Wine Kitchen

9 06 2013

This is going to be a weird post.

Basically, these food photos turned out relatively amazing. So this place looks amazing. And the food was really good, but the decor and general ambiance of Wine Kitchen irked me in a weird way. And since I was with my architect friend, she easily told me Eight Things that Wine Kitchen Could Do to Improve Their Vibe. And, while I would not have noticed them myself, she was right.

But first, food:

Behold: Fried gnocchi

Behold: Fried gnocchi

We sat right next to the window; the light was great. These pictures are with my shitty Android phone. Yeah, everybody, Android. Decent pictures. It can happen.

Anyway, the menu was all nibbles, but was very creative. We ordered almost everything that didn’t include animals that have legs. All the dishes were about $12, except a few smaller nibbles (like the corn tempura) that were around $4. It was all really good.

Corn Tempura

Corn Tempura

Scallops a la Plancha

Scallops a la Plancha

Scallops a la Plancha

Scallops a la Plancha

Cheese Plate! Aged gouda in the middle was amazing.

Cheese Plate! Aged gouda in the middle was amazing.

Big Eye Tuna Crudo

Big Eye Tuna Crudo with quinoa

So back to the Big Eight… I’ll just do a list, like I like to do. Here are some unsolicited thoughts on how to make WK a bit more chic:

IMAG0222

  1. The font. Not nearly chic enough. The bottle opener thing is superfluous. I hesitate to criticize this, since I know how hard it is to choose a logo. But still.
  2. The orange-ish paint on those first walls (pictured) is not ok.
  3. The wood wine holder wall displays are no good. Do something architectural with the wine display or get it out of there.
  4. The weird weed/plant decoration on the north wall (not pictured).
  5. The art on the south walls in the main space (also not pictured, and I didn’t even see it, but Architect said so).
  6. Table top color — dark red no good. Too dark. Lighter would be more inviting.
  7. Chairs — too traditional, go with something more modern. Though they were sturdy, which I appreciated.
  8. Get rid of the TV at the bar. I, personally, could take or leave this one. But, again, Architect has spoken.

So there you go, those are some thoughts on possible decor improvements.

Oh yeah, we drank this bubbly, and it was very nice. It is called wine kitchen, after all. End scene.

IMAG0224

 


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Categories : American, Bar

Burma Superstar

4 06 2013

Ok. Everyone has already said everything there is to say about Burma Superstar. The blogosphere is chock-full of immense praise and a billion photos and detailed descriptions of everything about BS. Although people probably don’t commonly call it BS. Regardless, I’ll keep this short.

Burma Superstar is a Burmese restaurant in the Richmond. They do not take reservations. The decor is not particularly intriguing. But somehow it’s still posh as shit.

You will wait not less than 45 minutes to eat at Burma Superstar. They will tell you the wait is 1.5 hours, however, which we agreed that we appreciate (rather than underestimating the time). You will give them your phone number and wait with your friends at a bar a block away.

Tea Leaf Salad up close and personal

Tea Leaf Salad up close and personal

At some point they were featured on the Food Network. Their Tea Leaf Salad was specifically featured. I thought that sounded disgusting when I first heard about it. It is not. It is amazing. That’s why it was on the Food Network. Those people are not stupid.

I guess it has 26,000 ingredients and the tea leaves are from Burma. Whatever. It’s delicious. Order it. Here’s another not-that-great picture:

Tea Leaf Salad all Mixed Up

Tea Leaf Salad all mixed up

Everything I’ve ever had is amazing. Try the coconut rice. They made rice amazing somehow. Try whatever. It’s great, I’m pretty sure. And the servers are nice. And one table has a huge lazy susan. And you can order to go and just pick it up if you don’t want to wait so long. And it’s not heinously expensive. Here are more foods I ate last weekend. I recommend you go there, but at a time when I do not want to go there, lest you increase my wait time. BS makes me greedy.

Pumpkin shrimp

Pumpkin shrimp

Dry fried string beans

Dried fried string beans

Those other things and coconut rice. Oh lord, so good.

Those other things and coconut rice. Oh lord, so good.

Burma Superstar on Urbanspoon


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Categories : Asian Fusion, Burmese

Dear Mom

30 05 2013

Dear Mom,

I have a little side blog now, it’s called Single White Female: Refrigerator (SWFR). Here is a link: http://swfrefrigerator.tumblr.com/

I know I talked about it in a post a couple months ago and that I was unclear about it being a separate blog and you thought it was just one picture of my refrigerator. It is a blog on a site called Tumblr, which is used a bit differently than WordPress or Blogger, which is where my other blogs are kept.

Anyway, on my SWFR Tumblr, I post a picture every week or few of the inside of my (or Alicia’s) refrigerator. Because I find it humorous to see what’s in (or not in, usually) our refrigerators. I know if you weren’t making food for your grandbaby now, you would be proud to boast an entirely empty refrigerator as well. Don’t worry, I know in your heart of hearts, you have an empty refrigerator just like I do. That is not a metaphor.

I hope you enjoy my newest silly online bloggy thing.

Love,

Angie

P.S. Your minestrone soup was really good, it didn’t stay in my fridge nearly long enough to make it onto SWFR. Thank you.


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Categories : swfr

Dante’s Weird Fish

27 05 2013

I was looking for a place in the Mission to have dinner before a friend’s bday party. Criteria: not Mexican food, not too expensive, not a huge wait, good food. Somehow, Dante’s managed to hit all these points. Apparently Yelp isn’t just a place for people to complain about trivial things.

Dante’s was great. Apparently it used to be called “Weird Fish”. It closed, and re-opened as “Dante’s Weird Fish”. Per this article, they added the word “Dante’s”, and took some crap off the walls. Otherwise, it’s reportedly the same.

Me 'n Dante.

Me ‘n Dante.

It’s a small place right on Mission at 18th. I have walked by it many times and never noticed it. The inside is cute, the menu is great, and the food is yummy. Actually, look at the menu. It’s funny (see: “condemned to fry”), cute (see: “sand-witches”), and I want to order everything (see: everything).

Two things:

  1. They have vegan options. Seitan or tofu “fish” ‘n chips, fried seitan sandwich, seitan or vegan chorizo tacos. So awesome.
  2. They have white wine sangria. Pretty much one of my favorite things ever.
"The Catch" with slaw, dips, all over regular and sweet potato fries

“The Catch” with slaw, dips, all over regular and sweet potato fries

White wine sangria -- yum!

White wine sangria — yum!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), my lady friend and I were both in the mood for OG fish ‘n chips, so we ordered the same thing. Two pieces of fried fish, home made potato and sweet potato fries, and home made dips. With sangria, of course. It was fab. And totally filling, as you might expect. Now I just need to go back to try the rest of the stuff on the menu.

Weird Fish on Urbanspoon


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Categories : Fish 'n Chips

Brenda’s

5 05 2013

Hello world! I am back. After a brief hiatus to take some dumb engineering test, and then some subsequent rest to do things like see the sunshine, remind friends that I exist, and generally sit doing nothing at all, I am ready to bloggulate again. Let’s kick this biatch off with Brenda’s.

Beignets

Brenda’s Beignets

Brenda’s French Soul Food is in the TL. That’s SF-speak for the Tenderloin. Which is the filth-ridden, junkie-laden, pristinely located neighborhood right in the middle of the city between all the other neighborhoods you like (ex: downtown, Hayes Valley, Nob Hill, etc.). The Tenderloin is like San Francisco’s booby trap for visitors who stumble into the area accidentally, and just a puss-filled blemish on the landscape that natives avoid most of the time.

Sunlit Brenda's

Sunlit Brenda’s

Sometimes something good takes up residence in the TL. Brenda’s is one of these diamonds in the rough, if you will. Last time I took a cab here, my driver was very confused.

Driver: “You want to go where?”

Me: “Polk between Turk and Eddy.”

Driver: “Are you sure?”

Me: “Yes, it’s ok, I’m meeting people there.”

Drivers are overly concerned when I request seemingly perilous destinations, for some reason.

Anyway, Brenda’s is awesome. It’s a decent-sized place and it will have a good SF wait for a table during weekend brunch. They do breakfast, lunch, dinner, and aforementioned weekend brunch. I’ve been for brunch and dinner, and both were very good.

Florentine $10

Florentine $10

Fried Catfish $11

Fried Catfish $11

For brunch, Alicia and I both ordered a Benedict of sorts. They have four choices of Benedicts, all $10 or $11. Comes with nice potatoes or grits.

The “dinner” I had there was just a mash of appetizers/sides shared between me and my two lady friends. The Brie en Croute salad was amazing. Fried shallots, sweet yummy dressing and a ridiculously good flaky bread-covered piece of warm brie. So good.

Brie en Croute Salad $8.50

Brie en Croute Salad $8.50

Other sides we shared were mac ‘n cheese, hush-puppies, and collard greens, and then a dessert of the (nearly mandatory)  Beignets and their special of peanut butter mud pie. The mac and puppies were really good, but the collard greens had an unidentified meat product in them which chased off the two veggies at the table. Plus, didn’t really love the taste, oddly. Usually I love any greens.

Mac & Cheese $5

Mac & Cheese $5

Hushpuppies $4.75

Hush-puppies $4.75

The Beignets are somewhat of a specialty; you get three per order and they’re massive! Choice of plain (no filling), chocolate, or apple. The sampler comes with one of each. Note also that the price of all these goods is relatively cheap, which makes any SF meal exciting. Aside from the location (which actually isn’t too far south of Nob Hill), it’s a great place.

Beignet Floght $6

Beignet Flight $6

Peanut Butter Mud Pie

Peanut Butter Mud Pie

Brenda's French Soul Food on Urbanspoon


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Categories : American, Breakfast, Brunch, French

swf refrigerator

10 03 2013

Shameless plug for my new tumblr: swf refrigerator.

Is it a philosophical commentary on a person’s state of mind through the eyes of their refrigerator? Is it a realization of the social implications of gender roles and family values in the current state of our society? Is it an intermittent and admittedly poor advertising campaign for Trader Joe’s? I dunno, it’s my fridge. And it makes me laugh.

swfr

I will be updating sporadically and accepting submissions from other swf’s (and sf’s of any ethnicity, really). Mom, will you do me the honor?


Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : Misc. Ranting, This Blog

Capo’s

26 02 2013

Extra, Extra, ReadAllAboutIt! Capo’s Now Open in North Beach!

Say that in, like, one of those Dick Tracy Chicago gangster accents to get the full gist of what’s happening in that sentence, y’shee. Capo’s is the newest gig from world champion pizza tosser Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napolitana, one of the famous SF pizza joints (also the owner of Pyzano’s in Castro Valley). This time he’s gone old school with Capo’s — red patent leather booths, brick walls, and mood lighting chandeliers. And a specialization in Chicago-style deep dish pizza. I can dig it.

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I really liked this place. It’s busy. There’s a very nice, posh bar. The booths are plush as shit. The menu is awesome and a bit quirky for a pizza place. The wait staff is courteous and attentive. The food is fattening and delicious.

What was surprising to me was the portion sizes. They’re immense. Not chic SF style at all. But not unwelcome either, except to my unsuspecting belly. We ordered two appetizers and one 13″ deep dish to share between four people. We asked the waiter if that was enough food and he replied emphatically, “oh yeah”. Which alarmed us a bit. Then they brought unsolicited soup, Banchero’s style. It was welcome and yummy. Then our appetizers came.

Baked artichokes in spinach and provolone cream

Baked artichokes in spinach and provolone cream

The first appetizer to arrive was the baked artichokes. I didn’t really read on the menu where it said “in spinach and provolone cream”, which is mostly what it was. It was basically artichoke dip. I kinda wished they’d just said that on the menu. But it was still delicious. I think it probably took two years off my life, and my arteries were screaming in horror, but I just laughed and ate. Delicious.

Garlic bread with mozzarella... $5.95!!!

Garlic bread with mozzarella… $5.95!!!

Next arrived our garlic bread with mozzarella cheese. Which I thought would be a paltry few slices of lightly-cheesed bread. Cue comically surprised expression. It was more like a whole loaf worth of bread with a pound of cheese on it. It was amazing and ridiculous. And amazingly ridiculous when slathered in the aforementioned artichoke dip. Double heart attack challenge: accepted.

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Last, but not least, was our pizza. We ordered the Frank Nitti, though we didn’t get the reference. It was only 13″ diameter, but it weighed as much as a bowling ball. And it felt relatively similar to that in your stomach. I was not terribly hungry when we arrived (idiot). I ate two helpings of soup and our all-carb appetizers. I could not even get through my one slice of five-pound pizza. It was ridiculous. And good. And ridiculous.

Overall, I loved the place. The pizza wasn’t as good as Little Star, imho, but the menu was a good enough rival and the atmosphere was better. Also, Capo’s is like four blocks from my house and Little Star (either one) is way across town. So. I will take some Capo’s anytime.

Side notes: I want to try the thin crust next time. And, if you’re going, they only take cash. Come prepared or use their ATM machine.

Capo's on Urbanspoon


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Categories : Pizza

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