June/July 2018
// San Francisco / North Beach
Unicorn Tuna Tartare (Comstock Saloon)
unicorn juice, strawberries, thai herbs, fried shallots
^ Not sure why my tuna was room temperature.
Green Curry Churros (Comstock Saloon)
coconut cream foam
^ Anemic.
"Eggs Benedict" (Comstock Saloon)
^ With a pleasantly citrusy queso instead of a hollandaise sauce and tots instead of muffin.
Caviar Chexx (Comstock Saloon)
tsar nicoulai caviar, whipped crème fraîche
^ $8.00.
Lo Mein Cacio e Pepe (Comstock Saloon)
pecorino, parmesan, szechuan pepper
^ A bowl of oil with some noodles in it.
// San Francisco / Financial District
Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich (City Counter)
crushed salt and vinegar chips, counter sauce, mustard greens, sliced sourdough
—It's an egg salad sandwich.
// Cupertino
Aloo Chaat Pizza (Curry Pizza House)
red sauce, marinated potatoes, mint, red onion, cheese, fresh cilantro
—The mint makes it.
Tandoori Wings (Curry Pizza House)
chicken wings marinated in special tandoori sauce
—Delectable.
// San Mateo
(Wursthall) is Internet food guru J. Kenji López-Alt's biergarten.
Plain Bratkartoffeln (Wursthall)
crispy fried potatoes, chives, mustard aioli
^ Deep-fried, not pan-fried.
Impossible Döner Kebap Sandwich (Wursthall)
vegan döner, turkish spices, döner sauce, pickled cucumbers, pickled chiles, arugula, red onions, cilantro, turkish bread, with mixed greens and house potato salad
^ My first experience with Impossible "meat." Endorsed.
Al Pastor Wurst (Wursthall)
pork, dried chiles, pineapple, speck-cherry pepper relish
—Un perro caliente.
Pumpkin Seed Sundae (Wursthall)
vanilla ice cream, pumpkin seed brittle, pumpkin seed oil, smoked sea salt
^ Great. Oil and ice cream really works for me.
// San Francisco / Pacific Heights
Pickled Strawberry Banana Natto Bread Ice Cream (Salt and Straw)
fermented natto beans baked into a banana cake; vinegar and yuzu-spike, housemade pickled strawberries
—…As does vinegar and ice cream.
Breakaway Matcha and Black Raspberry Ice Cream (Salt and Straw)
breakaway green tea, orange, roasted jam made with black raspberries and wild blueberries
Mt Tam Cheese with Toasted Acme Bread Ice Cream (Salt and Straw)
cowgirl creamery mt tam cheese, homemade sour cherry and apricot jam, bits of acme bread's fruit and walnut bread that we toast and candy
Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero Ice Cream (Salt and Straw)
—Incohesive.
// San Francisco / Mid-Market
Chocolate-Habanero Soft Serve (Kaya)
pomegranate molasses and lime
—Seemed like the only heat came from the molasses drizzled on top.
Fried Plantains (Kaya)
black bean sauce and sour cream
^ Galaxy brain sweet and savoury.
// San Francisco / Ferry Building Marketplace
Pulled Pork and Pineapple Tacro (Viva La Tarte)
handcrafted croissant shell, pickled greens, fresh mango, house green and red salsa
^ Difficult to eat as a taco. The pulled pork was surprisingly good.
// Santa Clara
Potato Taquitos (Puesto)
guajillo chipotle tortilla, queso fresco, classic guacamole, salsa fresca, black garlic chile oil
—The salsa fresca and black garlic chile oil "sauces" are stupendous.
Filet Mignon Taco (Puesto)
crispy melted cheese, avocado, spicy pistachio serrano
^ Pro: Is tasty. Con: Is $7.75 each.
Charred Mango Cheesecake (Puesto)
almond corn crust, mango jamaica coulis
Chocoflan Piñata (Puesto)
dark chocolate cake, vanilla bean flan, cajeta
^ Chocolate cake topped with caramel topped with vanilla flan topped with sprinkles and pearls that you disseminate by cracking open a white chocolate sphere on a golf tee with a mallet.