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Chic Spot at Cafe M in Berkeley

By Jason Wang on March 15, 2012 0

Food Rating: 7/10
Overall Rating: 7/10
Price: $30 for 3 Breakfast & Brunch Dishes

Cafe M Eggs Blackstone

Who doesn’t love sleeping in on weekends followed by a nice brunch? Located on 4th Street, the neighborhood (on the opposite side of Berkeley from the UC Campus area) attracts the young, urban crowd with its eclectic range of modern boutiques. Upon arrival at Cafe M, a line had already formed at ~12:30pm, but the wait is usually around 15-20 minutes to be seated which was not bad at all. The menu itself comprised of your typical American comfort food, and it reminded me of The Cottage down in San Diego. They both reflect a similar casual ambiance in a yuppie neighborhood.

Joe's Special Scrambler - Fresh Ground Beef, Mushrooms, Spinach & Onions served with Breakfast Potatoes & Toast

I tried some of Jason’s scrambler, and it was decent although there was nothing too special about it. The eggs were cooked soft and fluffy topped with a medley of veggies.

Eggs Blackstone - English Muffins, Grilled Tomatoes stuffed with Fresh Bacon Bits, Poached Eggs, Hollandaise Sauce & Served with Breakfast Potatoes

Cinnamon Twist Stuffed French Toast - Homemade Strawberry Jalapeño Jam & Marscapone Filling, Baked & Topped with Spiced Banana Compote

Tips:
1) There is a parking lot for Cafe M. If it’s full, park in the nearby streets but avoid 4th Street itself since it is usually crowded.
2) There are a couple of tables for outside seating. Perfect for a warm, sunny day.
3) Explore the neighborhood, which is filled with interesting boutique furniture shops.

Address:
(Fourth Street)
1799 4th St, Suite F
Berkeley, CA 94710 (map)
Tel: (510) 526-4429

Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am – 4 pm

Tags: Berkeley, Meal

Photo of the Day: Namesake Sundaes in Hayes Valley, San Francisco.

By Abel Lin on March 13, 2012 0

Half tapas, half Japanese fusion of an Izakaya, Nojo has been a welcome addition to the neighborhood that has actually stood up to Yelp.

It’s a great place to dash in for a nibble or two (you won’t want to come here to gorge yourself) and dash for dessert like the Nojo Sundae. Humphry Slocombe black sesame ice cream sundae mixed with kumquats and peanut thunder.

Yum.

Tags: Dessert, San Francisco

Impeccable Service at Gary Danko

By Jason Wang on March 8, 2012 0

Original post can be found here.

Food Rating: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Date Visited: February 14, 2012
Price: $89 per person

Making of Pineapple Flambe Gary Danko Hailed as one of the best restaurants in San Francisco, Gary Danko certainly did not disappoint and has earned its stripes as a 2012 Michelin Star venue. I made reservations 2 months in advance at exactly 11 AM when they opened for a spot on Valentine’s Day. After a few busy tones, I got on the phone with the reservationist. There were only 2 choices left after the influx of calls – 4:30 PM or 9:30 PM – so I took the earlier time. Although the restaurant is normally open from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM, they were holding special hours specifically for Valentine’s. Side note: the picture on the left was snapped as our waiter was preparing the off-menu dessert Pineapple Flambé right behind us. Flambé is a cooking procedure of adding alcohol to a hot pan to create flames.

Fisherman’s Wharf is an area of San Francisco where parking is near impossible outside of paid garages. Fortunately, Gary Danko has a $11 valet service, which is a fairly small percentage considering your total bill at the end of the night. The moment we walked into the restaurant, we felt very welcomed. All the servers were very professional, wearing a full black and white suit and ready to help with your every need. Because it was only 4:30 PM, we were sat down on a corner table with no other patrons directly next to us. There was only 1 other elderly couple in the entire half of our dining area as we thoroughly enjoyed our 3 hour dining experience.

Tabletop Decor

Everything was set perfectly for a special Valentine’s day dinner with a romantic and elegant feel and sophisticated ambiance. We took a picture outside in front of the Gary Danko sign before placing our orders. Since it was both our first times at Gary Danko, we decided to stick with the suggested Valentine’s Day Prix Fixe menu, which consisted of 4 courses:
1) Crispy Farm Egg with White Polenta, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, Frisée and Pancetta
2) Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers and Mustard Sauce
3) Seared Filet of Beef with Bacon-Potato “Risotto”, Cassis-Shallot Marmalade and Stilton Butter
4) Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces.

We substituted one of the Baked Chocolate Soufflé for a Pineapple Flambé after the elderly couple suggested it to us. And who doesn’t want to see flames burst into the air? We decided to opt out of the wine pairing since I had a bottle of wine prepared for an event later in the evening.

Pre-Course: Appetizer Compliments of the Chef

Before we even start with our set course, the maitre d’ brings out a free appetizer. It was a great way to kick off our savory journey. And for subsequent courses, the maitre d’ did an excellent job explaining each dish.

Course 1: Crispy Farm Egg with White Polenta, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, Frisée and Pancetta

Surprisingly, the first course of the night turned out to be my favorite. It was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted previously. It was fun poking into the crispy egg shell and watching the yolk dribble onto the frisée. The polenta paired perfectly with the other ingredients in the dish. I’m a huge fan of mushrooms so having that on the plate was an added bonus.

Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion Gary Danko

Course 2: Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers and Mustard Sauce

After such a delightful 1st course, the salmon medallion continued to pique my interest. The salmon had a very strong fish smell, which was counteracted by the spicy mustard sauce, giving this dish a well-deserved kick. Hate it or love it, I was indifferent to the crusted bread that laid on top of the salmon. I did, however, love the dilled cucumbers buried underneath, which gave the palate a sense of freshness.

Course 3: Seared Filet of Beef with Bacon-Potato "Risotto", Cassis-Shallot Marmalade and Stilton Butter

After 2 amazing courses, the filet was a disappointment. It was dry and tough to eat, not to mention it wasn’t as flavorful as it could have been. When I come back to Gary Danko, I will definitely opt for another entrée option such as the pork belly or lobster.

Course 4: Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces

The soufflé was pure excellence that was light and had the right amount of sweetness. Chocolate sauces were poured into the soufflé when it arrived. A quick tip: eat the soufflé as soon as you can or it will become mushy.

Course 4.5: Pineapple Flambé

As previously stated, we substituted one of the desserts for the Pineapple Flambé after a tip from our neighbors. It was prepared table side (see first pic of the bursting flames) and our server described each step in the preparation of the dish. I’m glad that we opted for the substitution; it was sinfully delicious for lack of a better phrase! The dessert was truly something I’ve never tasted before.

Bonus: Medley of Desserts

Gary Danko sure knows how to put a smile on your face. Unbeknownst to us, the maitre d’ brought us a plate of bite-sized delicacies. We took half a bite of each and shared everything.

Signed Menu

The final pieces to an almost perfect dinner experience – a signed menu by Gary Danko himself and a stalk of rose with a box of chocolates. These little things are what makes an experience memorable. I will treasure the menu forever, which serves as a reminder of my first time at Gary Danko on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2012.

“Within months of opening, the restaurant received the highest accolades possible from both San Francisco daily newspapers, a spectacular listing in Esquire Magazine’s (December 1999) annual “Best New Restaurants” article, and the first of three Mobil Travel Guide “Five Star” ratings. In May of 2000, GARY DANKO won the James Beard Foundation’s “Best New Restaurant” award, and in August of that year Danko was named Chef of the Year by San Francisco Magazine. In January of 2002, the restaurant was selected as a Relais & Chateau property, one of only eighteen such dining venues on the continent. Later the same year, Danko was nominated as Outstanding Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation.”
- Excerpt from the Gary Danko Website.

Tips:
1) If you’re trying to make a Valentine’s reservation, do it 2 months in advance.
2) Valet parking is available right outside for $11.
3) Ask for the Flambé, which is prepared tableside. If you’re substituting from a prix fixe menu, it will cost extra.

Address:
(Fisherman’s Wharf)
800 N Point St
San Francisco, CA 94109 (map)
Tel: (415) 749-2060

Hours:
Mon-Sun 5:30 pm – 10 pm

Tags: Appetizer, Entree, Meal, San Francisco

Mad Men Edition of San Francisco Drinks

By Abel Lin on March 6, 2012 0

Want to start off your work day with a bang as soon as you step into the office? We’ve been so awesome in putting together a step-by-step guide, Don Draper. Chances are, if you’re actually reading this, you’re most likely Asian (we’ve done demographic studies on our users), so he’s probably the most unrelatable character in Mad Men that we could think of.

Read on.

9am: Bloody Mary with breakfast at Foreign Cinema. Mission.

Definitely a gem for fancy brunches (don’t believe me? The table of four next to us ordered up a $250 tab in half an hour).

It’s a great place for dates, and to-date one of the best outdoor courtyard fixtures in San Francisco. Hands down.

11am: Second brunch of house cappuccino at Tosca Cafe. North Beach/Red Light District.

A wonderful old-school bar that’s been around for 91 years. This is basically alcohol in hot chocolate; the bartender Paul (the other one’s Ernie as the regular) it was simply a “Prohibition” mask for a glass.

History oozes from this place, a MUST visit for both the out-of-town and city goer.

12pm: Why even bother hiding the fact you have a problem. An Old Fashioned at Alembic. Haight.

Haight has a strew of bars that serve the graveyard workers in San Francisco. Daytime drinking is almost an art form out here in San Francisco. The bourbon went down smoother than I could imagine, but it’s still a heavy drink.

Don Draper would’ve just loled right there.

2pm: This one came late. Nuevo Paloma at Beretta. Mission.

Tequila with the citrus bitters. It feels very smooth, strangely, something I’m not accustomed with tequila. Great for the summer, and afternoon cruise control.

4pm: Pre-gaming for Happy Hour. Shanghai Buck at Heaven’s Dog. SOMA.

It’s alcoholic ginger tea! This place was pretty swag, at a price. They were the coolest cats in SOMA before Marlowe and a few other guys started giving them competition.

5pm: Happy Hour with The Laphroaig Project at Rickhouse. Fidi.

It’s basically a recreation Prohibition-era drink called the Last Word, and if you like your Scotches, this is the way to take it. Scotch normally is pretty abusive, but as The Atlantic would put it, it’s “delicate, robust, and beautiful…like a troupe of linebackers dancing Swan Lake.”

8pm: Classing it up with a Manhattan at Comstock Saloon. FiDi.

It has all the familiar trappings of a NYC gastropub except it’s a little more eccentric, and it’s got great live music. the menu is simple, yet elegant.

An excellent date escape.

12am: Shady practices with Basil Gimlet at Rye. Tenderloin.

With no sign to tell it’s even a bar, once you’re inside, it’s actually quite a nice lounge with an old pool table out back (but it’s free)! Definitely some yummy interesting alcoholic concoctions to try.

Pay no heed to the crackhead that might be shooting up in the street. Act cool.

Thanks again for reading our edgy, drinking guide to the city! Happy livers equal…hm, there’s a saying there, but I think it’s a lie.

Tags: Breakfast, Challenge, Nutrition, Salad, San Francisco