016: Sensational salads and San Francisco
Spent less time in the kitchen last month with back to back travels so I’m digesting on all the good eats out for this send.
Salads FTW
Gone are the days of the prosaic House Salad and Choose Your Dressing combo that prompts consumption out of obligation rather than mouth-watering anticipation. Salads have become one of my favorite line items on a menu. I am always eager to see how eateries reimagine classics (CAE SAL, as Molly Baz would exclaim), or harmonize local seasonal produce with a unique balance of textures and flavors that are as inventive and exciting as the main course (not to say a salad can’t be one on it’s own).
Here is a list of some of the top New York salads keeping me HUNGRY.
Via Carota Insalata Verde
The Grace Kelly of salads. Classic, elegant, simple, but unforgettable. A melange of endive, butter lettuce, frisée, and watercress coated in a silky, speckled mustard seed and shallot dressing. Like a basic white tee that you can’t live without.
Caesar Salad Tie
Don’t get me wrong, I love a big hunk of a crouton. But the Chez Ma Tante caesar sprinkled with crispy golden breadcrumbs is next level. No fork versus crouton battle. You are guaranteed a crunch in every bite. Big fan of the long curly shavings of nutty Parmigiano. Oh, and chicories as well. Love chicories. She pretty.
PHOTO MISSING, but let me tell you what’s up. Sourdough pizza is their name, but Caesar is their game. Little gems and radicchio. Heavy and juicy with a generous coating of dressing. Fresh anchovies. Sourdough croutons. Umami will slap your taste buds in the tongue and you’ll be elated about it.
Thai Diner Baan Salad
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Actually, I do. If you’re a cilantro = soap consumer, keep scrolling, because this does not shy away from it.
Crispy Red Curry Rice, Romaine and Watercress, Avocado, Red Onion, Thai Herbs, Sweet Chili Dressing. DO YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT THAT? To me, this epitomizes culinary menagerie nirvana. These flavors and textures come together in such an ideal manner, all whilst upholding a distinctive integrity to the cuisine.
Estela Endive Salad
From pictures or a non-discreet peer over to your neighbors table, you may be underwhelmed? Confused? Curious? To my surprise, what appeared to be a monotonous stack of endive leaves on a plate was actually the speakeasy to a flavor treasure trove of candied walnuts, anchovy, and ubriaco rosso (an aromatic cow’s milk cheese). The crisp endive leaves are like little vehicles you can fill to the brim with the crunchy, sweet heap hidden below. A pleasure, really.
In The Bay, We Eat
Spent an idyllic long birthday weekend in Marin and San Francisco with my best friends, boyfriend, and family. And amongst the best gifts of the weekend? THE FOOD.
I was born in San Francisco. It’s where my parents met. It’s where my dad finished culinary school and opened his first restaurant at 24. It’s where I spent my toddler-hood chewing T-Bone steaks as my first solids. It’s where the culinary affair began. Every time I return, nostalgia and meals await.
Straight to In-n-Out from SFO, followed by a night at Bolinas Ridge and my most absolute favorite ever ever ever, SOL FOOD. A Puerto Rican jewel box tucked away in San Rafael, known for their indulgent combo plates of meat, rice, beans, and plantains. Do not sleep on a side of Tostones con Queso and Aguacate, and a side of pink sauce.
We kicked the weekend off with dinner at Che Fico. Italian fare in NoPa. Excellent! Saturday was spent driving up the coast to Point Reyes and Tomales Bay. First stop at The Marshall Store for the freshest, brightest raw oysters I’ve had to date. White wine, garlic bread, and a seaside table view to pair with. We then grabbed a bag of oysters from Tomales Bay Oyster Company, pulled off the side of the road, and shucked them right out of our trunk with a tiny shooter bottle of “Oyster Elixir.” Core memory for life. Ended the day with buffalo milk soft serve at Palace Market. BUFFALO MILK SOFT SERVE. Soft serve will never be the same.
Rang in my birthday with a quintessential San Francisco lunch at Zuni Café. The institution is revered for its “Chicken for two roasted in the wood-fired brick oven; warm bread salad with scallions, garlic, bitter greens, dried currents, and pine nuts,” as if it was inscribed on the menu the very first day and preserved there since. Order it the moment you sit down as it takes approx 60 minutes (forewarned as so). Worth every 3,600 seconds of anticipation.
Lunch was followed by a birthday gathering for the books. My parents, their long time San Francisco friends, and my closest Bay Area friends, all gathered in a bar, some meeting for the first time, others reminiscing and reconnecting, all laughing over pitchers of margaritas.
I was particularly excited for dinner at SAN HO WAN. A one-michelin Korean charcoal BBQ spot in the Mission District. It was incredible. Classic and specialty banchan, a Savory Egg Soufflé with anchovy broth, and the most tender grilled meats. Black Sesame Sundae Soft Serve with Huckleberry to top it all off. I’d eat this meal a million times over.
Monday morning had zero scaries. In fact quite the opposite - a late breakfast at Rose’s Cafe. A Cow Hollow classic that’s been serving neighbors and nostalgic visitors alike since ‘97. We cuddled up in a booth, split a pastry basket, and ordered none other than the Salmon Cozy. I am a creature of habit and rarely stray from this enduring favorite.
Monday night, we showed up eager and early to Jackson Square for our best-for-last Cotogna reservation. We were respectfully turned away until our seating time, trotted a few blocks down Montgomery, turned left onto Gold Street alley, and popped into Bix for a martini. How delightfully cliché! This swanky supper club has been around for decades, gratifying guests with classic cocktails and live jazz. Us included.
7:30pm on the dot we were back at the host stand at Cotogna. I can’t say enough good things about this place. If you had less than 24 hours in San Francisco, I’d tell you to go here. Rustic, convivial, and downright delicious. Housemade pastas and roasted meats are a must. A split pizza for the table is highly encouraged.
In real time — @bellasaaad
Drizzling my keyboard with drool. Lungs heaving, ventricles opening, yearn and nostalgia for this weekend rushing in, swelling my heart with love for my bestie.