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Saturday, April 5, 2014

San Francisco!

I hadn't been to San Francisco just for fun in over 15 years! Wow- that's a real city, and that is too too long! We visited friends, and went to several new-to-me places. Of course we ate WELLLL.

First up - Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. I had read about this place, and we were hungry and curious, so we started the journey there. Delish! We had some ACME Bread Company sour dough, with a beer and cheese pairing at Cowgirl Creamery. I had some lovely seafood gumbo from San Francisco Fish Company. And to wash it all down, Humphry Slocombe super-creamy ice cream. Damn I love that caramel/salt combo that's sweeping the nation! Not a bad start.

One thrill for me was to go to Rancho Gordo's shop at Ferry Plaza. I love their heirloom beans, hominy, recipes, newsletter, and overall personality. I took few pictures this weekend, but here's a funny one from their shop.
You know you want to

Another notable meal was at Facebook headquarters. My friend works there, and invited us to see the campus. It was amazing. It felt like a cross between a college campus, Main Street Disneyland, a mall, and a movie set. So many food options, it was ridiculous. We opted for organic salad bar, topped with meat from the barbecue joint, and two kinds of freshly pressed juice. If only we had had time to hit up the ice cream place, or candy shop! I tried two different meats from the barbecue joint, both so tender, and perfectly cooked. It made me want to officially go to cooking school, specialize in slow-cooked meats, and apply for an apprenticeship at Facebook!

Moving on, NOPA!! It was fantastic. Very crowded, but merely one block down from the venue we were going to that night. Great service, cocktails and food! The flatbread appetizer with pesto was melt-in-your-mouth delicious (my mouth just watered thinking about it), my black cod entreé was dense with flavor, the vegetarian toasts topped with avocado were so simple, clean, fresh and brimming with flavor, they were remarkable. Everything at NOPA was phenomenal.

The next night we went to Pizzaiolo in Oakland. This is the kind of place I love. The atmosphere was happening, but still pleasant. We were able to linger without feeling guilty for not releasing the table. You could enjoy your company without the waiter being overly enthusiastic (with needless interruptions to your party). The atmosphere actually reminded me of the kind of place you'd find in New Orleans. Our waitress was knowledgable, and helped guide us to the right drinks, the right combination of flavors, the right order of things. I love it when servers are actually helpful and enhance your experience. We shared everything - a couple of pizzas, meatballs, English pea ravioli, salads, cocktails! What is better than Italian (or any Mediterranean) food with great friends?

Every place we dined made it onto the must-return-next-time list. It's a very good thing that there is so much walking to do in the City, to help balance things out while eating delicious meals at every turn.

1 comment:

Ribeye said...

We must return to rock and eat and hang with friends!