Broccoli & Chocolate

restaurants * food events * news

Review: Bar Tartine

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I finally went to Bar Tartine last night. It was good, but honestly, not as good as I expected. I kinda hate it when that happens.

Bar Tartine is owned by the same chefs who own Tartine, the famous bakery. I actually still have never been to the bakery (pretend like the Mission district is a far-away foreign land to a North Beach resident), though I have enjoyed their chocolate croissants courtesy of my co-worker. The chocolate croissants are amazing, btw. Anyway, Bar Tartine is a dinner restaurant that also doubles as a sandwich shop in the afternoons. It’s modern and chic and widely hailed as awesome.

Tartine Bread $3

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Review: Machka

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Update: This restaurant has closed. 🙁

Machka! It just sounds like it should be an exclamation to me. Not sure why that is. Machka is a small Mediterranean* restaurant in the FiDi** right across the street from the Pyramid Building. It has just a handful of tables in the narrow, brick-lined space, and a bar in one corner that serves wine and beer. Mom and sis took me here for lunch on my actual birthday (I was at work; it was awesome).

Cauliflower soup enjoyed by Sister

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Review: Maverick

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This year, Maverick was my choice for my 31st birthday dinner with my man-friend. Actually, Outerlands was going to be my birthday dinner choice, but we found out last minute that they were closed for the 4th of July (man-friend was going out of town on my actual b-day; this was my pre-bday dinner) and that our OpenTable reservation was a sham. A sham!

Anger from that incident aside, Maverick was a suitable replacement. It’s a teeny little contemporary American restaurant in the Mission District. And though it doesn’t fit in with the roving crack-heads, plentiful hipster bars, and relentless dollar taquerias that plague the Mission, it is still totally worth making the trek for. It’s even worth ending a sentence in a preposition for.

Gruyere Gougeres with French Onion Dip - $5

Gruyere Gougeres with French Onion Dip – $5

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Storytime: The Nature Stop & How to Be a Pimp

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I have taken to pimping out the natural foods store near my house. Literally.

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berryIt’s a Thursday evening. I stand outside the natural food store near my house. I hold in my hands a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables which I purchased at said store. They’re fresher than what you can get from the farmer’s market. They’re as delicious as anything you could grow in your own home. Can you grow them? No, you live in San Francisco. So you’re looking at me.

A man walks by on the sidewalk. I hold out a basket of strawberries. He glances at them, then looks at me, never breaking his stride. I wink menacingly. He breaks eye contact and hurries on. It was obvious he wanted them though. He’ll be back.

A young woman strides by in yoga pants and a baggy, gray knitted sweater. She has a gym bag. She’s wearing sunglasses even though the sun’s almost set and it’s cloudy and cold. I whip out two cobs of fresh, sweet, white corn. I thrust them toward her. She dodges, frowns. She’s obviously not in the mood tonight; I move on.

I’ve moved to the corner. I hold my wares in plain sight: two oranges, the corn, the strawberries, a bunch of kale, and four avocados. A car slows as it passes. “You lookin’ for a nice meal?”, I ask. The passenger and driver exchange a glance. “How much?”

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Review: Le Bernardin, NYC

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Last month I went to New York City. While in Manhattan for five days, my food-loving friend, Jon, and I agreed to go to at least one world-class super schmancy restaurant and spend a ridiculous sum of money on food. Mission accomplished: we went to Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin. Please let me describe to you the most expensive meal I have ever eaten.

Inside Le Bernardin -- from website le-bernardin.com

Inside Le Bernardin — from website le-bernardin.com

Le Bernardin is a seafood restaurant. Their motto is “the fish is the star of the plate”, which, imho, could use some work, but they seem to be doing fine even with a sorta cheesy tagline. In 2009, Le Bernardin was voted 15th best restaurant in the world in the Restaurant magazine Top 50. Le Bernardin is one of only seven restaurants in New York awarded three Michelin stars, and is the restaurant which has held four stars from The New York Times for the longest period of time, having earned the ranking in early 1986. In 2013, Zagats ranked it the #1 restaurant in New York City*.

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Review: Nothing Bundt Cakes

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Nothing Bundt Cakes stopped by my office a few weeks ago and gave us a free cake. A FREE CAKE. Let me tell you the tale.

A woman walked in with a cake in a box. She explained that someone on our floor had ordered some cakes. They had made one extra to give to someone else to try their cake. We were the randomly chosen winner of said cake. FREE CAKE.

I didn't manage to take a picture of the actual cake we received. But these beautiful cake photos are from their website http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com. I assume they don't mind me using them.

I didn’t manage to take a picture of the actual cake we received. But these beautiful cake photos are from their website http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com. I assume they don’t mind me using them.

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Events: SF Street Food Festival 2013 Preview Dinner

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It’s that time of year again. Time for the San Francisco Street Food Festival sponsored by La Cocina. This year’s main event is on Saturday August 17, 2013, in the Mission district of SF. And like years past, it will be filled with great local vendors. I was invited to the media preview dinner again (year three — w00t!). My personal highlights are listed below.

st street food festival 2013 flier

Let’s just start with the winner. The best thing at the preview dinner, IMHO, by a long shot. It sounded gross, but it was incredible. Most interesting, delicious food ever. The winner is: Hella Vegan Eats with their Mini Vegan Doughnut Burger. A beet patty, pickled onions, pickles, kale, tomato, and secret sauce, all between two sugar doughnuts. Amazing. Believe it.

Hella Vegan Eats - Mini Vegan Doughnut Burger

Hella Vegan Eats – Mini Vegan Doughnut Burger

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Review: Pacific Catch

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If you find yourself in the Inner Sunset district, I hope you brought a jacket. And a good mood. Because it’s undoubtedly cloudy, possibly misty, and at least 20 degrees colder than the rest of the City. Welcome to the dreary side of the City.

Teeny complimentary appetizer -- so cute!

Teeny complimentary appetizer — so cute!

They do have food over here, however — apparently people here need to eat too. There are a few names that come up time and again if you ask around for what’s good in the Sunset, and Pacific Catch is one of them. I tried it. It was good.

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Review: Kokkari

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Kokkari is a Greek restaurant downtown (fine, Jackson Square if you want to be super pretentious/specific). It’s hard to get into, which is why I have not been to date. Not, like, State Bird Provisions hard, but just like regular, really good SF hard. However, lunch is not quite as in demand. And our boss took us there last week. Booya.

Octopus Salad from Kokkari

Octopus Salad from Kokkari

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