Presidio Social Club

Another hidden local treasure became a favorite today: The Presidio Social Club! We ended up there after searching high and low for last minute reservations for a large party (plus toddler, plus vegans). This bright, airy, and cheerful restaurant ended up being the perfect solution to our problems.

The crowd was solidly "Sunday Brunch," with a nice mix of couples, friends, and families. I can't think of a group this wouldn't be lovely for (I'm thinking dates, girls' day out, a food stop with tourists, a place to impress parents). The menu is short, but with something for everyone. Today's favorites included:

• Brioche beignets with chocolate sauce
• Tuna poke with homemade potato chips
• A bacon and egg sandwich that came perfectly toasted, with a beautiful salad on the side
• Chilaquiles, both vegetarian and not
• A spring pea and asparagus scramble with soft fresh ricotta
• A vegan banh mi (I know, I thought it was crazy too! But the consensus was, it was veg-a-riffic)
• Fresh veggies and a sliced up chicken breast, special order for our toddler. They were very accommodating of his needs, and brought him crayons and paper for doodling

My favorite dish was the crab louis salad: butter lettuce, a perfectly poached egg, and plenty of chilled Dungeness crab. The dressing was a little heavy for my taste, but the rest of the salad was cool, crisp, refreshing, and perfect after the long jog I took to get there.

The ambiance, food, service, view, and company all meshed together to make this a true San Francisco experience. I'll be back soon, with groups big or small.

Tout Sweet

Fans of Millionaire Matchmaker may remember Tout Sweet owner Yigit Pura, but I only have eyes for the amazing treats at his Macy's-ensconced Union Square bakery. 

The whole bakery case is beautiful, from intricately sculpted chiffon cakes to almost-too-beautiful cake boxes and bags worthy of Pura's elaborate creations. If you need a cake that impresses before you even take it out of the box, Tout Sweet beats the best of the best in SF.

But what about flavor, you ask? Well, the mille crepe cake was a home run for me. Not too sweet, not too dry, with a nice balance of custard and crepes, this is a cake for those who like moist, vanilla-y, well-balanced desserts. With a dish of raspberries, a drizzle of honey, or a cup of tea, I think it would make a wonderful breakfast or snack.

Beautiful San Francisco

Every once in awhile, I like to take a break from food posts and just admire San Francisco for being the beautiful city that it is. I can't believe it's already the end of April. Happy 30th, everyone!

This was taken at the walkway that runs behind the Plant Organic, Embarcadero branch. I'm enjoying this view a lot more often now, since I've had more time to revive my running routine. I'm feeling good and jogging more every time. Who knows, I might just break my 4 mile max this year!

Pier 7: a popular destination for wedding photos, and as beautiful in the morning sun as by the glow of lamplight.

Radius Cafe

As a very special birthday (and Happy Friday) treat, I took J to Radius Cafe for dinner. The combination of great beer, delicious California cuisine, and cozy rustic-minimalist decor made for a really good time all around. Here goes, but remember: you won't want to continue reading on an empty stomach. Highlights included:

-roasted bone marrow
-pork chop
-lemon curd dessert

Little Gems Salad, one of those things California does so well. This version was comprised of lettuce hearts, fresh with just a hint of bitterness. Grated lemon peel atop the croutons made for a zesty, unexpected flavor, and also a very beautiful garnish.

Carrot Soup, another burst of bright spring flavors. The addition of paper thin slices of toybox carrots added an unexpected textural element. Delicious.

And on an unusually sunny evening, ice cold beer was in order. J ordered Saison, so I followed suit. Served in frozen glasses, this bitter beer was the perfect complement to the rich fare we ordered.

Bone marrow, one of the best versions in San Francisco! If you're a fan of roasted bone marrow, I urge you to get to Radius as soon as humanly possible. Their portions are generous (the bones they use are huge!), they're cooked to a perfectly spreadable consistency, and then topped with fine bread crumbs and an intoxicating herb mix. Buttery croutons and confit garlic round out this simply superb dish.

 Roasted pork chops with butter beans: wow! I'm not one to order a pork chop (except at Zuni Cafe), but this impressed me bite after bite. Not only was this generously sized pork chop perfectly cooked, it came with truly buttery butter beans, slow-cooked in a white chocolate gastrique. And no, the white chocolate was not at all sweet. It just had a creaminess I couldn't quite place, like a cream sauce without the dairy flavor.

Fried chicken. I'd heard a lot about Radius's famous fried chicken, but if I had to pick a least favorite this would be it. The chicken was over-brined, and the crust was a little lukewarm. The accompanying brussels sprouts were delicious, but on the whole this was a miss for me. Luckily, it was the only mediocre dish.

Lemon Curd Tart: right up there with Tartine's lemon tart in quality, with fluffy meringue garnishes and a crunchy shortbread crust. This is the kind of brightly tart dessert I can eat entirely too much of. They sell a simplified version in the adjoining Radius Cafe; I think I'll be back next week for a to go box.

Finally, a vanilla olive oil milkshake, with two chocolate chip cookies. While this was not a revelation, it was a wonderful finish to our incredible meal. Thoughtfully crafted recipes, fresh spring ingredients, generous portions, and almost-perfect execution. When compared with our experience at nearby AQ, Radius won by a long shot. We'll certainly be back again, for lunch and for dinner!

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous

The best chocolate ice cream in the world. 

San Francisco is awash in amazing ice cream. But having tried them all, I've picked a hands down favorite. Try them once, and you'll never go back. It's Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous. You have to try it to believe it.

Beautiful Santa Rosa (Sazon, Flying Goat, Aleworks)

A weekend in one of our favorite cities (Santa Rosa) always yields good eats and good times. Today, we introduced P to a few favorites, and discovered a few new ones along the way.

We started the day at Sazon Peruvian restaurant. Turns out, they're owned by relatives of the owners of Fresca in the city! The food was great, but I have to give Fresca the edge. But if you find yourself in Santa Rosa, this is definitely a wonderful choice. The croquettes were one of my favorite items today.

Anticuchos (beef hearts). Always a favorite of mine, and nicely spiced at Sazon. I give La Mar the edge for the crunchy tenderness the beef hearts are supposed to have, and P would have preferred more cumin and oregano. Still, a lovely rendition.

Pork tamales. A special of the day, and hands down my favorite item today. Peruvian tamales are bigger, and more moist and fluffy than their Mexican counterparts. I loved the juiciness. Honestly, I could have eaten two of these.

Ceviche Nikkei. This was just okay. Fresh ingredients, but a little heavy on the soy sauce. I prefer Fresca's and La Mar's.

Bellies full, we headed to Flying Goat Coffee for some hot beverages. Given the frigid weather, I opted for the Aztec Mocha. It was made with spicy chocolate, and came in a big ol' 12 ounce size so I had plenty of hot fluids to keep me going. The drink was beautifully composed, with pristine latte art. Truly, one of those "little" things in life I really relish.

Fast forward...we spent the rest of the afternoon at Balletto and Martin Ray Wineries and met some fantastic people. Then, at 5 p.m., it was time to hightail it to Aleworks for seats smack in front of the bar's biggest television. Beer, the best garlic fries in the world, more beer, a mountain of steak nachos, more beer, and then this celebratory $6 Brownie Tower to celebrate a big win for the 49ers. Go Team!  I slacked off on photo duties, but here are some Aleworks tasting notes:

-Annadel: an Aleworks mega award winner, and one of the smoothest, least bitter ales I've ever tasted.
-Pomegranate cider: think Jolly Rancher in liquid form, spiked with a little booze, and you'll have an idea of what this sweet and tart cider tastes like.
-Puddlejumper Cask Aged Ale: Aleworks' answer to Pliny the Elder. Passion fruit notes mixed with a pleasant bitterness. This one has a lot going for it.
-Irish Stout: a dark beer for coffee lovers. I tasted toastiness, coffee, and a long lingering earthy finish.

Sightglass Coffee

I've found my new coffee house favorite: Sightglass Coffee. I've enjoyed it since it was just a garage-based kiosk, but it wasn't 'til this week that I saw their gorgeous space! Lofted ceilings, an impressive amount of seating, a roaster working full blast and infusing the whole space with coffee fragrance, and one of the best lattes I've ever tasted.

Sightglass coffee, compared to Blue Bottle, is darker, less acidic, and robustly earthy. Blue Bottle, by comparison, is sweet, velvety, and bright. They're completely different, yet both insanely delicious. I think my yin has finally found its yang.