NYC Photo of The Day -- Lebanese "Pizza"

These flatbreads covered with meat, tomatoes and onion are the work of  Manousheh on Bleecker Street in the West Village.  The staff was great, the oven roaring hot and the flatbreads crispy and tasty.

A quick dinner on the go after we sprinkled Aleppo peppers and squirted house made hot sauce on top before we took off to see Post Modern Jukebox in concert.

From Knish to Cheesesteak and Back Again. A Story of Diners, Delis and the Opposite of Dives

Well, this report has been a few months coming, but I'm finally taking a few minutes (when I'm off on another adventure, of course) to report on what Gary and I did on our Thanksgiving vacation.  (Note:  due to the limitations of Blogger aps and ipad interfaces I can't easily add the links to this report. I'll update with those as soon as I can. In the meantime, Google, bing or any other search engine should be able to find what you need. Nothing esoteric here. You can blame Blogger for the mishmash of fonts and odd photo handling as well.  Blogger doesn't seem to do mobile well.)

We spent two weeks on the East Coast, obsteniosuly to visit friends and celebrate Thanksgiving with family, but It was also about eating delicious things, seeing sights and riding public transit.  Below are some highlights. Watch for more analytical and recipe filled posts on some of the dishes and experiences I had.

Gary and I first flew into JFK and took the AirTrain and two subway trains to our hotel by Lincoln Center.   It was a fine hotel, especially since we picked it blind off Hotwire.  Great neighborhood with lots of nearby restaurants on 9th and 10th avenues (Hell's Kitchen) to choose from for reasonably priced ethnic food.  Our first night we had Turkish tapas (that's what the resto called what I'd call a mezze platter).

Next day we headed to my people's version of the Old Country -- the Lower East Side.  We had a late breakfast of Yonah Schimmel's knishes, a full afternoon of tours at the LES Tenament Musuem, and a late lunch of a Katz's pastrami sandwich which was big enough to share.  Yes, Katz's still has that sign posted about sending a salami to someone in the Army.  They also have a sign over the both where Harry Met Sally filmed the "I'll have what she's having" scene.

We also checked out the Essex Market and Russ and Daughters, but we were full, so we only looked and didn't taste.

Next up was the taping of the 13th to last Colbert Report ever with special guest Jon Stewart.  Between Steven Colbert and Stewart we couldn't stop screaming and laughing, although part of that might have been sheer terror the staff would do something to us if we didn't respond BIG.  (At least four staffers had us practice our screams, yells, claps and laughs before the show started.). They need not have worried, we the audience were so psyched on our own and so entertained we would have shouted ourselves hoarse without the pre-show encouragement. 

Dinner that night was back in Hell's Kitchen for more ethnic food, this time empanadas at Empanada Mama, open 24 hours for all your meat and veggie stuffed pastry needs.

The next day we headed to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.  It was moving, affecting and extremely effective at making the stories of victims and their families come alive.  A somber but necessary high spot of our visit.

Dinner that night was with friends at the vegetarian Candle 79.  The company was great, the food tasty as well as beautifully presented and it's quiet white tablecloth ambiance  perfect for catching up with old friends.  Afterwards we took in as light but fun Broaway musical -- Honeymoon in Vegas.

Next up was a subway ride to Penn Station, a short jaunt on NJ Transit and AirTrain to Newark Airport to rent a car for a visit to friends in Philly.  Highlights included Independence Hall, the Barnes Collection, a great tapas meal with some college friends and lots opportunity to visit with other dear friends who also hosted us.

Of course and we had a cheesesteak, which we split.  I've eaten the classic Pat and Geno cheesesteaks before, so I was willing to try something new, Sonny's. It was good, but surprisingly NOT that much better than my local cheesesteak shop.

Then it was off to Long Island where my sisters made a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner and I got a chance to eat in a number of diners where I had my old standby soup and tuna melts. (Until they bring back automats, diners are my fave retro food destinations.)

A few days later we wrapped up our trip by returning our car at John F Kennedy airport and taking public transit to NYC.  We stayed at the Hyatt Herald Square, this time a Priceline find.  We ate breakfast and a few other meals at one of the city's amazing salad bars which was part steam table, part short order cook, part grill and part sandwich shop. 

We walked and walked.  Spent time at the Cloisters, New York's restored middle ages monastery, explored the Met museum, and saw the Tony-winning Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder.  

We also had dinner in the West Village with high school friends of our oldest son.  

Soon enough it was time to roll,our suitcases out and return to JFK for the trip home.

There Is No Place Like Roam (for Burgers, Sodas and Fries)

A Roam beef burger with all the trimmings (Photo courtesy Roam)

It's tough being the parents of hip, young adults.
You want to impress them with your street cred and insight into new places.
You are anxious to find experiences you can share that you'll all enjoy.

Just when I told my two sons I found a great burger place I thought they'd like and offered to take them, I found out not only did they know about the small Bay area regional chain I had newly experienced and become enamored of, that they had eaten at one of its two San Francisco locations often.

Oh well, at least they agreed that the burgers, fries and house-made sodas at Roam Artisan Burgers are exceptional which did help my street cred with them a bit.

It also impressed them somewhat that I had been invited to one of the opening parties for Roam's new Lafayette, CA, location and got pretty much unlimited free food.  (Although, I'm not sure if it is the honor of being invited or the free part that impressed them the most.)

I was impressed enough myself with Roam that I would go there regularly and pay for their delicious beef, turkey and vegetarian burgers (they also serve burgers made from bison as well as elk, but I did not get a chance to try them).  Not to mention their fries, sweet potato fries and a transcendent dish of filament-thin fried sweet onions and zucchini. Oh and the fizzed-just-for-you fruit sodas -- I may never drink Coke again.

It's attention to details that really makes these burgers shine -- Roam uses top quality meat, creative, fresh toppings, and great buns. It's cooks treat griddling burgers like they were cooking filet mignon -- carefully and lovingly.  As a result the burgers look and taste great. 

While the beef patty flavor was rich and satisfying, it was the turkey burger that amazed me.  It was the best turkey burger I've ever eaten. It was moist, flavorful and worked well with toppings.  I've also been raving about the beet and black bean based vegetarian burger.  It doesn't try to fool you with pretending to be something it's not -- it just has good heft, texture and taste. It, too, is sturdy enough in flavor and substance to stand up to Roam's range of creative toppings.

You can see the menu here including a list of the toppings and combinations they offer.  Pick one of their combos or choose your toppings ranging from ketchup to truffle parmesan fries (yes on your burger).  That pickle on your sandwich was made in house. Bun choices include sesame seed, whole grain and gluten free or you can opt to go bunless and have your burger in a lettuce wrap.

Pineapple and blood orange sodas

Roam makes it's own soda syrups and adds them to carbonated water when you order.  The flavors are sweetened but not overly so and are concentrated and intense.  I got to try the caramelized pineapple (the favorite of the ones I tried), blood orange (a seasonal offering) and ginger-lime.  

There are salads, milkshakes and other items on the menu, but I didn't get a chance to try those so I'm just assuming they are as thoughtfully prepared and delicious as the food I was able to taste.

I thought it would be helpful to get some burger making tips from Roam. Below is some advice from Roam's owners, Josh Spiegelman and Lynn Gorfinkle:

Two Thumbs Up for Meals on Wheels Five-Star Night this April 27



Host Narsai David (center) and participating chefs

 I am a big support of Alameda County Meals on Wheels and its wonderful fundraiser - Five-Star Night. Check out the local restuarants that will be providing the food as well as the menu.

 (FYI - my support for the dinner has absolutely NOTHING to do with my husband and I winning some fabulous raffle prizes at the dinner.)

Here is a copy of their news release on the event. I will post more about Meals on Wheels and the benefit soon.  Hope you will support this great organization in whatever you can.  Don't live in Alameda County? Find your local Meals on Wheels at http://www.mowaa.org/

“Five Star Night” Alameda County Meals On Wheels Benefit Set for April 27

Five Star Night, the 25th annual fundraiser for Alameda County Meals on Wheels, takes place on Friday, April 27 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland, CA. The $250.00 four course dinner (including a sumptuous dessert buffet), under the guidance of Narsai David and Ellen Tussman, will be created by 14 of the Bay Area’s finest chefs. The event includes a champagne and fine wine reception with hors d’oeuvres, plus silent and live auctions, a gala dinner and dancing. The evening's special guest will be Julie Haener, the co-anchor of KTVU-TV's top-rated Bay Area newscast.

For tickets or more information, call 510.777.9560 or visit http://www.feedingseniors.org/.

Participating restaurants and food companies will be adesso/dopo, Bay Wolf, Bocanova, Grace Street Catering, Italian Colors, La Farine, Lalime’s, Market Hall Bakery, Marica, Mua, Telegraph, Ozumo, Picante and Semifreddi’s.

Funds raised at Five Star Night are distributed to Meals on Wheels programs throughout Alameda County to provide freshly prepared warm meals for thousands of homebound seniors.

The Scottish Rite Center is located at 1547 Lakeside Drive in Oakland, CA.

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photo credit: Alameda County Meals on Wheels

Oakland Taco Trucks -- A Feast in the Streets

Clockwise from upper left -- El Ojo de Agua, Tacos Los Michocanos,
Tacos El Novillo and Tamales Mi Lupita

If we are talking street food, and we frequently are, and if we are talking tacos, which are also a frequent topic of conversation around here, it's very likely we are already on our way to the Fruitvale section of Oakland where licensing laws and Latino culture merge to create one of the Bay area’s best feeding grounds. 

The number of the highly decorated taco trucks in the area changes, but Oakland has issued permits for 120 loncherias (catering trucks and push carts), half of which are in the Fruitvale area, one of only two neighborhoods in Oakland they are allowed. This concentration makes it easy to go from truck to truck and sample a taco with carnitas here, a tostada with cerviche there as you wend your way through the neighborhood. They are generally open from morning to well after the dinner hour, but be flexible, hours, location, and menu offerings do change. Be prepared for an adventure and bring your appetite.

My Oakland taco truck crawls have all been by car, but it could also be done by bicycle  or even AC Transit.  Amy Sherman, a veteran food blogger, travel writer and taco crawler has put together a tour with all stops convenient walking distance to the Fruitvale BART station.  Thanks to Amy and bloggers Genie Grotto and Shelly Butcher for accompaning me on my appointed taco rounds.

To devise your own crawl, here’s a sampling of some of my favorite taco trucks plus an overview of some typical taco truck menu items. Menus are usually colorful signs mounted on the side of the truck, often in English and Spanish.

While many taco trucks offer the similar fare, the style of cooking, seasoning, regional differences and whims of the chef can make for interesting and tasty variations. These trucks specialize in tacos (usually two stacked small soft corn tortillas topped with a few tablespoons of filling with chopped onions, fresh cilantro and salsa) with a slice of lime. Squeeze the lime on top, fold the taco and eat in a few quick bites over your car hood, the taco truck’s thin ledge of a counter or perhaps a weathered picnic table and try not to drip on your clothes. The accompanying chunks of cucumber, radish or pickled carrots and jalapeno peppers help cut through the rich meat taste. Tacos generally cost $1.25-$2.

Besides the tacos, most trucks offer burritos and some also have quesadillas and tortas (sandwiches). Fillings can include carnitas (shredded, crispy pork), lengua (beef tongue, my favorite), suadero (beef rib meat), cabeza (beef head or cheeks), al pastor (roast pork), chorizo (spicy pork sausage), tripa (chitlins), birria (goat), carne asada (steak), stewed or shredded chicken and more. Trucks specializing in seafood also offer cerviche (raw, marinated fish salad) tostadas and griddled fish tacos (tacos de pescado or tacos de dorado).

Wash it all down with a refresco (soft drink). Or try an agua fresca or atole fresh fruit drink in flavors ranging for horchata (an almondy-cinnamon flavor) to jamaica (hibiscus) to pina (pineapple).

Below are just a few of my favorite Oakland taco trucks. One fan of the area’s loncherias created this Google map to help enthusiasts plan their own taco truck crawls. It includes the taco trucks listed below and many more.

Tacos El Novillo, 1001 Fruitvale Ave. (near E. 12th St.)

This truck offers tacos made with chicarrones (deep fried strips of pork skin.) The chicarrones are delicious, but I liked them better mixed with the al pastor tacos. Get one of each and make your own combination plate.

El Ojo de Agua, 3132 E. 12th Street (at Fruitvale Ave.)

The tacos are great, the tortas are excellent, but they are also known for their drinks, especially their licuados (Mexican milk shakes).

Tacos los Michocanos, 3524 International Blvd. (near 35th St.)

The difference here is the hearty and earthy style of Michoacan style cooking. My last taco there had some of the best lengua I’ve ever eaten. Plus I love the killer salsa. On weekends Los Michocanos offers a homemade tortilla option.

Tacos Sinola (two trucks), 2138 International Blvd. (at 22nd Ave.)

This is more of a two-truck “surf and turf” complex. The truck closest to International Blvd. offers an array of tasty meat-based tacos. The truck further back specializes in seafood, particularly in fish and shrimp tacos. In between are parking, covered seating and a colorful shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

One of my favorite trucks is technically not a taco truck I guess since it specializes in El Salvadorean food. But Tamales Mi Lupita offers sensational cheese and other pupusas (kind of stuffed corn tortillas) served with tangy cabbage slaw, chicken pastilles (little fried pies of deliciousness) and banana empanadas (somewhat like pieces of bananas fried fritter style), among other delights.  It can be found at 34th Ave. and Foothilld Blvd, next the Pupuseria Lupita Restaurant on Foothill Blvd.

For more on taco trucks in Oakland and elsewhere in the Bay area, check out the California Taco Truck blog  or the Chowhound forum discussions on the topic.
Note: A version of this post first appeared on the Poor Taste SF website. Have a taco truck favorite not listed?  Leave a comment and let me know.  I'll try to check it out and include in a future taco truck roundup.

Dine Out for Meals on Wheels and Help Feed Bay Area Seniors

Meals on Wheels organizations from the seven Bay area counties have teamed up with more than 80 partner restaurants to stage the first annual “Bay Area Dine Out for Meals on Wheels” on Tuesday, November 9th.  A portion of that evening’s proceeds from participating restaurants will be donated to local Meals on Wheels organizations which are providing nearly three million meals each year to more than 8,500 seniors in daily need of a hot, nutritious meal, a wellness check and companionship.

Restaurants throughout San Francisco and Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano counties are participating.  Go to http://www.dineoutnow.org/ to see the complete list of participating restaurants.  Use that link to also directly donate to Meals on Wheels or request that your favorite restaurant participate in the event. (The site also offers links to the participating restaurants so you can check out menus and hours.)

Among the list of participating restaurants is a number in San Francisco and Alameda County that I have been to and enjoy.  In San Francisco, these include the Grand Cafe, Gaylord's and The Elite Cafe.  You can see the other participating SF restaurants here.  In Alameda County, I've eaten at Ajanta, Dopo, Italian Colors and Speisekammer.  You can see the complete list here. There are plenty of  of other offerings throughout the Bay area.
For more information, call (888) 716-3669 and or email info@dineoutnow.org

If you know someone who would benefit from being a Meals on Wheels client in the Bay area or elsewhere in the U.S. or would like to support your local area Meals on Wheels, please click here to find an agency near you.

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Graphic credit:  Dine Out Now 

Cornmeal Waffles at Brown Sugar Kitchen, Oakland CA

Food Network's Tanya Holland has a lovely small restaurant in Oakland called Brown Sugar Kitchen. The food is fresh and lovingly prepared from local organic ingredients and sources Southern foodways for breakfast and lunch.

I had the cornmeal waffles which were crisp and lacy and wonderful served with brown sugar butter and apple cider syrup. Next time, I'm up for the shrimp and grits.

Support Alameda Meals on Wheels -- Tickets for Five-Star Night Still Available

Never has doing good tasted so great.

Help Alameda County's Meals on Wheels program help feed homebound seniors in our community and have a "Five-Star Night" at the same time by joining the organizaton's annual fundraising dinner on Friday, April 23rd in Oakland, CA. (Tickets are still available as of this post, click here to purchase.)

(Can't make the event? You can still donate here. Or contact the organization to sign up to help deliver meals.)

The organization counts on fundraising efforts such as this to cover half of the $1,440 cost to feed a senior for a year. More than 2,200 meals are delivered every day. This year's gala is expected to provide some 25,000 meals.

Five-Star Night features a champagne and fine wine reception, silent and live auctions, gala dinner, and entertainment. The four-course dinner, under the guidance of Narsai David and Ellen Tussman, will be created by 15 of the Bay Area’s finest chefs, all of whom donate their time and services to help reach this year’s fundraising goal of $150,000. They include classics such as Bay Wolf to newcomers such as Bocanova. For a full list, please see below.

If you know of someone living in Alameda County (CA), who would benefit from Meals on Wheels, please click here to find out about eligibility and how to apply.

On the menu this year (listed by course with donating provider):

Hors d’oeuvres

Arancini: Deep-Fried Rice Balls Filled with Pork Ragu
ADESSO/DOPO

Muscovy Duck Breast Crostini with Mezgaldi Onions
CITRON

Pear and Blue Cheese Croque Monsieur
GRACE STREET CATERING

Spiedini of Castelvetrano Olives, House-Pulled Mozzarella and Marinated Artichoke
MARZANO/GARIBALDI’S

Mini Corn Quesadillas with Huitlacoche
Mini Sopes Yucatecan-Style with Cochinita Pibil: Slow Roasted Pork in Achiote, Citrus Juices, Garlic, Oregano and CuminServed with Pickled Red Onions
Sopa Verde served in Demi-Tasse Cups
PICANTE

Amuse Bouche

Sea Bass Ceviche with Aji Amarillo: Yellow Peppers, Lime, Garlic and Olive Oil, Served on Endive Leaf
BOCANOVA

First Course

Shaved Artichoke, Fennel and Mushroom Salad with Truffle Oil Vinaigrette
BAY WOLF

Second Course

Seared Bay Sea Scallop, Served on Parsnip Puree with Wild Mushroom-Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette
LALIME’S

Third Course

Daube-braised Lamb CheeksGarnished with Carrot and Chioggia Beet Brunoise,and Rack of Lamb with Shallot, Parsley and Meyer Lemon Gremolata, served with Asparagus and Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and Chives
MUA

Dessert

Georgia Pecan Pie served with buttermilk ice cream and Michter’s Rye Butterscotch sauce
PICAN

Pavlova: Meringue Shell Filled with Lemon Curdand Whipped Cream, Topped with Assorted Berries
MARKET HALL BAKERY

Bizou Au Chocolate: Almond Macaroon Sandwiches filled with Chocolate Ganache
LA FARINE

Mini-Brownies and Blondies
BAKESALE BETTY

Assorted Chocolate Truffles
LYLA’S CHOCOLATES


Update: 4/27/10 -- The event raised more than $145,000, a record. On a personal note: Gary and I won the raffle and are happily nibbling on all the goodies, contemplating drinking the case of wine and scheduling ourselves to use all the restaurant and other gift certificates we won.
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About the photo: The chefs of Five Star Night 2010, from the Alameda County Meals on Wheels website, photo by Eliot Khuner

Numi Tea Visit

I recently visited Numi Tea with some friends -- here are a few photos of our experience. The tea garden is an oasis in a busy industrial area literally feet away from Highway 880 in Oakland. It was a great experience.

Here's a link to Numi Tea's main site.

Here's a link to the Tea Garden (cafe).

We tried several different teas and some tea cookies. It was a very pleasant day.

Food Celebrities' Budget Restaurant Picks

Fresh from my weekly Budget Travel email update -- If you were a food celebrity but wanted to eat on a budget, where would you go?

Check out their "secret" picks for the U.S., Mexico, Europe and Asia here. Budget Travel thinks they are all road trip worthy. Me? If I had my way, my bags would be packed and I'd be cashing in the frequent flier miles. I know my tongue is already hanging out.

Take a look at the list and share what you know about these food celeb choices.

Bonus: Click on comments below to see what secret food fave French Laundry's Thomas Keller chose to share.

Update: June Issue has coupons good for a variety of U.S. restaurants. Click here to get your copy.

Las Vegas Winner

On our lastest visit to Las Vegas we had a winner of a meal at Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marcos at the Venetian. A highlight was Gary's seafood stew.

More later

Sundays at the Thai Temple

There is a remarkable experience available every Sunday in a residential neighborhood in Berkeley where the local Thai temple serves an amazing brunch. Members of the congregation cook and serve and people throughout the bay come for the steam table Thai food, the colors, sights and smells of alfresco dining, perhaps a peek at Buddha and the temple, and a feeling of connection with each other and with a country half a world away.

I first went to the Wat Mongkolratanaram temple brunch a few years ago, had a wonderful time and took some nice photos and filed it under "I need to blog about this," but got busy with other things and kinda forgot about it.

Now the Sunday morning tradition is endangered since it seems that the temple's residential neighbors are a little tired of some 1,352 visitors for brunch every Sunday and the temple's operating permit from the city only allowed three such brunches a year. The temple has filed to revamp its permit and has tried to ameliorate some of its neighbors' concerns as to parking, hours, trash, etc., so I hope some compromise can be reached at the February 12 Berkeley Zoning Adjustment Board Meeting since not only is the brunch a remarkable event to participate in, it raises a lot of money for the temple and its cultural center.

When I went, the food was good, not great. There were vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. I remember the mango sticky rice dessert with a lot of fondness. We had waited for a nice day, since all seating is outside. We went into the temple and enjoyed talking to the monk who was there from Thailand.

The site I found for the temple was all in Thai.
Info on the Thai cultural center (in English)
Save the Thai Temple has updates on the permit and links to the planning board and other sites.
This article in Harboiled, the UC Berkeley Asian American news magazine, has a lot of background
There is a Facebook page dedicated to saving the Sunday brunch and helping the Thai temple.
For more info on the food and the brunch experience, check out the temple's Yelp listing here. There are something like 271 reviews of the experience listed.

Note: Brunch hours are now 10 to 1. The temple is located at 1911 Russell St., Berkeley, CA 94703. Phone is (510) 849-3419

While I cook Thai food quite often (and eat it out even more often), I really haven't blogged much about it. You can read some of my Thai curry recipes here and here. But do what I do when I am looking for a Thai recipe, check out Chez Pim's Thai recipe category.

Update: The Thai Temple received preliminary approval from the zoning board. The temple still awaits final approval and could face appeals from the neighbors. As of this writing, Sunday brunch is still being served (4/1/09).

A Tale of Four Restaurants and One Birthday

Since it's the time of year I celebrate my birthday by eating out with different groups of friends and relations, I thought I would write up a little report on those restaurants.

Flora, in downtown Oakland, is a relatively new restaurant by the folks behind Dona Tomas. It was just listed as one of the top 10 new restaurants of the San Francisco Bay area by the San Francisco Chronicle. The menu (and cocktails) were inventive, the food was great and I really liked how most dishes came with lots of greens and other vegetables, many with vegetable or herb-based sauces as well. My sweetbreads appetizer came atop a potato and Brussels sprouts base that I seriously considered writing poetry about. Our service was a little erratic and the ambiance is on the casual side. It's a bit noisy. Flora is in the old floral depot and its owners preserved the wonderful blue tile exterior. I can't find a website for Flora, but here's the link to the Chronicle article and reviews.

Herbivore in Berkeley is kind of an upscale, vegan diner. Prices are reasonable and portions are large. My vegetables in red curry with brown rice felt virtuous and was tasty. I was less impressed by my companions' watery pasta and sauce or pedestrian looking portobello mushroom sandwich. However, the menu has international flare, the dining room, while not exactly charming, was not charmless. I'd go again just for the giant appetizer plate of roasted and grilled vegetables with a trio of dipping sauces. There are also two locations in San Francisco.

Vik's Chaat House in Berkeley is an old favorite that never fails to please me. My friend Mona helped me decipher the menu and the specials. One new dish to me was Pav Bhaji, a Bombay street food speciality made with vegetables and lots of ginger and served with grilled or toasted bread.

Last but not least, I ate at Lalime's in Berkeley, an old favorite I have eaten at for more than 20 years. The food, as usual, was impeccably prepared, but the plating was dull after all the color and zing of Flora's. Service was exquisite. The highlight of the meal was the dessert. We ordered two to share and although they were not particularly exotic (chocolate fondant cake and vanilla creme brulee), the presentations were unexpected. The cake (the kind with the "lava" liquid center) came on a plate with a small scoop of caramel/brown sugar tasting ice cream, a shot glass of custard topped with fresh whipped cream and a large chocolate frill. The plate also had a golden "loop" of sugar candy. The creme brulee came with three perfect little cookies -- a meringue, a citrusy tasting French macaroon, and a butter cookie.

A special thanks to Jody, Art, Gary, Seth, Mark, Karen, Mona, Noah and Leora for helping me celebrate my birthday.
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Please note: I don't "do" restaurant reviews, I just write about my experiences. I feel to do a true review requires multiple visits and a more varied tasting of the menu than I do. If you have had a different experience than I did, you probably went on a different night or ordered differently. Want to share your thoughts about these restaurants? Please leave a comment below.

Dine Around Is Back -- Plus Some SF Foodie Info Links to Click

Get ready for two weeks of gourmet lunches and dinners from January 15-31. A three-course lunch is just $21.95 and a dinner is just $34.95.

For all the details and more information, click here. There are oodles of restaurants to pick from, including Absinthe, which I write about here.

The Dine Around Town site is part of Taste SF, sponsored by the vistor's bureau. Check out the other features of the Only in San Francisco Taste SF website including chef profiles, info on farmers' markets and Foodie 411 , a blog all about the SF restaurant scene.

Today -- Help the San Francisco Food Bank by Getting a Bite to Eat

From the SF Food Bank:

DINE OUT AGAINST HUNGER DECEMBER 18
13 Top Restaurants Will Donate a Portion of Proceeds to the San Francisco Food Bank

Restaurants have seen a real slump in business lately, but the folks at Maverick realized some people are facing worse circumstances – the 150,000 San Franciscans at risk of going hungry this holiday season. So Scott Youkilis and Michael Pierce created Dine Out Against Hunger, and organized some of the city’s top venues to donate up to 10% of today’s [December 18th] dinner sales to the San Francisco Food Bank, which supplies over 600 food programs throughout the city.

Participating Dine Out Against Hunger restaurants are: Maverick, Slow Club, Serpentine, Foreign Cinema, Magnolia, Sociale, Slanted Door, Kuleto's, Delfina, Americano, A16, Incanto and SPQR. Maverick will also take 10% off the tab for any customers making an additional donation to the Food Bank.

The focus is on raising cash, because for every $1 donated, the Food Bank can distribute $9 worth of food into the community – thanks to its relationships with retailers, growers and distributors. San Francisco Food Bank’s goal is to distribute 66,000 holiday meals this season.

For reservations, contact the individual restaurants; for more information, visit www.SFFoodBank.org.

More From Las Vegas

I've borrowed my husband's laptop and thought I would take a minute and update on more Vegas food.

Had another good meal at Second Street Grille at the Fremont Hotel (downtown). This is the third time we've eaten there in the five times I've come for market. It is a wood paneled enclave inside a visually and aurally busy casino. The food is Pacific fusion, the service is seamless, the prices are reasonable. Like all downtown restos they have their steak, but you can also get many more imaginative dishes here.

Downtown Vegas is changing, more about that in another post. We also ate at the Golden Nugget Buffet (we ate there in January, too.) It served the purpose on a night when we were tired and everything that seemed more upgrade restaurants in DOWNTOWN Vegas (Fremont Street) were booked solid. On a Monday night.

We got a good pastrami sandwich and chopped liver (just a light snack) at Canter's Deli in Treasure Island, an otherwise avoidable casino. Warning, it's in a noisy corner of a noisy casino.

Thanks to a typo in a local magazine, we headed out to see the Rio's free show in the sky on a Wednesday night. The show was dark that night. (The mag had it on Mon - Thurs when it really was Thursday through Monday). We did feel we beat the system any how by taking a free shuttle from our trade show to Harrahs and a free shuttle from Harrahs to the Rio (which meant only one cab fare to get back to our hotel.)

Highlights of the Rio: the view from the Voodoo Steakhouse (or Lounge), the almost-there outfits of the cocktail waitresses (how do they keep that on was one question that came to mind) and the great stuff at the Rio gift shop. Lots of voodoo and skeleton themed merchandise from picture frames to shot glasses to sweatshirts, all really pretty reasonably priced. (FYI -- the steak and the bread (many types, all good) were the best things about the Voodoo Steakhouse, although the decor is tasty. Since you can't eat the walls, try one of Vegas' many other steak houses and just go to the lounge for a drink instead.)

I'm a girl who against all sense and sensibility likes a buffet. So since we were at the Rio anyway, we thought we'd check out the hotel's widely praised buffets for future consideration. Eeech. The seafood buffet ($38 each the night we were there) offers the usual assortment of king crab legs, mysterious seafood stews, and a few choices of sushi along with oysters. It was unappealing in very many ways, but the room was very cleverly decorated and designed. Feast with your eyes only. The regular buffet ($24 the night we were there), skipped the oysters, added more ethnic food (the Asian selections actually looked appealing), but also failed to impress us.

We will go back to the Rio to check out the free show in the sky (Mardi Gras floats and entertainers), to maybe bowl a few at the Lucky Strike Lanes and maybe walk across the street to the Palms and check out the restaurants there.

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About the photo: Vintage sign. Taken downtown at the Neon Musuem

Report from Las Vegas

I'm on one of my twice-yearly business trips to Las Vegas.
Unexpectedly we had some free time yesterday so we rented a car and drove to Hoover Dam. Much about the project (scope, construction, innovations, art deco design) are admirable. The location (in Black Canyon) is unbelievable. Some of the water history that led to its being built and the "spoiling" of such a natural wonder do leave some lingering questions.

On the way there we stopped at Boulder City. It was a "blast to the past." Once Nevada's largest city (population was then 7,000) it still retains elements of being a company town for the Six Companies, the corporations that banded together to build the mighty dam. Don't get me wrong there were lots of chain choices for fast food, but also lots of interesting seeming local ones. We at the Southwest Diner, where the prices, the quantity and the quality of the food were all very satisfactory. For under $10 you could get a pot roast dinner with soup or salad, mashed potatoes or fries, string beans and a dish of ice cream for dessert. The food and the decor at the restaurant were all on the homey side with lots of cutesy displays of Americana. The service was great. I had the taco salad and Gary had the pulled pork.

That night we tried the buffet at the Wynn. Many people had recommended it to us. It had all the requisite touches buffets in Vegas all have these days -- cooking stations with a variety of ethnic foods, lots of crab legs, sushi (a bit more limited than some), and a big carving station.
I particularly enjoyed the New Zealand lamb chops, the fig sauce from the grilled pork with fennel pollen (if the pollen was there it wasn't enough to either make me sneeze or taste it) and the wonderful selection of salads and cerviches. My big disappointment is that the dessert station ran out of candy apples before I could get one. While I thoroughly enjoyed the Wynn buffet, so far my favorite is the Le Village Buffet at the Paris.

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About the photos: Looking down from Hoover dam, neon red candy apples at the Wynn buffet.

My Night With Narsai -- An Exceptional Evening at Farallon

Are there wine pixies?

By that I mean wonderful, warm, witty, and knowledgeable individuals who sprinkle their affection for the fruit of the vine over the rest of us to make us more informed and discerning about our own wine choices without ever seeming condescending, judgmental or know-it-all.

If they do exist, I think I’ve just met one and I wish you could meet him, too.

Narsai David is a former restaurateur and a San Francisco radio personality. He has been involved in innumerable other food businesses as well having written the The Monday Night at Narsai's cookbook. He is a charming man with silver hair, an impeccably tailored suit and a colorful bow tie. He and his wife, Venus (or Veni as she is called), are also philanthropists, giving money, time, effort and even wine from their own outstanding cellar to help a variety of causes, including Alameda County (CA) Meals on Wheels, which provides meals to the homebound.

It was because of the Davids’ devotion to helping Meals on Wheels that a little wine pixie dust was spread on my life. Good friends were the successful bidders for a special dinner at the renowned San Francisco seafood restaurant Farallon. All the wines for the dinner were to be supplied by Narsai and Veni. The food was to be donated by Farallon and coordinated with the Davids’ wine selections.

It was a magical evening. Our friends had invited four other couples to join them and the Davids. Stepping into Farallon was otherworldly with a décor kind of like if Alice in Wonderful had been set under the sea or if Little Mermaid had been designed by Dali. We were ushered to a private room and immediately received some of the best service we have had in a restaurant. We were also immediately handed flutes of champagne and offered oysters, caviar and a goat cheese and brandied cherry appetizer.

We went on to sample three different kinds of champagne, all the while having Narsai tell the story of why he chose them for each appetizer. The champagne that made the greatest impression on me was the 1979 Schramsberg Blanc De Blancs. It tasted slightly of caramelized sugar and its effervescence just barely registered on my tongue, but I was smitten. Narsai explained how he and Veni prefer older champagne. I had tasted the proof and had to agree.

Before we sat down to the dinner, Narsai produced a bottle of sherry originally made in 1871. The sherry was amazing – strong, more like a shot of liquor than a fortified wine, but still smooth with clear, tawny notes. I had two glasses while I listened to Narsai describe how he found and procured the wine.

Then came dinner. The first course was seared Mediterranean rouget (red mullet) with Dungeness crab “thighs.” The Davids served a 2000 Stony Creek Chardonnay with it. As I sipped and ate, Narsai told us about how the wine with its lean flintiness was chosen to compliment the dish. With every bite and slurp I had to agree with the wisdom of his choice.

With the half of lobster roasted in butter and served with English pea ravioli and orange fondue sauce, Narsai had chosen a 2005 Salus, Staglin Family Vineyard Chardonnay, feeling that it would offset the lushness of the dish. I know he said more about this including why the 2000 Chardonnay tasted younger to us, but at this point I was reluctant to give up my Stony Creek and I was really focused on my Maine lobster.

Next came two red wines with the whole roasted Creekstone Farms filet of beef with morels, fava beans and sauce Bordelaise (which I could have drunk on its own). Both were from 1974, but I preferred the Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon. Narsai spoke a bit about why wines will age differently and kindly answered wine question after question.

The desserts (a lemon balm meringue tart and a German chocolate sundae) were served with a 1966 Chateau Sudiraut. The wine was sweet, but with a nice edge. It was also very strong, I could only manage a few sips, but did manage to finish both desserts and pay attention to Narsai’s discussion about the advantages of noble rot. (I wish I had been a better reporter and taken more notes, but to be honest, I was having too much fun being a guest.)

After dinner Narsai uncorked a 1962 Hine Grande Champagne Cognac. It was a dream of a cognac, smooth and strong and satisfying after our elaborate meal. Narsai was explaining the difference between grande and petite champagne at that point (I think), but I was lost in the vapors and plush taste of the cognac.

The evening was grand. The Davids were great. And special thanks to our hosts, Farallon restaurant and to my husband for being a designated driver that night.
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About the photos: Top - Narsai David. Middle -- 1871 Sherry. Bottom -- Menu for the evening.

Dine Around Town Is Back

If you missed it in January, Dine Around Town San Francisco is back from June 1 to June 15. Check this site to find a participating restaurant. Score a three-course lunch for $21.95 or dinner for $31.95 from some of SF's finest.

DINE AROUND TOWN 2008

In San Francisco from January 15th to the 31st?

Then check out the specially priced "dine around" menus at participating restaurants and enjoy a three-course lunch for $21.95 or a dinner for $31.95.

Click here for a list of restaurants from A (A-16) to Z (Zingari).
You can also select by cuisine or neighborhood and make a reservation directly from the site.

Just visiting? Try a meal (or two) at the Waterfront, Forbes Island (a manmade floating island), Sutro's at the Cliff House or Scoma's at Fisherman's Wharf for a meal with a view. There are a lot of quality favorites, ethnic choices, a few new eateries and more on the list. Check it out!

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Also if you are just visiting, check out Blog Appetit Does San Francisco. It's a new blog to help people explore S.F. and the Bay area.