short of spectacular.  The second reason the Gapeteria is popular is because of the reported high percentage of young professional single females that work for the company.

In recent years the Gapeteria faced competition from Google who allegedly offers free lunches to their employees.  One campus of these major corporations sit on opposite sides of the same street on the same block.  The Gapeteria is located on the North side of the street and the Google cafeteria is on the South side.  Both cafeterias face the Bay.  These two "G" cafeterias, Gap and Google, are now equally highly sought after invites from individuals who have building security clearance.   

Last month while walking down the street facing the Google headquarters I looked up and saw a series of signs hanging in the windows.

"Hi Gap!  Lunch On Your Deck?" said one.

Other signs had faces drawn on them with thought bubbles; but they all included a request for an invite to the Gapeteria.

This request seemed rather puzzling since the Google employees allegedly get free lunch. 

I turned around to look up at the Gap building to see if anyone had responded to the request and there were no postings.

This week as I went to meet a friend for lunch, I was walking toward the Gap building and there they were; responses back to all the Google requests for a lunch dates.

Notice that the Gap took the time to actually draw Google's rainbow logo on their sign.  Nice touch!

I am looking forward to see what next week's signs will say.

Hopefully the lunch date on 1/3/12 went well.

The Song Of The Day - Meet Me Halfway by the Black Eyed Peas

Baby You're A Firework . . .

Happy New Year from the fireworks display in San Francisco, CA Jan 1, 2012!

The Song Of The Day - Firework (Glee Cast Version) by Glee Cast