Firefly Restaurant (SF)

This new-American (?) place in SF called Firefly has a BOMB prix fix menu Sun-Thurs for a very reasonable price. Becky's order is in parentheses.

Starter: Sweet corn chowder with polenta croutons (Shrimp and Sea Scallop Potstickers
with Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce).

Main Course: Grilled Ribeye Steak with Twice Baked Parmesan Potato, Sautéed Spinach and Rosemary–Gypsy Pepper Relish (Seared Sea Scallops with Bacon–Lobster Mushroom Vinaigrette, Mashed Potatoes and Blue Lake Beans)

Dessert: Warm Huckleberry Plum Cobbler with Pecan Biscuit and Huckleberry Buttermilk Ice Cream (Summer Berry Pudding)

As tough as the climb to my house was, I was glad to walk home 5 blocks after this meal...

A Not-So-Memorable Day of Meals

Breakfast: Bowl of oatmeal (microwaved - I was in a hurry). Spoonful of peanut-butter.

Lunch: 3-day-old bagel toasted with salami (no spread, cheese, veggies, nothing). As aweful as the sandwich sounds, the salami was hella tasty. I think it's a good meat for sandwiches when the fridge is lacking just cause it packs so much flavor on its own.

Dinner: Chicken burrito. Handful of baby carrots. Sliced Macoun apple (Highlight of my day of food. Gene sent them from CT...get 'em while they're still around, New Haveners!).

Who said we can't take anything away from such crummy (no pun intended!) days?

The Miracle Fruit, or who's going to be in NYC in the near future?

"There will be a fancy Miracle Fruit tasting event, which will be going down this coming weekend. Indigenous to West Africa, miracle fruit, when ingested, reacts with certain tastebuds, temporarily numbing some while overstimulating others. Join 99 creative guests for a night of bizarre flavor treats. Sample portions of lemons, limes, kumquats, rhubarb, blue cheese, oysters, apple sauce, vinegar, mustard, tequila, whiskey, vodka, sauerkraut, olives, and pickles will be provided; bring other items to sample and to share. Price includes entry, miracle fruit, food and liquor samples, cocktails, and evening-long entertainment. This event is open bar.

Dress to impress.

Hope to see you there..."

Sunny October in NorCal

Since October is the sunniest month of the year in SF (25 days of sun on average vs. 5 in February), the last few weeks have proven to be the perfect time to enjoy all of the "outdoors-y" aspects of Northern California. Yesterday, Becky and I drove up to Sonoma County and went apple/tomato picking. The place is better known for its grass-fed beef, and the apples didn't stand up to Bishops', but the tomatoes were...delectable!

Breakfast: Bowl of oatmeal. Cup-o-joe (Cafe au lait, to be more specific/yuppie)

Lunch: Madd apples (mutsu, orin, senshu, and arkansas black) and tomatoes (wish i could name the varieties from the top of the dome) from the tree/vine. fresh pumpkin ice cream (real pumpkin!) from a local creamery.

Dinner: Sliced heirlooms. Grilled chicken in a soy-ginger-garlic marinade. Garlic mashed potatoes.

Dessert: Apple crisp (hint of nutmeg in the streusel does wonders).

On a semi-related note, how'd you like to wake up and eat breakfast here (see all the pics): http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2901-Broadway-St-San-Francisco-CA-94115/15080904_zpid

Food for a Rainy Sunday

Mom came up to the Heart this morning and we walked a few laps around the Park for the Breast Cancer walk. It was neat to be out in the drizzly rain with a whole bunch of people in good spirits on an early fall morning, and we walked arm in arm. Of course, we also ate.

I had a bowl of raisin bran (a staple chez moi) before the walk and some carrot orange juice. Post-walk, we hit up Mo's for comfort food. I had eggs, bacon, potatoes, rye toast. J-Star had a vegetable omelet that included cauliflower (which seemed a bit unique ... but tasty!), potatoes, toast, and coffee. There were no pancakes involved this time.

Then we hit up Starbucks.

Afternoon snack (with books) was Earl Grey, 2 fig newtons, a brownie, and some crackers and cheese. Lots of water. Dinner was linguine with shrimp in a tomato sauce with garlic, olives, and capers. Hibiscus tea. Dessert was a homemade ice cream sandwich of ginger cookies with pistachio gelato. Miam miam.

Bonne nuit!

Food of the Week: Lamb Merguez

... North African food in general is what's up these days. Mad love and thanks go out to H who put me up on cAfe (108th and Columbus); a small unassuming French-Carribbean byob spot on the UWS. Your boy got exactly the opposite of what I would imagine D would order: pheasant pate with fennel, white truffle oil, cognac, and topped with melted brie. Then I got the lamb merguez with harissa, dried figs, and dates in a coconut sauce. Phenomenal.

Then last night I did some roomie bonding and ate at Le Souk in the one place being gentrified faster than Harlem: Alphabet City. It's a Morrocan place that my roommate basically chose because the hostesses were hot (I hung my head in shame; they were hot, though). His lamb was a bit bland but my couscous paella was Foxy Brown aka the ill-na-na. It had mussels, shrimp, spicy merguez and chicken in a bed of Israeli couscous (if you're not already, get up on that Israeli couscous). There was also a black olive spread with harissa in it to go with the bread. Shit was lovely. A forewarning may be in order though: It's gonna be bread and water for the next two weeks.

FYI: Artist of the week is Chuck Hamilton and his new dope track Brazilian Crying Season. As a matter of fact, this whole blog should be favorited.

Because, strangely enough, asceticism is for the capitalists...

"The less you eat, drink and buy books; the less you go to the theatre, the dance hall, the public house; the less you think, love, theorise, sing, paint, fence, etc., the more you save – the greater becomes your treasure which neither moths nor rust will devour – your capital."
--Karl Marx, EPM

So given that I got lambasted last time regarding my seemingly irresponsible spending habits, this one [as the actress said to the Bishop] was a long time coming. I got up from my desk at 12:30 straight starving after only having a blueberry cliff bar for breakfast. I thought to myself that while I'm in grad school studying German grammar, I'll scrape by, day-by-day and week-by-week; but while I'm working at the white-shoe corporate law firm, well, I'm gonna where those white shoes, enjoy the perks, go to the grasshopper and spend some guilders. Ha capito? So I decided on Saju Bistro across the street from my office where the head of my department frequently feasts. And I went solito. It was dope.

I got the prix fixe lunch menu and, after some bread and particularly tasty black olives, began with a small salad of mixed greens and grape tomatoes. Then I had papardelle in a very simple but delicious mushroom sauce with parsley. My French-hating Italian college roommate thinks French food tends to be too complex so I savoured the moment knowing that he's wrong. Finally, inspired by Nene's blood orange for breakfast, I had two scoops of blood orange sorbet. It might be noted parenthetically (a phrase that always confused me, why wouldn't you just put in parentheses?) that throughout the lunch I drank enough ice-water to fill the Grand Canyon (something I absolutely love about restaurants in America).

In other news, Tribalista-like Brazilian music has been bumping on Pandora all day, my officemate and I have pet dog named Boulevard Canteloupe Bohemian, and after last night it's clear that Spike has officially lost it.

Ciao regazzi!