Il Cuore Enogastronomia

That's quite a mouthful to say...enogastronomia! Basically, Il Cuore, the heart, is a gourmet food and wine store with a space set aside for serving meals. It was not the comfort level of the rooms that conferred the title of ristorante to this small space, but the high quality of the food.




















The refrigerated counters in the front of the shop were filled with soft and semi soft, regional cheeses from all over Italy, as well as prepared foods to take out. All sorts of delightfully Italian food products were available to tempt the gastronomia's regular customers, and we travelers who think food products are the perfect souvenir. I did not dare look too closely as the distraction would have delayed lunch and we had arrived rather late as it was. What I do recall most of all were the aromas of the restaurant wafting through the gastronomia onto the street.

The restaurant space was a rabbit warren of small rooms filled with bottles of wine for sale, and crates containing more wine. The plastic chairs were adequate for seating, but not comfortable for leisurely dining. It seemed more lake a trattoria or cafe, until the food arrived. Someone in that kitchen knows how to cook and has a link with the past, but is looking toward the future.

The steak ordered by our nephew was cooked in the Tuscan tradition, barely at all, but it was excellent in taste. The lightly sauced agnolotti were a nice addition to the plate.

Traditional tomato bruschetta was ramped up a notch with truffle oil. It was a nice way to start the meal, but not a very adventurous choice.

A better way to start the meal, at least for me, was the pear and pecorino soup, garnished with foie gras, white truffle oil and grapes. What a garnish!

I could not fault the ravioli filled with Castelmagno, a Piemontese primarily cow milk cheese. They were wading in a pool of red bell pepper coulis and were showered with shaved white truffle. Fall is the perfect time to travel in Italy, when fresh tartufo and porcini are readily available. This ravioli went well beyond traditional Italian pasta dishes and ranks with the better pastas I have eaten.

The cheese plate was as good as one might expect from an establishment selling fine cheeses out the front door. The selection included cow, sheep and goat milk cheeses. The walnuts, honey (in the bowl) and quince preserves rounded out the dish as well as the tastes of the cheeses.

Via Del Battistero 2
Lucca Tuscany Italy
phone: 0583 493196

http://www.ristorante.ilcuorelucca.com/en/il-cuore-lucca-/restaurant/lucca-restaurants.html

Blue Ice

One Roman gelateria we keep going back to is Blue Ice. Sitting just outside the Campo Dei Fiore, makes it an easy target for us, since we go there frequently, but it's not just the convenience of the location, it is most certainly the variety of the flavors that attracts us as well as the consistantly good quality of their gelati and sorbetti that include some non dairy options.

Fior Di Latte, strawberry, cream, pistachio, woodland berry,  coconut, cantaloupe and raspberry all take turns tempting customers.

Peach, vanilla, mascarpone, zabaglione, apple, mint and dark chocolate also take their place in the long refrigerated case.

However it's the mixed, proprietary flavors with nuts, chocolate and fruit syrup drizzles, and other additions that always get the most attention.








141 Via dei Baullari
Rome Italy 00100
phone: +39 06 687-6114

info@amicidiblueice.it

Ristorante Arco di San Callisto

The first time we found Ristorante Arco di San Calisto, it was in an effort to get out of the crowds of Trastevere, the cheap restaurant mecca of Rome. We spotted a small group of tables on a quiet side street and made our move out of the maddening crowds and into a realm of quiet tranquility. It was a good move too as I ordered the best abacchio I have ever found in Rome that first night, and it brings me back time and time again. On subsequent trips we discovered the subterranean vaulted rooms and like them even better than the sidewalk location. I made a solemn promise to try the grilled lamb next trip, because the owners are so proud of their wood fired grill, one has to pass it to get into the massive dining room.

Fried zucchini flowers are popular throughout Italy, but in Rome, they are uniquely Roman. Besides the batter, they are filled with mozzarella or ricotta cheeses and then layered with a fillet of anchovy for a more savory flavor. These are not as light as the unfilled variety, but are worth a try at the very least.

Fritti Misti turned out to be a variety of fried vegetables including, zucchini, artichokes and cauliflower. Although they were good, I really wanted something to dip them in for extra flavor. They didn't compete favorably with the zucchini flowers, so I'd skip them or try not to order both at the same time. Spaghetti Amatriciana is a classic dish from this region and was well prepared with the requisite pancetta, onions and tomato. It really is perfect with grated Pecorino Romano, the regional cheese for Lazio and much of the south.

Some people think Cacio e Pepe is Carbonara without guanciale, but it's different in that it uses Cacio cheese, not Romano and Parmigiano. Although it has no meat, it's still rich from the egg yolks and cheese. It certainly makes a nice vegetarian alternative to Carbonara with its creamy texture and pepper bite.

Abbachio, the famous roasted baby lamb of Rome, gets my attention every time and I order it frequently. It may be just as flavorful at Perilli, but Arco di San Calisto always seems to offer meatier portions, so this is my favorite restaurant in which to order it. The roasted potatoes, cooked in the same pan are deeply infused with the meat drippings, and provide a perfect compliment to the tender lamb.

In my experience Tiramisu never has looked the same from restaurant to restaurant. Everyone has their own spin on it, but it is most often delicious with the mascarpone, coffee and chocolate flavors. No "lady fingers" in this version. The Tartufo is another classic dessert made up of either vanilla or chocolate gelato covered in chocolate and cocoa powder. I'm sure the amusement caused by the name has more to do with why it's ordered than the actual taste. It looks like a black truffle, according to urban legend, but I'm hoping someone, someday, with surprise me with something more added to the interior.

Via dell'Arco di San Calisto
4500153 Rome Italy

06 581 8323

Bistro Central Parc

One could not ask for a better neighborhood restaurant and the fact that it graces our neighborhood makes it even better. North Panhandle or NOPA is starting to gentrify in the extreme with really excellent restaurants opening up over the last several years. Perhaps the owner of Baker Street Bistro decided on NOPA because he recognized the trend and saw that our neighborhood could actually support fine restaurants. Whatever his reason, we are the beneficiaries of the decision and think it was a great idea. Bistro Central Parc, has been a long time in coming and we are ready for it. Every time we walk by it is packed, and the authentic French menu, as well as the quality of both the service and menu selection is surely going to make it a destination restaurant for San Franciscans, no matter where they live in the city. Parking is not easy in the hood, but as soon as people realize what a great transportation hub it has, they'll make a beeline to this restaurant. Easy to get to by bus, if the word parking puts a chill up your spine, the #21 bus stops one block south on Hayes and Central. I'm already planning on taking out of town guests to the " the Parc".

Maybe they don't, but I suspect the French rolls are house made because they are so "French" and very fresh for that matter. Even though I have been trying to curb my interest in bread, these little gems, tasting every bit as good as a baguette on the streets of Paris, proved irresistible, especially with the mussels.

Always a staple on a Mediterranean menu, these mussels ( $12.50) were bathed in a rich cream sauce and cooked just enough for them to release their liquor, without making them tough. They were most tender and succulent and filled their shells to plump perfection. These easily could have been a light meal in themselves although we did not stop here and went on to order a second course.

Our second starter was a goat cheese and wild mushroom tart including black trumpet mushrooms, spread on a crust of layered phyllo dough that was typically flaky, but a bit thick to cut with a fork. The tart was topped with mildly dressed frisee with fresh tarragon, that would have made a fine salad all by itself. It felt as though there were two starters on one plate and that was a good value at $10.00.

The tartare seen in the background of this photo was excellent and it was nice to see it in a shape other than a mound. For my money the French lamb chops were the star of the show on this particular evening for many reasons, the first being price. At $19.50 for a four bone rack, they were inexpensive by most standards. I had asked for the meat to be cooked to a medium rare and that it was. The Gruyere tuile and fried parsnip elevated the dish from fine cuisine to fine art in presentation, an edible sculpture.

It was especially nice to find the sauce "on the side" presented in a small creamer. In terms of photography, it made capturing the essence of the dish much easier without splashes of sauce to conceal or crop from the photo. The ratatouille made a nice side dish for the lamb, as well as enhancing the color on the plate. This is the first time I have seen the bottom of the rack cut in order to allow it to stand vertically on the dish. I took great pleasure in cutting that piece first before separating the rack in order to cover it with the sauce.

560 Central Ave. (Grove St.)

San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 931-7272

Hours:
Wed-Fri 5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun 9 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Roosevelt Tamale Parlor

Sometimes childhood memories are not in any way, shape, or form similar to the reality they are trying to conjure up. Luckily, some places where those memories were initially formed still exist to provide the comparison. Roosevelt Tamale Parlor is one of those places for me, and I am grateful that it still exists and even more grateful that the new owners had the wisdom to continue making the signature tamales and sauce. The rest of the menu has changed with the times, but the tamales taste like a faint memory to me, a taste memory from another time, but the same place.

As you might expect, each table is furnished with tortilla chips and salsa. It's hard to ruin a tortilla chip, so I'll pass on the judgement of these. Guacamole on the other hand can easily be ruined for me, if the chef decides to practically liquefy it in the name of smoothness. I love the chunky guacamole served here as it not only tastes of fresh, buttery avocado, it looks fresh.

Here it is the famous Roosevelt Tamale, served with creamy, refried, pinto beans and a light Spanish rice, along with the seriously good sauce. The shape is not necessarily significant, but these are less rectangular and more square, with a nice thick masa and very generous meat filling.

Beef, chicken; no matter what filling you choose, they are tender, full of flavor, totally delicious and a testament to the longevity of the recipe. I encourage everyone to try this historic San Francisco classic. It could not be considered California cuisine, but it's pure San Francisco to anyone having grown up in the city. Johnson's and the Hot House are gone, but Roosevelt still stands.

The cheese and beef enchiladas are also worthy of your attention. The rest of the menu also looks worthy of exploration and I vaguely recall a crab enchilada that was very good, but unfortunately the website is down and the menu item cannot be verified.

2817 24th St (between Bryant & York St)

San Francisco CA 94110

(415) 824-2600

Little Chihuahua

I'm a fan of Mexican flavors and although I couldn't classify Little Chihuahua as having classic Mexican recipes, it's nice to have it within walking distance of my neighborhood. They serve the kind of Americanized Mexican food that many of us grew up with; safe, filling choices from the shallow end of the culinary swimming pool. No big splashes are to be found here, but it can be refreshing all the same. This is by no means a destination restaurant, but a friendly neighborhood venue for a quick bite.

Chips and salsa, something often expected, but rarely ordered. At least they keep you busy while you peruse the short menu for something more substantial to eat.

Quesadillas make for a quick meal. The flour tortilla, filled with melted cheese is fine on its own, but everything goes better with avocado, doesn't it? It's too bad they weren't a bit more generous with that dollop of it. Maybe it's a ploy to get you to order a separate order of guacamole.

Their pork tostada showed more character than the quesadilla, as it was not the standard version served in so many restaurants. Small chunks of mango and queso fresco were added along with a creamy, ranch style dressing to perk up the flavors of the beans and stewed pork. It was good enough to encourage a return visit to try some other dishes and explore this restaurant further.

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

There is something to be said about a Chinese menu that does not include pork, and that something would be lamb. As a lamb aficionado, I was more than delighted to try Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant and it did not disappoint in the flavor department on several of the items we tried, but the restaurant itself is very small and not only dated and worn, but kitchy in an odd and distracting fashion. Did I really need Mickey Mouse peering over my shoulder during the dining experience, or his endorsement of this restaurant?

The Peking Beef Pancakes were a very pleasant way to start this culinary journey and they are memorable. Very flaky pancakes swaddle the spicy beef filling and these surpass in flavor similar meat filled offerings from Indian restaurants using lamb. These would be easy to order again and again.

No pork in the pot stickers but they were nicely cooked. Although they could have used a stronger flavor, the lamb was a nice substitute. I also wished the condiment selection was a bit broader. I think Old Mandarin's pot stickers could easily be improved, but since I do not know how to cook Chinese dishes, I'm not the one to make suggestions (like more use of garlic and ginger).

It's not easy to order a meal in any Chinese restaurant without including fried rice and Old Mandarin would have made that impossible, since they offered their version of fried rice with lamb as well as others with chicken, beef and seafood. To round out the meal we decided on the sauteed Lamb with Green Onions, a house specialty.

The rice was light and fluffy and as fried rice goes, a very good one with the richness added to it by the lamb and the requisite eggs, green onions, peas and carrots. The sauteed lamb was good, but not memorable as far as enhanced or complex flavor goes. It was lamb, pure and simple, but that in itself can be good. Still I'd come back to try a few other items on the menu that looked quite unique and more complex than what we ordered for this particular meal; for instance, one of the Hot Pots.

3132 Vicente St( between 42nd Ave & 43rd Ave)

San Francisco, CA 94116

(415) 564-3481Mon, Wed, Fri-Sun 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Tue, Thu 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m