I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at his inaugural Duck themed menu this past weekend.  Here’s a photo journal of the meal.  But since discovering the process that lead to what is on your plate is such a key part of the experience, I’m going to hold back on commentary and critiques (it’s not like I’m unbiased anyway.)  Instead, I encourage you to take the plunge and join Eddie for dinner on an upcoming Sunday night, and find out what’s going on in that head of his, and the story behind each dish. If you’re the process driven creative type, this is the meal you’ll want to try. To find out more about the menu, you’ll just have to reserve a seat at the bar.

Early Cherry Aperitif
Early Sweet cherries, nigori, bluecoat gin, floc de gascgne and mint

Duck Egg in Tart
fried sous vide egg, english peas, baby carrots, ramp duck bechamel gravy

Smoked Pears Smoked Duck Breast “Tataki”
cherry wood cold smoke, aged shoyu citrus gastrique

Dux Poutine
pomme dauphine, duck confit, foie balsamic glaze, goat cheese curd, mizuna

Dux Tsukemen
”00” tagliatelle pasta, honjuku duck egg, fromage de canard

Foie Gras Chantilly on Strawberry Genoise
smoked strawberry compote, meyer lemon marscapone

As my wife will tell you, I have a slightly obsessive streak in me.  Often it works to my benefit, such as when I’m nurturing a beer or soda recipe, constantly tinkering with it, redoing it, trying to get it just right.   Or the time I went on my lamb burger kick, constantly returning to the grill to make it just a little bit better. Other times it can be less productive – such as when I want the highest possible score in a video game.  It extends to restaurants too: I’ll find an exciting new place, and return repeatedly, trying everything on the menu and quickly achieving regular status.  It’s particularly true for lunch, where a strict time limit and limited choices out in the Inner Sunset where I maintain a day job mean that a new offering gets a lot of attention from me and my belly.

And the new offering I’m at twice a week right now: Wooly Pig Cafe.  On a quiet street in between Golden Gate Park and UCSF, there are some great sandwiches being made.

It’s all about the details to make a sandwich move “pretty good” to “outstanding” and Wooly Pig makes the jump seem casual and inevitable.  Fresh daily bread from Semifreddi’s is toasted to order.  The green for each salad (and there are quite a few based on the house list of special sandwiches) are individually dressed like a tiny salad before being piled on top of the ingredients.  Housemade flavored mayos are kept ready to go, and squeezed with  abandon.   Clearly, I’m not the only obsessive in the restaurant when I visit.

Here are some of my favorites at the Wooly Pig:

The Asian Tuna – lightly dressed tuna is flavored with lime and wasabi, then dressed with fennel and avocado. It’s like a sushi roll re imagined as a tuna sandwich.  My go-to order.  You can see the finished sandwich getting final touches at the top of the post.

The Briny Egg – Egg Salad served open face on a Ciabatta roll, mixed with pickles, capers and topped with anchovies.

And then there is my favorite sandwhich: the special Bánh Mì (Hidden Menus, get on this!).  While the normal one, made with pate and cold cuts is good and all, sometimes they break out the big guns, and offer and off-menu special.  The best is the black pepper braised pork shoulder, slow cooked and sliced thick under a  pile of lightly dressed green papaya salad.  All of which is put on a nicely toasted, soft roll (again, GREAT bread choices here.)

When I went in with my camera last week, a new filling had appeared: Vietnamese meatballs.

Surprisingly light, with a nice balanced sweetness from the basil, the meatballs were pretty good.  But the pork shoulder is still my favorite.

Of course, you could just get whatever soup is on special.  Last week, it was a coconut curry udon noodle offering.

Of course, I have to mention the namesake Wooly Pig Sandwich: carmel braised pork belly topped with lightly dressed arugula.  The greens add a nice peppery balance to the fatty pork, but this is not a “go back to your desk” sandwich.  This is a “take a nap after lunch” sandwich.

The Veggie Sandwich also reaches far beyond a veggie burger.  Slices of roasted beets, matched with goat cheese and french green beans.  Lots of texture, great flavors.  Even my IT coworkers love this one (an impressive feat.)

This also goes great with their house made iced teas – here is their blackberry infused tea.

Plus, there are nooks and cranny of their menu I’ve gotten to yet.  Such as their Croque Monsieur or turkey melt.  Guess I’ll have to go back, and extra time to try that too.

After a brisk walk through a orthodox Jewish neighborhood, the restaurant was easy to pick out: it was the one with no hebrew sign, and instead, a pig. Upon sitting down the waitress asked if we have any food allergies.  ”No” we replied, “Good – there is shellfish is just about everything.”   My kind of place.

The drinks, complete with smokey and spicy touches, were just OK.  On message, sure, but not my favorite (PDT, on the other hand, was great) Of course, I have no idea what they are now.  But they are pretty!

Heritage Pork Ribs with smoked fish-palm syrup, Indonesian long pepper.  The sauce is outstanding.  But maybe because it was just the edge of the rack, the tenderness of meat left something to be desired.

Broccoli Salad, charred and raw, lemon preserve, lardo, toasted dry chili.  Outstanding.  I was a particular fan of the raw stalks, shaved into thin noodles.  Little bits of lardo punctuated the dish perfectly.

Smoky Bone Broth: smoked bone broth with galangal, Chinese celery.  I love a dish that simply stands as a statement of purpose.  Simple but with complex flavors, nothing to hide behind, and a great warmer on a cold winter night.

Brandt Ranch Beef Brisket with chili jam, aioli, bao, pickled red onion, bone broth. Now we’re getting to the good stuff.  Great smokey flavor and texture on the brisket, perfectly packaged as a makr your own bun.

Add a touch of the house sauce (the same that came on the ribs), which is sweet, but balanced with smoke and heat, and you’ve got something.

Our last dish was one of the highlights of the trip: Smoked Blue Crab Laksa.  Loaded with crab, and a deep, rich broth overflowing with crabby goodness, it actually gave me pause to which side of the dungeness vs blue crab fight I stood on.

My friend Aaron heartily approved.

I came to New York demanding to be impressed.  Show me the differences between SF and NYC food I thought.  Fatty Cue did just that.  While slightly uneven, the highs easy smoothed over my complaints, and left an impression on me. I could really go for a bowl of Crab Laksa right now.

On 24th street in the Mission, not too far from where I live, there used be to a halal butcher. I loved that butcher shop, and feasted on lamb necks regularly.  When it unexpected closed, I was crushed.

But then something new came in.  Something exciting. It was a sandwich shop.  No, wait, a bakery and brunch spot.  Err, make that a cook book library and community space.  And there was something about Jewish mysticism that kept popping up on the blogs.  I was curious, and confused.

What finally did open was Local: Mission Eatery.

In what seems to be a common trend (See also: The Summit) Local introduced itself as a complicated hybrid concept of being a mixed use space – not strictly a restaurant, but more.  I’ve visited them a lot as they’ve evolved over the last year, and think they’ve sanded off a lot of their rough edges, refined what they are doing, simplified menus and expanded their vision.  As a disclaimer for what follows: I couldn’t be considered even close to an impartial with my regular seat at the kitchen bar, and after especially teaching a lab on beer.

So here’s the thing: I think that I’m going to stop being able to walk in on a thursday night and get a seat without waiting, and soon. I predict, in the next few months, you’re going to be hearing a lot of these guys. Expect to see Knead’s Pomme de Amour show up on a lot of “best bites” lists,  blogs to wax rhapsodic on the Andy’s fried pickles, and even reputable print media to discover Jake’s pates.  Word will get out on thier innovative menu pricing with all of the dishes being available as either apps or entrees (Tip: get all apps, and get a couple of them.) The kitchen puts out unassuming but consistently surprising food, often with a refined twist. Chef Jake has a few pet styles and techniques which pop up regularly, lending them a nice signature style beyond the local and organic emphasis.

Whenever I’m asked for a restaurant recommendation lately, they have been high on my list, I’ve been remise about recommending them on this blog. But hey, a SF Beer Week special pairing menu with Sudwerk seemed like just the occasion to bring the camera to dinner.  While it’s not thier usual dinner service, it highlights many of the things I’ve grown to adore.

So, here we go.

We started out with Sudwerk’s Hefe – a classic german wheat beer, overflowing with clove and banana. It was paired with a Chicory Salad with pickled shallots, pistachio butter, blood and cara cara oranges.  I particularly liked the pistachio butter underneath the salad, which acted like a sauce for the biter greens and fruit above it. As with everything every plate, it’s very on-message with local, seasonal ingredients put together with housemade everything. It’s the fine details – perfect citrus supremes, careful green tearing and great seasoning that it rises to more. The pairing tapped that classic orange with a wheat beer character notes, but with a nicely updated take.

Speaking of which, how outstanding have the blood oranges been this season?  I’m obsessed.

Meanwhile, quail eggs fried for the next course.  Always a good thing.

The space is warm and inviting, full of reclaimed wood and art. They’ve added additional tables in back and hung curtains that make the space feel more “whole” than it did when it first opened. The space fits comfortably into a dinner setting as well as a casual lunch spot.

The open kitchen makes it easy to snoop in and see what’s cooking. If you’re sitting at the bar, the chefs will deliver most dishes to you themselves.

Next: Tete De Cochon with beer mustard, fried quails eggs and pickles, paired with a Marzen.  Here we get a few of Jake’s favorite touches: housemade pickled fennel and housemade mustard, along with a dish utilizing the whole pig.  It’s fatty and indulgent, with just he right acidity to balance it. The cold pork had a wonderful delicateness to its flavor. The pairing was OK – I was looking for some hops and bitterness to balance the pork, but the Marzen got by.

Then: Beer Braised Lamb with celery root puree, fava greens, smoked potatoes, apples.  Smoked anything – in this case potatoes – are another pet speciality.  Keep an eye out for his smoked kale on the regular menu.  The lamb is intensely gamey with a deep, rich lacquer.  The paired Doppel Bock pulls out the smoke and richness again, like the Marzen, but this intensely reduced shoulder needs more to stand up to it.

Dessert is cheese (Win, although I’m disappointed not to see Knead have a hand in the meal.) Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar with beer nuts, quince.  The cheddar is complex and extremely sharp, and nicely complimented with the sweet tinged sides.  The beer, a Dunkelweizen on tap, is the stand out best beer of the night. I would have loved to have it alongside the lamb or the tete de cochon.

I know I’ve knocked the pairings a bit here, but don’t get me wrong: I love Sudwerks craft lagers. They’re classic styles, low bitterness and malt forward character is outstanding.  Just, maybe not the best match for the kitchen’s earthy and rich style.  I think his regular menu is done a great service by his regular bottle list, featuring Odonata Saison, Napa Smith Pale Ale and He’brew’s Lenny RIPA – all beers with a lot of acidity and bitterness to balance the food. I think that’s why the Sudwerk’s wheat beers were the best of the night.

So, great food with good pairings carried the night – which isn’t a bad way to spend a night in the Mission during SF Beer Week.   It was an easy ticket to get this year.  I doubt that’ll be the case by this time next February.  By then, I expect word to have gotten out.

]]> http://beerandnosh.com/2011/02/local-mission-eatery/feed/ 3 http://beerandnosh.com/2011/01/momofuko-ssam-bar-nyc/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=momofuko-ssam-bar-nyc http://beerandnosh.com/2011/01/momofuko-ssam-bar-nyc/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:56:54 +0000 Jesse http://beerandnosh.com/?p=2667 I made my first trip to New York in many, many years this January.  Besides confirming I’ve turned into a soft, squishy Californian who isn’t built of bitter east coast winters.  I explored Manhattan and Brooklyn, eating everything I could find. Plus, it was warm in the restaurants. First up: Momofuko Ssam Bar.

After all of the hype regarding David Chang and the Momofuko restaurants over the last few years. maybe it’s to be expected that they can’t possibly live up to expectations.  I went in looking to really see the difference between New York City and San Francisco dining.  What I found was a good restaurant – with some great dishes, some I was less impressed with. Maybe it’s a matter of the influence of Momofuko spreading well beyond its own doors in the ensuing years, what the restaurant I found could easily be at home in San Francisco, and be a popular neighborhood spot.

First a beer: Pretty Thing’s Saint Botolph’s Town.  Malty with a great yeasty twang.  Outstanding.

Special Pork Bun with Crispy Belly, avocado and smoked mayo.

Pickle plate.  Quite possibly the highlight of the meal.  Simply Outstanding.

Benton’s Country Ham, Served with red-eye gravy.  The Benton’s ham as just as aggressively smokey as it is back home.  The Red Eye gravy was an inspired touch.

Veal sweetbreads with almond, sauerkraut, thai chili.  Good, but unremarkable.

Roasted duck with cashew, plum, endive.  Also good, but someone what disjointed, and it turns out, lentils are very hard to eat with chopsticks.

The terrine, while smooth in texture, was surprisingly springy and dense.

After we completed the savory portion of the meal, we headed next door for crack pie at the Milk Bar.

The crack pie was great.  Insanely rich, with something akin to the texture of a lemon bar, but with butter flavor instead.

]]> http://beerandnosh.com/2011/01/momofuko-ssam-bar-nyc/feed/ 1 http://beerandnosh.com/2010/11/duck-duel-dinner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=duck-duel-dinner http://beerandnosh.com/2010/11/duck-duel-dinner/#comments Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:29:24 +0000 Jesse http://beerandnosh.com/?p=2614

If you don’t currently read Hank Shaw’s excellent blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook you are missing out.  Centered around cultivating ones own food and then preparing it with care and technique, every time I read his blog, it makes me feel, well, lazy. I didn’t shoot my own dinner, much less create plates that look anything like his works of art. He pairs great cooking with exceptional writing and photos, and is recognized for his work: he’s quickly becoming the official bridesmaid of the James Beard Awards.

So, when Hank announced he was going to be doing a second “Duck Off” dinner at Grange in Sacramento in competition with Grange executive chef Michael Tuohy, Elianna and I loaded up into a car and headed out into the Central Valley for a feast of water fowl.

The premise is simple: we would be served four savory courses, each labeled A and B.  We wouldn’t know whose dish was whose, and vote on each course.  Smartly both chefs left the sweet work to the resident pastry chef  Elaine Baker (otherwise we would have ended up with duck panna cotta.  eww.)

Ballots in hand, we started eating and voting.

First a beer: I opted for a big bottle of North Coast’s Le Merle.   I figured the classic farmhouse saison would be a good pairing as we worked our way through the meal, and the phenolic kick from the yeast would be a nice compliment to the gaminess of the duck.  As an all purpose pairing, it worked quite well.

Amuse Bouche: Little Egg stuffed with duck liver mouse on yuzu gelee

Versus Duck Tartare with olive, capers, roasted peppers and garlic.

A fun start to the meal. The precious stuffed quail eggs took the first round, balanced by the yuzu below.  The tartar, while tasty was overwhelmed by the garlic.

First: Duck Consomme with foie gras dumpling, matsutake mushroom and radish sprouts

Versus: Duck Liver Tortelloni with duck eggs in a rich duck broth.

Dueling crystal clear consommes! Clearly, someone knows the way to my heart.  Sadly, both tea cups of broth were barely warm when they arrived at our table – a technical issue that really got into the way of a strong dish.  The tortelloni has a great, delicate broth, but the day was won by the foie dumpling with an outstanding creamy texture floating in smokey consomme.

Next:  Duck Confit with pickled daikon and mango salad with shiso and quince syrup.

Versus: Duck leg stuffed with duck & pork longaniza sausage with bitter greens.

I wanted to love the duck leg so much, but it was again marred with technical issues.  It was underseasoned and the sausage inside the leg was dry and crumbly. The crispy skin on either piece was great, but the point went to the confit, almost by default.

Main: Spice Scented Duck Breast with sweet potato, baby bock choy and persimmon

Versus: Duck breast roulade with swiss chard, celery root puree, chanterelles and rue.

The best competing pairs of the evening.  As soon as the roulade hit the table, I recognized the wrapped-in-chard technique from one of Hank’s posts.   The duck was well cooked, perfectly tender and gorgeous to look at.   Across the plate, the spice scented duck was also good, and the roasted persimmon was a great surprise.  But the point here went to Hank for his delicate touch with the roulade.

Finally, dessert: Mincemeat Strudel with Calvados Hard Sauce and apple-foie butter.

A great end to the meal, with a nice balance of savory and sweet, and a killer apple-foie butter.  The duck here played a supporting role, blending in nicely with the fruit and sugar of dessert.

All told, it was a great evening.  A few of our dishes were marred by technical issues, but the playfulness of each plate couldn’t be kept down.  Each dish was fun to eat and scrutinize, votes were labored over at every bite. Plus, as a blogger reaching out to sell my work to the public myself, I’m inclined to give Hank a little extra credit for putting himself out there in the first place, and taking the dive to plating these small, delicate plates over and over.  It’s scary to put something personal on a plate for open scrutiny, and Hank dove in to the deep end.  Issues or not, we had an outstanding time, and would come back for another go round in a heartbeat.

Plus, I’m easily bought off when everything is infused with foie.

Update: The official vote tally is in, and you can read about Hank’s experience on the line during service.

So, join me, Dontaye, his Sous Rhea and front of house Kamael for a underground dinner in Dontaye’s home?

We started out with a “micro breakfast” – which turned out to be the only course with a straight up piece of bacon on it.  The poached egg was perfectly cooked, and it was a nice, simple way to start the meal.

Micro Good Foods Breakfast: Poached brown farm egg, seared good foods house made bacon, and toast with a bacon brown sugar butter

Next up was soup – Dontaye explained that there was no additional salt added – everything came from the bacon. It was silky smooth.

Bacon Corn “Chowder” : Good Foods House-Made Bacon, corn, potatoes, cream, fennel

Ahhh, a much needed salad course.  The peaches were fresh and vibrant, with a hint of carmel from grilling.  The dressing was extremely acidic, a nice offset to the heft of the bacon.

Bacon Spinach Salad: Baby Willie farms spinach, grilled twin girl farm peaches, shaved red onion, goat’s cheese with a bacon dressing

One of my favorite courses. The scallops are well seared, but it was the veggies and bacon sherry jus that stole the show.  And that’s what i loved about this dinner: the veggies of summer really showed through, which isn’t something you’d expect to say about a BBQ guy.

Seared Dayboat Scallops: Fresh Dayboat Sea Scallops early summer squash, corn, cherry tomatoes and bacon- sherry jus

I’m salivating just thinking about this chicken now.  It was mind-numbing juicy, which Dontaye attributed to brining it.  It was also great to see a bit more of his BBQ side show through here with the southern greens.

Roasted Rocky Jr Chicken Breast: Rocky jr chicken, bacon braised summer greens and a bacon bread pudding

Lastly, we finished with dessert.  I was a bit underwhelmed by the pie tart – it felt like it needed just a bit more “umph!” – but it hardly mattered with the the mountain of fruit on top, off set with the whipped cream.  A great summer finish to the meal.

Peaches and Cream: Fresh peaches and figs with mascarpone cream and almond bacon tart shell

And on that light, summer fruit note, we were done.  We gathered our things, and waddled back outside where it was unseasonably warm for 1 AM.   Yes, it was of course great bacon, but it was well balanced against the seasonal fruit and veggies.  While the allure of underground dinners is undeniable, this was one the the first ones I’ve been to to really back up the hype with great cooking technique and professional touch at every opportunity.  Case in point: when you got up to use the restroom, Dontaye would be folding your napkin for you when you returned.  That’s more than you get from most underground dinners, and way more than you get from most BBQ. Which is exactly what Good Foods Catering aims for.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Screen Door was packed for brunch when we arrived, and deservedly so.  It’s a great melding of cultures – southern dishes, executed with local Portland produce and the typical northwestern flair.  Our large group settling into a table outside, and perused the menu.

Stumptown Coffee was poured.

Quickly, a few favorite dishes emerged.  Namely the chicken.  It’s three pieces of spicy buttermilk battered fried chicken over a sweet potato waffle – all held in place with a knife.  With a quick pour of syrup, it’s perfect – the crust on the chicken has a great touch of heat, and no additional hot sauce was needed.  The three pieces of chicken is the very definition of overkill.  There were leftovers.

Aaron is happy.

OK, maybe one more picture, really close up.

Also great – the smoked brisket hash.

And a side of praline bacon?  Yes please.

All told, a pretty outstanding meal.  Normally I’d have more picture of other dishes to show.  But our table just got order after order of the chicken. A peek in the kitchen showed other tables willing to gamble on other dishes.

The only problem being that after a brunch like this, I was ready to go back to bed – not jump onto a plane home. Thanks for a great trip Portland, but it’s time to go home to San Francisco.   It was all clear skies as  my very small commuter plane flew right over San Francisco, making for a few nice pictures. (Though i always hate it when i discover i missed a weekend of great weather.  Portland was… wet.)

The interior space is decked out in attitude, clearly warning any innocent customer that they are in for an experience.

The menu is expansive. Next to the front counter, a display case rotates with a lot of options. (I can’t even imagine how many diets this case has busted.)

Wait, did that doughnut say “dick?”

Yes it did.  We ordered a mixed dozen, which won’t include any “extra large” doughnuts.  So we ordered one more: The Maple Bacon Bar. Our photo-shy host quickly filled a box up and sent us out.  They serve the always reliable Stumptown Coffee.  We grabbed the six inch ledge outside the door, carefully balanced out box, and dug in.

First up: the maple bacon.  It’s pretty great, and takes its bacon seriously, with two full crispy strips perched right on top.   But the inevitable, San Francisco question arrises: is it better than Dynamo Donuts?  The answer isn’t so simple.  While they both use the doughnut as a canvas to paint with thick brush strokes of creativity, the goals and results couldn’t be more divergent. A doughnut at Voodoo is a classic rendition, cut and fried, then topped with a thick layer of classic glaze.  The standard (but perfectly executed) doughnut is just a platform for the icing, which is exceptional – thick, but not too sweet, and a great adhesive to stick things to.

Situated right across the the “Keep Portland Weird” sign, these doughnuts are offerings to the gods of eccentricity and stoner wish fulfillment.   In contrast, Dynamo sacrifices at the alter of Alice Waters.  Their limited doughnut menu reflects a seasonal sensibility, with a focus on fruit and produce. Dynamo charge twice as much- at least part of which has to go for the San Francisco rent.  Even their respective interpretations of the maple bacon donut are representative of their approaches.  Dynamo integrates apples into the dough, and then breaks up the bacon into delicate pieces.  Voodoo sticks two greasy strips right on top.

So which is better?  I think both are a reflection of the city they grew from.  Dynamo certainly takes a bit too seriously, and looks to the seasonal cooking around it for inspiration.  Voodoo gets high and sees what cereal from childhood they crave right…. now.  I’m a bit more inclined to choose Olallieberries over Crunch Berries.   On the other hand, Voodoo is open till midnight – and sometimes a seasonal choice like Fruit Loops is just what you need late at night.

Of course, that many doughnuts was way too many for us.  So we had no choice but to haul them out to Cascade Brewing at the Raccoon Lodge and barter them for barrel samples.  Portland Part II at Cascade Brewing coming soon.

]]> http://beerandnosh.com/2010/05/voodoo-doughnuts-portland-or/feed/ 7 http://beerandnosh.com/2010/05/contigo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=contigo http://beerandnosh.com/2010/05/contigo/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 20:55:27 +0000 Jesse http://beerandnosh.com/?p=2407

Since opening, Contigo has quickly gone into heavy rotation.  Chef Brett Emerson delivers Spanish style meals, fully embracing the local farm to table ethos that is virtually required of San Francisco restaurants.  Plus, his well-sized, well-priced plates always allow for a wide variety of dishes  - perfect for the adventurous eater.  And with a Moonlight seasonal offering reliably on tap, you know there will always be something to drink.  And then there’s the ham… oh, the hams.

Here is a what a meal at the bar adjacent to the open kitchen looks like: