Short Takes
  • Date night last night at Marlowe in San Francisco. I like the environment, like a combo of industrial and old wood, and the music (a sucker for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack). “Snacks” may have been the best part: the famous brussels sprout chips were crispy, tasty, a little oily… The peaches with burrata and “smoke” with arugula were rich sweet and just that little bit peppery… Delicious. I could have eaten more burrata but it is fair to say it was snack sized. The roasted bone marrow was nicely presented and tasty but nothing particularly special…our main dish lamb was...12010.10.10

    Date Night @ Marlowe

    Date night last night at Marlowe in San Francisco. I like the environment, like a combo of industrial and old wood, and the music (a sucker for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack). “Snacks” may have been the best part: the famous brussels sprout chips were crispy, tasty, a little oily… The peaches with burrata and “smoke” with arugula were rich sweet and just that little bit peppery… Delicious. I could have eaten more burrata but it is fair to say it was snack sized. The roasted bone marrow was nicely presented and tasty but nothing particularly special…our main dish lamb was…

  • Caught the tasting menu at Commonwealth and shared a wine tasting. Not inexpensive, but interesting, modern and enjoyable. Amuse was a delicate sashimi-like dish… cocktail an odd liquid-nitrogen frozen sake combination which was intriguing but less a drink and more a granita. Tasting menu featured lots of offal (e,g. sweetbreads, my favorite). Would go again, next time probably to order off the regular menu and pick and choose myself. And it’s not often you find a restaurant donating $10 from each tasting menu to charity and taking votes on potential recipients. Not to mention its own parking lot. In the...12010.10.02

    Commonwealth

    Caught the tasting menu at Commonwealth and shared a wine tasting. Not inexpensive, but interesting, modern and enjoyable. Amuse was a delicate sashimi-like dish… cocktail an odd liquid-nitrogen frozen sake combination which was intriguing but less a drink and more a granita. Tasting menu featured lots of offal (e,g. sweetbreads, my favorite). Would go again, next time probably to order off the regular menu and pick and choose myself. And it’s not often you find a restaurant donating $10 from each tasting menu to charity and taking votes on potential recipients. Not to mention its own parking lot. In the…

  • I’ve been absent because I’ve been keeping too busy and too tired to use my brain to write. I’ve started a new job and am now coming back up for air. In light of this I’ve decided to redesign the blog to be a little more flexible — specifically, to accommodate posts both of the long-form I normally have been writing, and a “short-form” (formerly known as “Moments”). Long posts will be in the featured slider, and short takes in the section just underneath on the hope page. I’m hoping this new approach will help me feel free post even...12010.10.02

    And I’m Back!

    I’ve been absent because I’ve been keeping too busy and too tired to use my brain to write. I’ve started a new job and am now coming back up for air. In light of this I’ve decided to redesign the blog to be a little more flexible — specifically, to accommodate posts both of the long-form I normally have been writing, and a “short-form” (formerly known as “Moments”). Long posts will be in the featured slider, and short takes in the section just underneath on the hope page. I’m hoping this new approach will help me feel free post even…

  • I’ve got some plaintains right now turning a nice black in my kitchen. I have loved plaintains even before we lived in Miami, and now I’m bummed about how difficult it is to find really good ones cooked up here. I do like that Cuban restaurant down on Kearny near Pine (Paladar Cafe Cubano – also their Cafe con Leche is great) but cooking up a batch at home is easy, and this recipe for Grilled Plaintains with Brown Sugar Glaze from Serious Eats is perfect for grilling season (which I guess is technically nearly year-round here in Berkeley). They...02010.06.18

    Foodblog-a-Round: The Odd Fruit or Vegetable

    I’ve got some plaintains right now turning a nice black in my kitchen. I have loved plaintains even before we lived in Miami, and now I’m bummed about how difficult it is to find really good ones cooked up here. I do like that Cuban restaurant down on Kearny near Pine (Paladar Cafe Cubano – also their Cafe con Leche is great) but cooking up a batch at home is easy, and this recipe for Grilled Plaintains with Brown Sugar Glaze from Serious Eats is perfect for grilling season (which I guess is technically nearly year-round here in Berkeley). They…