East Bay Eats by Day, Cocktails & Characters by Night

19 December 2011

East Bay Eats by Day, Cocktails & Characters by Night

It was another flawless day in San Francisco.  After a quick 3 mile run through part of Golden Gate Park and the Panhandle neighborhood, Jessica and I packed up the kids and headed over to the East Bay.  

We were heading to Berkeley to visit Sara.  Sara is Jessica's step-father's niece.  I had gotten to know Sara over the years particularly when she spent a month in New Jersey visiting one summer.  We bunked together at the beach that summer as kids and had a great time.  Sara had recently moved to Berkeley because her husband, James, had started a PhD program there in fine arts.  Sara is originally from Vancouver so the Bay Area is just a sunnier version of home. 

It had been about two and a half years since I'd seen Sara last, when we all gathered at our cousin, Nicolas' wedding in Oregon.  Sara climbed in the backseat with Julian and Vivienne, just barely able to squeeze in between the two carseats.  

Sara took us to one of the main streets, Shattuck, to find a brunch spot.  We landed at Guerrilla cafe.  We had to stalk a table as the small cafe was full, but finally we watched as two cute bearded guys vacated their table in the sun.  I enjoyed a polenta porridge topped with fruit, nuts and dates as well as a poached egg.  Vivienne had her first hot chocolate and really felt like a fancy lady.  Julian and I played with a fluffy white dog who was tied up to a sign in the front.  

After we finished brunch, we stopped by Phillz coffeehouse next door.  I went to order my usual latte at and the barista said, "So this is your first time at Phillz?"  He then went on to explain that they don't do espresso drinks here.  Instead, Phillz brews every cup of coffee freshly and separately.  There is a long list of different blends organized by light, medium and dark roast.  After they brew the coffee, they mix it with hot frothy milk.  It was one of the best coffees I have had in a long time.  The cafe had a huge upstairs section filled with an eclectic mix of couches and comfortable chairs.  On that Monday at noon, it was virtually filled with studious looking patrons browsing on their MacBooks or reading books.  

Berkeley is full of these cozy little spots.  As Sara and I walked our way through Berkley, Elmridge and part of Oakland, we passed dozens of quaint cafes full of intellectual types.  There were many shops with Buddhist prayer flags in the windows where fair trade ethnic items were being sold.  If only my stomach were able to fit in every last enticing food item I saw!  We saw so many gourmet ice-cream stores, asian noodle shops, bakeries, wood-fired pizzerias, and whole-in-the-wall taquerias.  Sara and I did indulge in some delicious pastries when we shared a pain au chocolate and a lemon shortbread bar.  We both tried different ice-cream shops.  She went for tiramisu gelato and I had organic berbere ice-cream topped with pink Himalayan salt crystals.  Berbere is a spice used in Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking.  It's a flavor that is difficult to describe, but if you have ever eaten Ethiopian cuisine, berbere is that unique flavor that you can't quite place but still thoroughly enjoy.  It was probably one of the best ice creams I had ever had.  They had quite a few interesting flavors there like sage, lavender, balsamic strawberry, and molasses to name a few. We did our fair share of walking that day, perhaps enough to burn off those pastries and ice creams.

Sara also took me to the UC-Berkeley campus.  It was quiet that day as the college students had just finished their final exams and most were heading home for the holidays.  I could smell the faint aroma of eucalyptus as we passed by a small eucalyptus forest on campus.  The trees were taller than most of the buildings on campus and the sunlight poured through the leaves in golden rays.  

For two dollars, we took a ride to the top of the tower, the Companile, on campus.  It is one of the tallest clock towers in the world and on a clear day like that one, we were able to see miles of beautiful vistas.  Depending on which side of the tower I peered out from, there were all different views:  the green campus below, a steep mountain behind, and the entire San Francisco bay beyond.  

After a full day of exploring the East Bay and catching up with Sara, I hopped the BART back to San Francisco where my day of nostalgia continued.  Adam, Megan and Chris,  high school classmates of mine were living out in the bay area now.  I met up with them at the Wreck Room, a sports bar in Nob Hill.  I could hear the bar before I even saw it; the place was jammed with fans watching a 49ers game.  I can't say I care much for watching sports, but the rowdy crowd was entertaining and it was great to catch up with all of them.  

They all had to get up early for work the next day, but I was on vacation so there was no need to head to bed yet!  I had been hearing so much about the excellent cocktail scene in San Francisco and wanted to try some drinks.  I was debating on trying a few different spots including Bourbon & Branch, Smuggler's Cove, and Rickhouse, but wound up visiting Cantina.  

Cantina is a small, narrow, dark space.  The decor and the atmosphere is nothing spectacular, but the drinks were pretty awesome.  I grabbed a spot at the bar directly in front of the area where the lone bartender, Sahar, was shaking drinks.  Cantina uses only fresh fruits and juices in their cocktails.  Sahar must have squeezed juice out of at least 50 citrus fruits while I sat there watching.  He made more of the drink called the MIsdemeanor, than anything else.  This cocktail was similar to a mojito but made with muddle pineapple, basil and jalapeño. 

It is best to go to these kinds of bars on a quiet weekday night when one can actually have a discussion with the knowledgeable bartenders about their trade.  Sahar told me that he got into bartending because he had always been a night owl and ended up getting an "in" to this spot.  I told Sahar what I was in the mood for and he created a cocktail with crushed basil, agave, rye, lemon juice and sherry.  My following drink was as a Blood & Sand.  Finally I asked him to make me a drink with a stout in it.  The bar had a few local beers on tap so to the stout he added a whole egg, sherry, mint, spiced agave and mole bitters.  This drink was like dessert; it was delicious.  By this time I had befriended a few other people at the bar and we were trying each other's drinks.  One girl said that my beer drink tasted like cereal.

One of my favorite things about traveling alone is how conducive it is to meeting interesting characters.  While I sat at the bar sipping on my cocktails and talking to Sahar, I noticed that one guy was slowly making his approach.  He took is time gradually inching is way closer to me until finally he was standing right there next to me, also "watching" Sahar make drinks.  It turns out his name was David.  David was the kind of guy who used the term "bro" when addressing his friend.  He worked in finance and implied that he did pretty well.  He was a self-proclaimed foodie.  He was playing third wheel to a very drunk couple who were on their way to Tahoe for vacation.  David informed me that his friend's girlfriend was demanding they take her to get a bacon-wrapped hot dog.  I told him she'd be better off going home and playing with his friend's hot dog and going to bed.  While David recommended a few restaurants in town that I should try, in walked a burly man in  his red 49ers gear.  He was reveling in the "big win" of the night, talking about how his team hadn't won like this in years.  I had heard enough about football for the night.  "You know what else is a big win?" I said, "Your moustache."  This guy had quite a large and impressive stache.  He was very flattered with my compliment and went on to tell me all of the details about the stache down to how he had sketched out a plan before coiffing it.  

When I finally decided to call it a night, tipsy off of good cocktails, Sahar left the bar unattended to walk me outside and hail me a cab.  Now that is some damn good service!  

A Cozy Weekend in San Francisco

17-18 December 2011


A Cozy Weekend in San Francisco

It felt so welcomed to San Francisco when I saw the smiling faces of my cousin, Jessica and family walking down the hill towards me on that very sunny Saturday afternoon.  I hadn't seen three and a half year old Vivienne in so long, but she still ran right up to me and gave me a hug.  Little Julian, at one and a half, was a little more cautious, but a few hours into the day, he was already climbing into my lap and showing me his "beep beeps" and "choo choo's."  

Jessica, Dave, Vivienne and Julian had just gotten back from brunch but I was ready to eat after a 4 hour journey from Houston.  Jessica took me on a short stroll around the Inner Sunset neighborhood where they live.  It is a low-key neighborhood with more of a town & community feeling.  It is still full of a diverse mix of ethnic restaurants and funky shops, but you get the sense that people there know each other by name or address.  It is adjacent to the University California - San Francisco medical school and hospital so it also has a "student vibe" to it.  I read that many locals name it as their favorite neighborhood despite the fact that it has the worst weather in the city due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean in "fog zone."  

After Jessica & I parted ways, I found the Wooly Pig Cafe.  It's a tiny little shop with just a few tables that serves well-made espresso drinks, lychee black tea, and gourmet sandwiches.  I opted for the braised caramel pork belly sandwich that was topped with mizuno greens, pickled shallots and balsamic vinaigrette served on challah bread.  It was a delicious little meal for a late lunch.

While Dave and Vivienne went out to do some last minute Christmas shopping, Jessica and I took Julian for a walk in Golden Gate Park, just a few blocks from their apartment.  Before I could even see it, I heard the drum circle from afar.  There was a sun-filled valley of the park that was full of mostly-stoned drummers rocking out in a large semi-circle.  It was a mostly male ensemble with all ages and walks of life represented.  Mangy dogs ran about.  Women in flowing scarves frolicked.  An older man with long dreadlocks sang along, he seemed to think he was conducting the group.  The entire gathering was shrouded in a cloud of sweet-smelling pot smoke, totally legal in the great state of California. 

Jessica lives in a quaint old San Francisco row house; it is a two story building with a lot of character and even a shared backyard.  While Dave prepared dinner, Jessica and I played with the kids in the back.  Vivienne scooted around on her wooden "bicycle" while Julian watched on, trying to mimic his big sister's every move.  

Dave made a delicious dinner of sole with a lemon-butter sauce, roasted butternut squash, and sautéed arugula.  The vegetables had all come from either their farm share or the weekly farmer's market.  All of the leftovers were composted, because in San Francisco, composting is not an option, it is a rule.  

While Jessica and Dave tended to the kids, I went out in search of alcohol.  There was a small bar with onsite brewery just a few blocks away called Social Kitchen & Brewery.  They made mostly Belgian-style beers.  I was really in the mood for a porter or a stout but unfortunately they had none on tap that night.  I sampled a few different brews, including one called the Devlish that was made with salted caramel, rosemary and thyme but settled for one called L'enfant Terrible, a dark ale.  It was light but malty, I enjoyed it.  I also enjoyed eavesdropping on the awkward first-date conversation of the couple seated next to me at the bar.  The man was sharing his stories about how he used to take ten to fifteen shots of alcohol in the first few hours of any given night out at the bar.  Yes, there are some things you should keep to yourself on a first date. 

I slept better than I had in a long time on Saturday night.  After a glorious ten hours of sleep, I awoke to the high pitched little voices of Vivienne and Julian.  I joined the family in the kitchen and together we made apple pancakes.  It was a cozy way to spend a Sunday morning.  

                                       

The five of us made a visit to the Sunset Farmer's market, a weekly occurrence in this neighborhood.  Vivienne and Julian got to meet Santa, who was giving out honey sticks in lieu of candycanes.  Santa was picked up by a purple PT Cruiser with a spotted dog inside instead of a carriage with reindeer.  The farmer's market filled up a small parking lot but was full of lots of delicious options including many hearty winter greens, tart apples, and even strawberries.  I tried a delicious kumquat marmalade and some Afghani snacks.

Jessica was raving about a bakery across the street from the farmers market called Arizmendi, a bakery cooperative.  The sign inside the shop said "Make Loaves Not War."  It was warm inside the tiny shop and smelled strongly of yeast and coffee.  We picked an assortment of items to snack on, including dark chocolate and cherry sourdough, cheddar scones, and the scone of the day which was pear and blueberry.  I wasn't even that hungry after our big breakfast, but I couldn't resist.  This place also makes a pizza of the day which also sounded delectable. 

I figured it was about time I exercised off all of these carbs I'd been eating.  I set out on a run through Golden Gate Park.  This park is larger and more tree-filled than New York's Central Park.  It was still damp and gloomy when I went on my run, but it made the air smell fragrant of pine needles, cedar wood with the faintest hint of sea air.  

                                       

                                                      

I headed towards the Pacific Ocean end of Golden Gate Bridge and took a few minutes to snap photos of the rocky coastline.  As chilly as it was, the surfers were still out enjoying the waves.  Tall sand dunes blocked the wind from rolling in off the coastline.  I made my back through the park, running past the California Academy of Science and finally seven miles later, ending up back at Jessica and Dave's apartment.  I felt fantastic. 

The sun finally broke out of the clouds around 3pm that afternoon and so Jessica and I did a bit of shopping around the neighborhood, looking through eclectic shops tightly packed with various goodies.  While Jessica and Dave entertained guests, I took the MUNI down to the Russian Hill neighborhood to check to some of the funky shops and quaint boutiques on Union Street.  I decided to walk most of the way, to enjoy the sunshine and exercise, so a lot of the stores were already starting to close up by the time I made it down there.  I perused through books at an independent bookstore, looked at eco-friendly children's clothing, and peered into cozy restaurants decorated with Christmas lights.

On the way back to Jessica's place, I decided to stop in at Zuni Cafe for an early dinner.  After the 7 miles of running and another 4 miles of walking, I was ready for a culinary reward.  Dave had suggested Zuni Cafe and I had also read about it online; it sounded like good, solid California cuisine.  On the way there, I walked past the very festively light City Hall and opera house.  I also spotted my first San Francisco food truck which was serving sliders and greasy comfort food; a stand next to it was selling homemade pies as a fundraiser for some needy African tribal group.  

The benefits of eating alone and early in the night are prompt seating at virtually any restaurant.  Zuni Cafe had a decent crowd for 6:30 on a Sunday night.  I got a window seat in the bar area which gave me a good view of the street outside, the bartender shaking cocktails, and the pianist sitting at the grand piano.  

I drank my sazerac cocktail (thanks to Peter for introducing me to this drink just last week) while I waited for my first course.  I had a rabbit salad with barley, pomegranate, nuts and arugula which was all fresh and light.  Then I got ricotta gnocchi from a local dairy, of course, served with butter and chard.  Is there really anything better than butter and ricotta? It was a simple dish but still good.  I debated another small plate or a dessert, and the waiter helped me to decide on the chocolate gateau, a Julia Child style warm flourless cake.  It was both dense but light at the same time.  My visit to San Francisco was off to a great start.