Decadence in San Francisco

This past weekend found me traveling to San Francisco with Kim.  Since she was going to be busy with work-related activities all day Friday, I set out into the city for a self-created culinary tour of San Francisco.  Armed with my new phone, the Michelin Star List of San Francisco restaurants, and too much energy for my own good since I was tapering for a marathon on Sunday (um, yeah...more about that in the next post), I set out in search of whatever delicious morsels I could come across.

First up on my list were pastries from Stella's Pastry and Cafe.  It was a surreal feeling, getting there, because as I emerged from the light rail in the middle of San Francisco, I looked around to get my bearings and immediately knew and recognized where I was.  All of the memories from the one real trip that I had made to San Francisco some eight years previously came flooding back to me.  So, as I set off to collect a box of pastries to share with Kim later that evening, I detoured to Cafe Grecco, where I fondly remember sitting with my sister while taking in the sights of San Francisco's Little Italy.  This visit to Cafe Grecco was no less charm filled as well...once I grabbed a latte, I plopped down outside and proceeded to be entertained by a lively conversation between three old Italian gentlemen who would pause their conversation long enough to flirt with any young woman that walked by.

Making my way across the street to Stella's, the smell of pignoli's, baci di darma, and other Italian treats wafted through the air to consume my attention.  More memories rapidly surfaced, though this time from visits to New York's Little Italy.  The only things missing were the rainbow cookies that I used to enjoy there.

Second on my list was the Ferry Plaza and farmers market in the clock tower building by the bay.  After leaving Stella's I hiked back across town to see what ingredients would tempt me.  Luckily, since I was traveling, I didn't have to worry too much about emptying my wallet, but the markets still managed to find my kryptonite: salt.  I'm never quite sure how, anymore, but whenever I run into another salt-loving kindred spirit, we can talk for hours on end.  Friday's excursion, luckily, resulted in me only buying one bottle of Murray River Pink salt flakes....the type that melt in your mouth, not in your hand, with a very delicate, almost floral taste.  Mmmmm, salt.  Other food stalls, which normally would have been very dangerous for me to wander through, included mushrooms, whole hog style meat, artisan cheeses, California wines (though I did pick up a bottle for enjoyment that night), and more pastries (which, of course, I felt obligated to buy for consumption later that evening). 

Mushrooms galore!

After leaving the market, it was time to head to my first lunch reservation: The Boulevard.  Admittedly, I had high hopes heading into this restaurant as it holds a Michelin star.  The food itself was very creative and artfully done, but my expectations proved too high to overcome.  The appetizer that I ordered, tuna tartar, had a colorful garnish/salad across the top that provided a welcome contrast in texture to the tuna; however, the tastes of the garnish just blended in with the tuna and weren't able to provide a contrast or accentuation that you'd expect.  The three pieces of crisp, flat bread that you see in the photo, on the other hand, had a blend of Mediterranean herbs that, in a greater quantity, would've been perfect for pairing with the tuna...

Tuna tartar at The Boulevard.

The main course that I ordered was wood oven roasted Kobe Beef, served with an arugula salad, Bruno del Rosso Tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar.  The ingredients couldn't have been better - everything was taste perfect in my head, but the way that the dish was tied together (i.e. sauces), were just too mild to the point where the question came in to my head as to 'why bother?'  Maybe it's just me...anyone reading this probably knows that I always need overbearing flavors to be happy, though I was perfectly happy savoring the flavor and texture of the beef itself.  One other side note from The Boulevard is that I really need to make more of an effort to sit at the chef's table in the future.  Watching how the kitchen operates is always fascinating - some are well oiled machines in which each chef has his/her own role in the preparation of dishes, while others are chaotic scrambles with little semblance of a coherent plan.  The Boulevard definitely fell into the former category, so much so that the temptation to leave the engineering world behind to return to a life of cooking had never been closer...

Kobe beef with an arugula salad.

In case I hadn't splurged enough for lunch, I decided that what I really needed was oysters for dessert.  I mean, I'm a stone throw away from the Pacific...I had no real excuse for not indulging in some sea food during my short visit. Thus I found myself heading back to Hog Island Oyster Co. in the clock tower building.  Always believing that variety is the spice of life, especially when I can't remember what my favorite variation of oysters is, I opted for the mixed platter.  It never ceases to amaze me how much variation there is from one oyster to the next, from a briny, salty flavor to a smooth succulent butter.  For the record, my favorites of the six that I had ended up being the Kumamoto and the Kusshi (the other four were the Hog Island Sweetwater, Hog Island Atlantics, then two more flown in from Washington).  What type of oyster eater are you?

The oyster bar mix at Hog Island Oyster Co.

After taking a break from dining, I met back up with Kim where we were able to start enjoying the goods that I had accumulated (macarons, Italian pastries, California wine, etc.) before heading out to meet Nate and Mai for dinner at One Market Restaurant.  Like The Boulevard, this also had earned a Michelin star; however, unlike The Boulevard, this easily exceeded all expectations that I had.  While I only have one picture to share, the food was simply amazing.  We started off with more oysters and then hand-picked dungeness crab, which had a mild crab flavor and an almost melt in your mouth buttery quality to it.  For the main course, as is the case many places, I saw duck on the menu and couldn't bring myself to look away.  The roasted duck breast was served with foie gras sausage, farro, nettles, and an Earl Grey sauce.  The duck was that amazing type of duck that's crispy on the outside but pink and succulent on the inside.  One of my greatest failings as a chef is not knowing how to prepare duck this way.  I'm setting this as my next goal in cooking as I've had enough with not being able to replicate this.  The farro (green rice like things in the picture) added the contrast that I so desperately had hoped for with lunch, and the foie gras sausage was, well, simply incredible as foie gras should be to justify it.

Roasted duck breast served with foie gras sausage, farro, nettles, and an Earl Grey sauce.

The other entrees at our table were fabulous as well...Nate went with a four course lamb meal (that's right, four!!! courses of lamb), and the other two dishes were scallops and steak.  There's definitely more on the menu that I'd love to explore, so after I finish the other restaurants on my Bay area dining list (topped by the French Laundry and Chez Panisse), I'll have to make my way back to One Market.  The thought of living out in that area and being able to enjoy food like this all the time is awfully tempting...

The last leg of the trip, from a gastronomical perspective, was lunch on Saturday.  We stopped in at the House of Nanking in China Town.  The food was simple and delicious, as you'd expect from a stop in the middle of China Town.  We started off with a noodle soup complete with whole fish (which we of course picked apart and devoured!) as seen below, followed by the "Scallop Tower," which was a nice stack of eggplant, lemon, and scallops.  The meal was rounded out by the Bao Bing wrap (think rice tortillas, so kinda thick, with a sweet and spicy beef and fresh veggies), and the house noodles.  Luckily, by the time the noodles came out, everyone else was a little full, so I was able to finish my carb loading for Sunday's marathon in style as I gobbled up everything that was left.  The noodles really hit the spot, a definite must for anyone visiting (in addition to everything else we got, of course...will have to go back with more people so we can eat even more dishes next time!), as they were a type of buckwheat or whole wheat noodles coated with a soy-garlic sauce. 

Soup at the House of Nanking.

And, just like that, my short stay in San Francisco came to an end.  It seems that I've taken longer writing this post than I spent awake in the city...already looking forward to my next visit, whenever that may be!

Updated 6/17: my fact checker caught a few mistakes.