The Layover - San Francisco

Apparently Anthony Bourdain has a new show called The Layover, which premiers tonight. In a few episodes he visits San Francisco, and I was surprised to hear this born and raised New York chef say–to the New York Times, no less–that San Francisco is his favorite city in America for food:

Q. Favorite city for eating in the United States?

A. Anyone who doesn’t have a great time in San Francisco is pretty much dead to me. You go there as a snarky New Yorker thinking it’s politically correct, it’s crunchy granola, it’s vegetarian, and it surprises you every time. It’s a two-fisted drinking town, a carnivorous meat-eating town, it’s dirty and nasty and wonderful…

Take that, Nate Appleman! Go make a burrito.

Tartine Bread Short Film

I could have sworn I already posted this, because I saw it like 8 months ago, but when I went to look for it, it wasn't there. It's great, you should watch it.

In-N-Out / Malibu / May 14, 2011 / 1AM

Playing Ketchup

I highly recommend this ketchup. I've been looking for a good sugar-free solution because I absolutely love ketchup and in large quantities, but unfortunately it's generally made with sugar. Why, I have no idea, because once you try this, you'll realize it's completely unnecessary. This actually tastes the way I remember ketchup tasting as a child. No idea what that means, maybe my mom bought us sugar-free ketchup, or maybe it didn't used to be made with sugar. Either way, this stuff is delicious. I bought mine at Whole Foods. Give it a try, you won't be sorry.

SFOhhhhhhhh Yeah!

That is a picture of the design for The Plant Café Organic and Pinkberry Yogurt, two of many additions included in the new Terminal 2 Virgin America / Jet Blue wing at San Francisco International Airport, set to open April 2011.

Click here to see many more pictures, including some vintage ones from the original SFO, as well as further descriptions of what to expect.

The Watermelon Cart

Oh, Japanese people...

Yes, this is exactly what you think it is. A cart to keep your watermelon fresh and cool whilst transporting it. Then again, with the prices they charge for perfect fruits in Japan, I suppose something like this makes sense.

Click here for more.

Sol Food

One of my favorite restaurant is Sol Food in San Rafael. I should really do a much more extensive blog post on how amazing it is, but for now I'm just going to post this Food Network video I found about the restaurant. Unfortunately it's with that guy from Minute To Win It (great show), but it's still really cool to see some behind the scenes cooking at such an incredibly tasty place. If you haven't eaten there yet and are within driving distance, go immediately.

Heavenly Organics Honey Mint Patties

My friend Erika introduced me today to a nice little treat from a company called Heavenly Organics. They are made simply with raw honey, unsweetened chocolate and peppermint oil, making them perfect for my trifecta of gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free. They truly taste exactly like a Peppermint Pattie, only much healthier. A delicious treat after any meal.

The only challenge I suppose will be finding them. Erika got hers at the register at Cal-Mart, so I will certainly be keeping my eyes out for them in the marketplace. Click here to visit the company's website.

18 Rabbits

Just tried this granola bar handmade in San Francisco by a company named 18 Rabbits. It's gluten-free and sugar-free and completely delicious. This is the "Haute Diggity Date" flavor, but they have several others. Click here to check out their website.

The Curious Case Of Jasper Slobrushe

Jasper Slobrushe is an imposter. It's a website and Twitter page set up by some anonymous person to mock a real ice cream shop here in San Francisco called Humphry Slocombe. You see, Humphry Slocombe could be perceived as taking itself a little too seriously. The ice cream flavors are completely pretentious, with offerings such as–I kid you not–Foie Gras, Pistachio-Bacon, Jesus Juice, Boccalone Prosciutto, and McEvoy Olive Oil just to name a few.

The real "personality" of Humphry Slocombe, however, is felt most on their Twitter page where ice cream and ice cream consumption take on a cult-like status. It would seem fans of Humphry Slocombe eat the ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and spend their days awaiting new, mind-boggling flavors. It's like how really annoying people get about coffee, or wine, or Apple products. These people like to think of themselves as ice cream connoisseurs. It's not just a cool treat, it's a lifestyle.

This is where Jasper Slobrushe comes in. The name feels the same. The website it nearly identical. The Twitter page copies the tone. It just pushes it a little further, although there are places where the line is blurred and a flavor or tweet seems like it could have come from either. Jasper Slobrushe offers flavors like Hay, Nutella and More Nutella, Ice, Paprika Hummus, and Whatever. The only way to really appreciate this is to visit the websites and Twitter pages. See for yourself:

Humprhy Slocombe's website and Twitter page.

Jasper Slobrushe's website and Twitter page.

Bear Market

Sugar-free, gluten-free gummi bears! Sweetened with agave nectar and fruit juice. I don't even really care about gummi bears, but I like anything that is free of refined sugar and gluten. Thanks, Steve!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Last Friday I turned on my television for the first time in weeks, nay months, to put on a DVD, and the channel just happened to be on a show that was beginning called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I had never heard of him or the show (I've since found out he is the chef behind the deceptively named show The Naked Chef), but was immediately drawn in when I learned the premise involved him going to Huntington, West Virginia–a town that had been statistically determined to be the unhealthiest place in America–to work with the school lunch program and one family in an effort to plant the seed of healthy eating.

Two hours later I found myself captivated by the show and in love with Mr. Oliver. In talking with my friend Scott, I've also learned that he single-handedly transformed the school lunch program in his native England with a show he did called Jamie's School Dinners, and the government there has since allotted nearly half a billion dollars to reform what their school kids are eating.

The fact that Michelle Obama has made it her mission as First Lady to improve the health and diet of America's children makes me feel that it's the perfect time for a show like this. I have to say, I'm actually shocked it got picked up by a major network, so kudos to ABC for airing it. It's actually a very important topic that probably goes against most American's lifestyles. That is only reaffirmed by everyone in Huntington that Mr. Oliver interacts with. For the most part, he meets opposition at every turn from people who fear change, think everything is fine the way it is, and that he's coming in to town to make these people look stupid.

I could go on and on about this topic, but instead I'll just recommend you tune in this Friday to see for yourself. I can only hope Mr. Oliver has similar results in this country as he had in England. Health Care reform is absolutely great, but if we can get people to take better care of themselves and avoid needing to rely on doctors and insurance, we'll be even stronger.

Click here to go to ABC's website for clips and information about the show, and click here to go to Jamie Oliver's own website.

Bananarama

Food Rules

This book contains 64 "rules" suggested by the author, Michael Pollan, that one should consider when choosing what food they put in their body. I've only heard a few, but I like the general philosophy behind them, very common sense and simple, and I wouldn't say I agree 100% with everything he has to say, but I think it might be a good starting point for a lot of people to become more aware of the foods they choose to consume. Here are a few I liked:

#11 Avoid foods you see advertised on television

#19 If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't

#36 Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk

#47 Eat when you're hungry, not when you're bored

#12 It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language

#37 It's not food if it's served through the window of your car

He's also said things like "don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food" and "don't eat anything with more than five ingredients, or things with words you can't pronounce" and "don't eat anything that won't eventually rot". It's easy to sit back and say, yeah, I agree with all of those things, but to fully implement them completely and permanently is another task altogether. To me it seems like the most important decision you make in a day, so hopefully these simple lists will help to add filters to people's choices as they decide what foods to eat.

Go Raw Chocolate Super Cookies

Not eating sugar or gluten can narrow the field of food you eat considerably, but particularly when it comes to snacks and desserts. Go Raw is a great company that has a line of products called Super Cookies that come in many flavors, but the chocolate ones are my personal favorite. They are simply delicious and completely healthy. Not only are they incredibly tasty, I love the packaging, and especially love that the ingredients are front and center in big bold font against a white background. If all our food was packaged this way we might be a little more aware of what we're consuming, rather than having to find the tiny ingredients list on the back at the bottom and decipher what all the complex names and chemicals mean. You should definitely give these a try if you get the chance. They're super grubbin'.

A Softer, Gentler Chipotle

So Chipotle has finally gotten around to adding a soft shell CORN tortilla, rather than just the gluten-filled flour tortillas. The sign they had out (pictured above) makes it seem like it's sort of a test run, so I'm hoping it goes well and becomes a permanent addition.

Living La Vita Coco

This is pretty much my new favorite drink. It's full of thirst-quenching nutrients and the splash of pineapple makes it incredibly tasty. Junna actually discovered Vita Coco while we were on Kauai, though it is hardly a Hawaii-specific drink. Since sampling it there, I've found it more places than I'd ever have expected to–including the Gapeteria–back here in San Francisco. They have many other flavors, and although I've only tried tangerine and regular coconut, pineapple is by far still my favorite. Definitely give this a try, even if you don't usually enjoy coconut water. Yum!

Out The Door

A few months ago, Out The Door opened a location in my neighborhood at Fillmore and Bush. This has been a fantastic addition, although I haven't nearly begun to explore the depths of its menu, as the Shaking Beef with Lime Sauce and the Crispy Imperial Rolls quickly became my go-to order. However, after reading this detailed review from Michael Bauer of The San Francisco Chronicle, I think I may need to venture past my favorites and sample some of his recommendations.

My only critique thus far–and I must say it's something that is quite irritating–is that the Pho (pictured above) is only available for breakfast and lunch, and not offered as a dinner option. It boggles my mind when a restaurant does this. You clearly have all the ingredients and capabilities to make said item, since you make it all day, but then suddenly when night rolls around it becomes impossible to serve? In his review, Mr. Bauer even goes so far as to say that their Pho is "so good I wish Phan would open pho stands in every neighborhood so we all could have access to this masterpiece." Despite constant requests–and I do mean constant–from my girlfriend Junna, they have yet to make it available for dinner.

100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do – Part 2

The second half of the brilliant list of restaurant dos and don'ts. Click here for the first 50, and here for the second 50. Here are some of my favorites from the second entry:

57. Bring the pepper mill with the appetizer. Do not make people wait or beg for a condiment.

58. Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested.

60. Bring all the appetizers at the same time, or do not bring the appetizers. Same with entrees and desserts.

73. Do not bring soup without a spoon. Few things are more frustrating than a bowl of hot soup with no spoon.

74. Let the guests know the restaurant is out of something before the guests read the menu and order the missing dish.

80. Never insist that a guest settle up at the bar before sitting down; transfer the tab.

88. Do not ask if a guest needs change. Just bring the change.

90. If someone is getting agitated or effusive on a cellphone, politely suggest he keep it down or move away from other guests.

97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.

99. Do not show frustration. Your only mission is to serve. Be patient. It is not easy.

I Looooooove Chocolate