Category Archives: Media

Where to…Eat, Now?

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Life in San Francisco is hectic enough. Between our jobs, zumba-pilates-yoga-triathalontraining, family life, friends, fetishes and foundations who really has the time to keep on top of the restaurant scene? Obviously this is one of my greatest passions and I still find myself getting scooped or unawares of the next great food truck, pop up or dining hot spot. I can only imagine how daunting it is for people with normal time or interest.

Still, we’re a food obsessed town. Everyone wants to try out the latest Beard-nominated phenom. When your friends come to town from Paris, you just want to give them that insider experience – don’t you? But where to begin? How can you keep on top of things without spending days combing the interwebs looking for relevant information. And who can you trust?

Following is a breakdown of my favorite ways to get information about dining in San Francisco. But frankly, I think most of the resources I use are national, so if you find yourself in New York, Chicago or LA, this could easily be applicable.

THE LIST
For the aforementioned ‘friends in town’ scenario – the best place to start is at our dear old friend sf.eater.com. On the “38 Essential San Francisco Restaurants” page, superstar editor Carolyn Alburger painstakingly updates monthly the “in” places in the Bay. She even comments on why places are added or removed. It’s really the greatest resource we have for knowing where you ‘should’ be eating. There’s even a handy map if you’re trying to zero in on a neighborhood. Her list requires that a restaurant be open at least six months, so I don’t consider this the cutting edge I often seek. It’s more of a safe bet.

THE HEAT MAP
For more of the cutting edge, Ms. Alburger has created the spectacular, indispensable “Eater Heat Map” where “More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now?” The question is deftly answered with the places that have buzz. While this list might cause debate amongst die-hard obsessives, it’s a great resource for most enthusiasts.

THE NEWSLETTER
Tablehopper is a newsletter that is published weekly by  Marcia Gagliardi, the queen bee of the Bay Area food scene. A subscription to her newsletter is an essential part of being-in-the-know. The minute something opens Marcia is there and reporting. She also keeps an updated list of 10 Places to Eat at Now that comes in handy on a search. In fact, if you compare it to the eater lists, places with overlap are a sure bet [wink wink].

NO RESERVATIONS
Opentable is not only good for getting reservations, but in many cases, I prefer the reviews here over Yelp. They tend to be concise and trend in directions that can help you make choices (I’ll comment about Yelp below). But most importantly, we often don’t plan enough in advance to score reservations at places like Flour+Water and Frances. With Opentable, you can see what is available as you comb the lists above. I will often plug in my date / time and scan the available reservations before making a decision.

MESSAGE BOARD
Chowhound is daunting. Unless you are prepared to navigate miles of message boards to find the pearl of wisdom you seek, you might want to try a different approach. If I am looking for something specific, like “Best Pizza in San Francisco” I will add “chowhound” to my google search and scan the lively debates. What I’ll often find is that a thread will go on forever, but clear consensus forms, from which I can make a pretty solid decision. This has been my savior when seeking whitefish salad in New York, Deli in LA and hot dogs / pizza in Chicago.

NO WAY, JOSE
Time to Yelp bash a little. I don’t see much value in Yelp. When people are moved to post to Yelp, I question their motivation. I’m guessing it is typically when they have an experience that moves them to action, whether positive, negative or neutral, depending on the person themselves. But, what do we know about these people? And how are their opinions relevant to us? I could try to glean information from their profile or previous posts, but thats simply too much work. I often find that I don’t get much help out of Yelp in actually making decisions. Sorry for the non-sequitor here, but I think it’s relevant.

BLOGS, GLORIOUS BLOGS
Lastly, the Bay Area is littered with media outlets and blogs, like my own, that can help you find some solid information. Here is a list of some of my favorites:

7×7 Eat + Drink
San Francisco Magazine Eat & Drink
SFGate Food
SFBG Food & Drink
SFWeekly Foodie
Bay Are Bites KQED
Grub Street SF
Cooking with Amy
Bay Are Foodie
YUM SFStation
KelsEats 

Now that I’ve added to the inundation of your life, I leave you with my favorite Dr. Suess, as it relates to seeking restaurants, from “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”:

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

Color Me Kindle

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KindleI just received a notice that if I do not update my blog within 60 days I cannot be a part of the Kindle store. Well, if that ain’t a kick in the pants, I don’t know what is! Really, Kindle? Little ole’ me? Ok, I’ll bite. Here’s an update:

The Zealot has been grounded for a while. I sold my business last month and now actually have a boss and a real job. Don’t feel sorry for me, it was a great deal and I am in a great position in the new gig. I couldn’t be happier to be free of the stresses of entrepreneurship. What a fucking grind the last 20 years have been!

As for food, it’s been a great time. I have a ton of posts backlogged and as I get settled I’ll get cracking on content. I’m not going away and, in fact, I’m stepping up my game.

So, hang tight, you little kindler types. The Zealot returns……

Top Chef Orgy Tonight!!

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Oh Bravo thank you, thank you, thank you….tonight you will return Padma Lakshmi and whisk the bobble-headed Kelly Choi off to oblivion. What were you thinking anyway? I actually look forward to bringing back Tom Colicchio and even Gail Simmons (Toby Young I could do without) because Gael Greene, Jay Rayner and James Oseland were pretty much a snorefest! And the so-called ‘Masters’? I don’t think I’m the only one who finds the regular, hungry, innovative Top Chef competitors, and format, are far more intriguing.

What began as an interesting concept, Top Chef Masters, devolved into a poor facsimile of an enjoyable TV institution. The food was hardly “Master” caliber (perhaps due to the limitations of the challenges) and the personalities were all simply too cordial. The contestants were just too nice and too far along in their careers to make interesting TV. Really, the most difficult obstacle for them was overcoming the fact that none have prepped or produced in years. Hubert Keller outclassed everyone. Win or lose, he has gained immense respect in my book as a talented chef and personality.

Bravo must have anticipated a falloff in appreciation of their Top Franchise because tonight they are pouncing on the heels of Masters with a regular season kick-off. Back-to-back. Padma. Sigh. Check it out starting with the Top Chef Las Vegas premier at 9pm Comcast (6pm DirecTV) followed by the Masters Finale at 10:15pm Comcast (7:15pm DirecTV).

What can we expect from Season 6? From the Bay Area, there are few entrants:

Preeti Mistry: Executive Chef, Google, Bon Appetit Management Company
Mattin Noblia: Owner, Iluna Basque
Laurine Wickett: Chef / Owner Left Coast Catering

I think Vegas will be an interesting backdrop for the competition. I suppose there won’t be much mention of sustainability! My guess is that Vegas courted Bravo because they Vegas is hurting….big time. But what a setting: lots of restaurants, big kitchens, tons of celebrities (did I hear Natalie Portman??) and celebrity chefs (please no more Rocco).

No Reservations San Francisco Tonight

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I saw Tony at the Farmer’s Market when he was here in March to film tonight’s episode of No Reservations (airs on the Travel Channel at 10pm Comcast, 7pm DirecTV). I was with my son and it was one of those moments I immediately regretted.

You know how sometimes you see a celebrity and immediately react like they are someone you know? This alone proves to me that it would suck being a celeb.

I threw my boy onto my shoulders and walked over, saying to him loudly enough for Tony to here, “look buddy, it’s Uncle Tony” (incidentally, that is what I call him to my son when he sees AB on TV). Tony sort of snarled and looked me in the eye while he continued his ongoing conversation. I knew it was not cool. I stopped dead in my tracks and popped my boy down to his feet. We hovered for a moment and then ducked out. Even my four-year old was wise enough to see the screw up as he said “daddy, what was that?!”.

This is exactly where I nearly accosted the man.

This is exactly where I nearly accosted the man.

Lot’s of rumors abound about what Tony will cover tonight, but I’m sure it will feature old-salty haunts of San Francisco yesteryear mixed with the cutting edge that makes our city the epicenter of the sustainable movement. I know he has a love-hate relationship with the locavore ideals, mostly because many of the people espousing it are hypocrites in his eyes.

Lastly, my apologies for the sporadic posts lately. I’m finally one of the casualties of the economy and have had to bust my ass lately (and take work I would have avoided like the plague). I’m headed off to Colorado for some backpacking on Wed, but hope to get on a better schedule soon. I’ll try to come up with some posts on the trail and will likely review Jax in Boulder, home of Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg.

Technology Monday

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Ok, Mondays bite in the blog world. You people are too busy getting back to work to read my posts. I get about 1/3 less traffic on Monday and Friday, as a rule. So, I’m going to start doing some quickies on these days to save me the headache and give you some cool stuff to check out.

I get asked constantly where do I seek inspiration when planning a meal. Honestly, I typically hit three online sources, in the following order. Or, if I’m planning something special, I’ll dive in to my cook books.

Food and Wine: This is my favorite magazine and recipe source. Foodandwine.com is easily navigable and has tons of really great recipes. I often use theirs as a guide for my own – sort of a foundation. But their recipes stand on their own from very credible chefs and are often clean, easy and good in a pinch.

Click Here for Food And Wine

Click Here for Food And Wine

Saveur: Their lineup is not as deep as F&W but I’d have to give them the edge for style. Almost anything I make from a Saveur.com recipe is a little more technical and serious. I always know that there will be crowd pleasers here. There’s a certain rustic, yet thoughtful angle to their offerings.

Click Here for Saveur

Click Here for Saveur

Epicurious: Honestly, this is my last resort, but still very worthwhile. Their database is vast and will often be multiple entries for whatever I seek. But I take it all with a grain of salt (oh shit here come the puns again). User reviews reveal that Epicurious appeals to a much broader swath of the populous (read: I am a snob) and therefore (oh he’s not going to say it) are a little more pedestrian (you prick!). But if you’ve got skills, you can weed out the fluff (that’s kind of a pun. you know, the pedestrian thing, fluff?).

Click Here for Epicurious

Click Here for Epicurious

A Platter of Figs

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A good friend of mine calls David Tanis the only real genius he knows personally. Apparently Mr. Tanis operates on another plane of existence when it comes to the culinary arts. As my friend described “David could look at a stack of books and figure out how to realign it’s structure and turn it into something tasty”.

A Platter of Figs - Click to Purchase

A Platter of Figs - Click to Purchase

David’s cookbook, A Platter of Figs – And Other Recipes, may not stand up to “genius” masterworks in literature, but it is a damn good cookbook. You might not be surprised to learn that I enjoy reading cookbooks cover-to-cover. I don’t often follow recipes strictly, but I relish the idea of the influence gained from studying recipes and applying the theories to my existing skill-set. For that reason alone, Platter is worth owning. More traditional cookbook users, who follow recipes, won’t be disappointed either.

I was really struck by the forward by Alice Waters and the introduction by Mr. Tanis. She provides a glowing and humorous introduction to how he became her chosen-one to run the prestigious kitchen at Chez Panisse many years ago. He speaks of his proclivity towards home cooking and speaks frankly about the impersonal nature of restaurant dining. I found it refreshing from someone who makes a living cooking in a restaurant. I have also come to prefer the intimate dinner party with an appreciative group of friends, spending a day immersed in food from market to table, versus the quick fix and mixed bag of dining out.

This weekend I dove into Platter of Figs by recreating one of his summer menus (pictures below). While his structure was there for guidance, it was wonderful to make interpretations at the market that would result in personalizing the ultimate results. I think my guests would agree it was one of the tastiest meals we’ve served in a while. With that, I give a hearty Zealot recommendation for “A Platter of Figs”.

The menu:

- Acme ciabatta crostini with bellweather farms sheep’ ricotta, the-sweetest-cherry-tomatoes-ever, basil chiffonade.

- Braised dirty girl romano beans with lemon, garlic and chili.

- Long-grilled fennel.

- Radicchio hearts wrapped in pancetta with balsamic.

- Porchetta-style grilled pork loin, rubbed in fennel fronds, rosemary and insanely fresh garlic.

- Macedonia of blueberries and apricots with grappa.

- Brown turkey figs!

Food Inc. – Please Go Now.

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I’m not the most polite person. But I am asking you please, please go see Food Inc. now.

It’s not that the movie has any revelations beyond Omnivore’s Dilemma or Fast Food Nation. It’s also not the most exciting movie you will see this year. In fact, you may gasp now and then.

But it could be the most important movie you see this year.

The reason is that the topic of sustainability in our food system is reaching a tipping point. The mainstream media has not caught on, but a few shooting stars are getting seen. Alice Waters has been everywhere in the past year. Michael Pollan is starting to be everywhere (did you catch him on Bill Mahr?).

By seeing this movie, you will help to get it distributed to more theaters. That’s how small films move. The money has to be there for the distributor to open up more markets. The buzz created can send it national and receive the attention it deserves.

So, even if you have read the books and already know your local farmers by name, or, if you’re remotely interested in learning more about corporate agri-business, processed foods, feedlot conditions, or, you’d like to put a face to the names like Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms (what a character!) – go see the film.

A brief review: unfortunately the film suffers to comparison with Omnivore’s Dilemma, which is much more thorough on the subject. At times it felt like I was only getting a window into the massive problem. Still, the window that Food Inc. opens it incredibly important for reaching a greater mass of people who are completely unaware of what they are putting into their bodies and the resulting effects.

The film was beautifully shot and is supplemented with some of the best graphics I’ve seen in documentary filmmaking. The story holds up but gets a little jumpy here and there. There are plenty of impact moments, particularly with the story of Kevin’s law (I won’t give it away). You cannot walk away from this film feeling good about eating processed foods or corn-fed animals.

At the least, I hope this film inspires people to read the books for a more detailed understanding of the problem. It’s not that I am so compassionate towards others. I’ve often felt that if people want to wallow in their ignorance and gorge themselves on Pepsi and MacDonalds, so be it. But there are two issues with that. (1) People are unaware because there is deception. If our government produces food guidelines that benefit giant corporations, there is something very wrong. (2) The only way that my son will have better chance in the future is if there is a mass demand for sustainably produced food.

So, please, go see the movie. Put your thinking caps on. Read the books. There’s gonna be a lot more of this to come from me.

Gialina Review: I Ain’t Buying It!

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Gialina Menu

Gialina Menu

Here comes a rant…… I ain’t buying it! When I read Alan Richman’s article “American Pie” I was floored  to learn that there was a pizza place in San Francisco that made his top 25 IN THE COUNTRY (YES ALL CAPS) and I haven’t been there! How could it be? If anyone knows the pizza of San Francisco, especially Neapolitan style, it’s me, right? You read my blog, you know.

I dug further. Michael Bauer raved in his “Pizza Friday” blurb in 2007. Then he did it again in 2009. I searched my back-issues of Tablehopper and found mentions on Sep 18 2007, Nov 13 2007, Mar 4 2008, Aug 12 2008, Mar 31 2009 and May 26 2009. Marcia calls it “one of her favs”. I started to think that if I was ever going to do this blog justice, I might have to abandon my business and search for pizza night and day.

Of course I had to go. I took one of my pizza compadres, BH, and our lady-folk along and journeyed to exotic Glen Park. I was gonna have great pizza! But I didn’t. Sorry, no intent to offend. No disrespect to Marcia, Michael or Alan – but you’re all crazy. The pizza at Gialina simply doesn’t hold up.

Given, the place is very charming, especially for Glen Park. It’s modern, clean and bustling. There are lots of windows and it feels very inviting. The clientele seems generally proud and excited to eat there. We had a number of people tell us we were in for a treat. It felt cultish, which furthered my embarrassment that Gialina was off my radar.

Gialina Wall Photograph

Gialina Wall Photograph

We started with meatballs, covered with provolone. I found the balls to be tasty enough, but they were drowned in sauce and cheese. Lose the sauce, lose the cheese. If you’re making good meat, showcase the meat. Which brings me to their antipasti plate, filled with Boccalone goods. I’ve said it before –  I’m just not bowled over by Boccalone. For some reason it worked better at Beretta, but here the accouterments and presentation just lacked. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t all that good.

The best app they served was “Long Cooked Romano Beans w/ preserved lemon”. I commented that it reminded me of Italy. Seriously, it was one of those experiences that transports you straight to the heart of a Roman trattoria. I can’t say the same of the “Leaf Lettuces w/ cherries, goat cheese & pistachios”. All I could muster was ‘meh’. The little gems looks infiinitely better and I was sorry for taking the waitress’s suggestion.

Gialina Margarita

Gialina Margarita

But this was about pizza. I was going to have one of the best 25 pizzas in America. All is forgiven. Bring on the pie. We ordered the margarita, which is my reference point pie, despite the waitress’s comment that it wasn’t her favorite. We did try her favorite and the reason for the GQ kudos, “Wild Nettles w/ Boccalone pancetta, mushrooms, red onions & provolone”.

I must preface my comments with some information. In 2004 the Italian government drew up a series of laws to protect the integrity of pure Neapolitan pizza making. You can read an article from the BBC here. This is the standard for which I base my opinions of this style of pizza. It comes as a result of generations of tradition and they really got it right. Everything from acidity and sweetness in the tomatoes to fat content of the cheese, the temperature of the oven and the resulting smokiness and pliability of the crust are all considered. If you’re interested in learning more, a school is opening in North Beach by America’s premier Pizzaiolo, Tony Gemignani, called the International School of Pizza. I’m signing up for a class. I’m building a wood-fired oven in my backyard.

So, back to Gialina. The crust was the most troubling element. It was yeasty, dense and a little chewy. I’ve had this happen to me when I pick up a Trader Joe’s dough that was from an off-batch. So, perhaps tonight they were working with sub par goods? It just wasn’t right. Still, neither the sauce or the cheese worked (look at the photo). It seems that pizzerias are skimping more and more on the cheese. Bad move. Not too much, but NEVER too little.

Gialina Nettle Pizza

Gialina Nettle Pizza

Then we tried the famed nettle creation. Same problem with the dough. The nettles were fine and tasty. The pancetta was nice. I didn’t really get the addition of mushroom and all-combined it was an acceptable pie. But best in the country? Not even close. Maybe best in Glen Park. Maybe best South of Piccino. But not even close to best in the city. Nate Appleman could dance circles around this pie. Craig Stoll makes better dough in his sleep (which may be also when he is awake because I don’t get much personality there – ouch).

I know I am a snob. But that’s what makes me a zealot. I have to have an opinion, and unfortunately today I’m not a fan of Gialina. No harm, no foul. Ok, I’m done. Rant over. Back to Mr. Nice Guy. Have a nice day.

Top Chef Masters, Tonight!

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Top Chef Masters

Top Chef Masters

At first I thought Bravo was pulling out a cop-out mini-special with Rocco DiSpirito to boost their summer numbers. But upon digging deeper I discovered that “Top Chef Masters” is not only a full season of my favorite culinary show, but they’ve got some serious talent. Michael Chiarello? Wylie Dufresne? Hubert Keller? In fact, they gathered twenty accomplished chefs from around the country to compete.

They’ve got a new host, Kelly Choi (I might miss Padme) and new judges: Gael Green of New York Magazine, Jay Rayner of Britain’s The Observer and James Oseland, editor of Saveur. I suspect that Gail Simmons was out of her league? Other notable chefs include Elizabeth Falkner, Art Smith (Oprah’s Chef), Rick Bayless and a bunch of other James Beard winners. There’s heavy representation from the Bay Area.

Check it out tonight 7pm pacific on DirecTV and Dish or 10pm pacific on cable, 10pm eastern on Bravo.