Bar Crudo….Revisited

 

Word must have gotten out about the $1 oysters at Bar Crudo because the counter was on its way to being full at 5:15 p.m., just a few minutes after they opened their doors. This restaurant is responsible for our new progressive dinner plan around the North Panhandle neighborhood. Bar Crudo is our first stop for a shellfish appetizer, then it’s off to Tsunami for half off sushi as a first course, and down to Bistro Central Park for our entree of beef or duck. Candy Bar is our choice for dessert. We won’t do that too often, but when we do it will be a real event and celebration.

  

 

On this particular visit, mussels as well as oysters were on the block for $1 each. A poor man could comfortably order shellfish in this restaurant during “happy hour”. I no longer think of this term as describing the emotional state of the inebriated at a cocktail lounge. It makes me happy just telling friends about this wonderful opportunity for fresh shellfish at rock bottom prices.

Humor me, just one more look, because I truly love this deal and think it is a great idea on the part of the restaurant to attract new customers and use up some of the smaller oysters that surely come in every large bag of oysters they purchase from their purveyor.  Although, these were not so small and I would have not been disappointed with the size, no matter what the price. These particular oysters were Pickering Passage from Washington state, an oyster listed on the regular menu. Each time we have ordered the oysters, they have been a different variety. It might be too much to hope that one day Kumamoto would be offered, but since they too appear on the regularly priced menu, my hopes are up, and my fingers crossed.

 

We tried two very different beers for this meal, Old Rasputin Stout, black as coal and just as tasty, as far as we were concerned. When we asked for one that might be like a Belgian ale, we discovered Gulden Draak, a full bodied and slightly sweet ale that was a perfect compliment to the oysters. On a previous visit we had ordered the Ahi and as I recall, I was disappointed with the 4 chunks of sashimi presented on a platter. At $3 per piece it seemed overpriced.  That experience did not deter me from trying the Spicy Yellowfin Tuna. A little lighter in color, but the Yellowfin  at the same price was just as disappointing. We detected no heat in this order and had to ask about it. The tuna was marinated in soy sauce and “Siracha HOT Chili Sauce” (I quote this directly from the bottle we have at home). In all our experience with Siracha, this was not typical, so I must surmise that very little was used. The waitress brought over a small bowl of the marinade in which the chef had added more Siracha. A great save; this made all the difference in our perception of the value of the Yellowfin and we savored each piece.

The item that took the longest time to prepare was the Bone Marrow Crostini with a Citrus Gremolata. That stands to reason, since the bones had to be roasted in order to release the rich, fatty, marrow flavors, and cannot compete with raw fish for timing. The orange rind was a complete surprise because I generally associate lemon with gremolata, but in this case, it proved to be a sweet flavor note to add to this little symphony of lemon rind, red pepper flakes, mint, and sage. In truth, I’m guessing about the mint, I seem to remember it on the menu description, but I cannot verify it at this time. This was and item I hope they keep on the menu, but as the menu changes with the seasons, I hope to see it again sometime in the future.

 

Ever since I recently tried fresh sea urchin, purely by accident, and realized it was not the Devil’s sputum as I had previously thought (long story), I try to order it when it’s offered. What better place to feel comfortable eating it, than at a raw bar where the fish is freshest? The Uni Toast was a great call and a wonderfully unique combination of flavors that worked for a variety of reasons, on a very memorable dish. The similarly textured avocado combined with the sea urchin made it  decadently creamy and the chicory salad was a good contrast in texture, but more importantly, it brought a slight bitterness that bounced off of the sweetness of the uni and avocado. Someone had their culinary thinking cap on when they developed this combination, a budding genius in my view.

Another indulgence, please. The flaked sea salt you see in this photo, that easily could have been Maldon from England or Murray River from Australia, was the icing on the cake, since it made the flavors sing. I was so inspired by this dish that I’d like to try it at home with a few tweaks. A drizzle of buttery Jalapeno olive oil would make it taste even richer and that faint heat would brighten the flavor. I just may have to bring a sample as a gift to the chef on our next visit.

 

Since I'm inclined to eat early at Bar Crudo, to take advantage of their reduced prices, I discovered a fish taco offering on my last visit. It was every bit as good as any fish taco I have tired to date. I'm beginning to wonder how they turn a profit between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.

Bar Crudo Menu

 

655 Divisadero St

San Francisco CA 94117

(415) 409-0679

Tsunami

I have no idea why, but I have been craving the fresh, clean taste of sushi lately. It’s a food that can be complex in it’s execution, but the flavors are never muddled and always identifiable; that’s why I describe it as a clean taste. Tsunami is a neighborhood restaurant that makes enjoying sushi as simple as taking a short walk. Their “happy hour” is just the right time to stop in for something new, since each night they serve half off sushi and the menu rotates; a detail that sometimes lets the menu dictate the choices for me. That was the case with several of the selections on this review. Unfortunately the half off Oyster Shooter wasn’t available this time, but it’s on my list to try; it’s made with sake and an oyster.

The Cajun Ahi sounded interesting and at $6 it was a steal, so I tried it. The ahi was excellent and the searing was beautifully minimal, but I found the chili to be fairly one dimensional and gritty next to the silky texture of the ahi. The creamy white ponzu wasn’t contributing successfully to the taste of the dish. The slaw was mostly red onion and out of balance in my opinion. Still, I would definitely order ahi at Tsunami when I go back.

 

The Hamachi Stuffed Shitake mushrooms are regularly priced at $13 and I’d pay that for them gladly, however, I lucked out and only paid $6.60 this time around. The earthy mushrooms had been stemmed,  with Hamachi serving to fill the void, then battered and fried. They were served with a wasabi aioli and sweet chili sauce, then garnished with green onion. This was a satisfying combination of flavors and textures, but the plating deserved some credit too.

However, if I were to award a prize for plating, the Hamachi Jalapeno Sashimi would have certainly won. Unfortunately the taste was too timid. I’ve eaten this combination before and had a much better experience with definite heat coming from the jalapeno pepper. The reason I selected this particular dish  was that it came with white truffle ponzu. There was no discernible truffle taste. I’m a big truffle fan and my experience with it is extensive, so when I say the truffle taste was not discernible, I mean it just wasn’t there at all. Upon questioning, the waitress said that truffle oil was not used. I had suspected that someone in the kitchen had sent it out without that key ingredient. She said the ponzu itself was infused with white truffle and seemed to think that it would taste more like truffle if I used more ponzu. I had to disagree. When the menu stated that it came with avocado, that seemed an ingenious way to cut the heat from the Jalapeno, but as it turned out, there was no heat. The avocado was so small I could barely see it on the plate, so it would not have served well in that capacity. Too bad, this menu item had such great potential. I hope that the kitchen staff starts tasting ingredients to make certain they have the characteristics they were selected for in each dish. Still, look at how beautiful that piece of Hamachi is. Someone certainly knows how to select the fish and to make it look visually appealing. At least this plate was a feast for the eyes if not for the palate.

What’s in a name? Well, it’s the first introduction we have to a particular person place or thing, so it sets the tone. Let me introduce Radio Crunchy. I hope the chef decides not to have children, or defers to his spouse when it comes to naming any progeny. Still, “a rose is a rose…” and this sushi tasted very good. It was composed of crab meat, Maguro, and cucumber, then wrapped in sushi rice that was in turn rolled in fried Tempura flakes. It worked as a cohesive whole and I’ll be going back for seconds at $12 per order.

I’ve saved the best for last and it wasn’t dessert, but it certainly was rich enough to be. Here’s a mouthful… the name on the menu is Snake River Wagyu Beef Tataki Nigiri. I’ve wanted to try Wagyu beef for a long while, but the price has always been the choke point for me; I’d choke if I had to cough up the money to pay for it! I’m finally sold on the idea of forking over the cash for a full steak, but it had better be small, because this meat is so very fatty. Look at the marbling in these pieces, or should I say layering? The sear served the beef well by imparting a slightly smoked flavor. This order of nigiri was $10 for the two pieces and well worth it to try this remarkable beef. I highly recommend this dish as nothing more could have made it any better than it was. Why gild the lily?

Tsunami Website

1306 Fulton Street San Francisco  CA    94117 (415) 567-7664

Ebisu

I started finding reasons to try this restaurant after seeing photos of some of their sushi offerings on Foodspotting.com. One of the most astonishing photos was of a sea urchin served in its shell. That was it; I had to finally try Ebisu, a restaurant I have been passing and been curious about for years. I had shied away from uni for a long time, since a very bad experience at another sushi restaurant, where the sea urchin was so spoiled, I immediately had to spit it out or risk something far worse. As chance would have it, last year I ordered a Futomaki that had a bit of sea urchin in it and I really liked it. The first thing I did when opening the menu was to scour it for the uni. As it turns out, you have to special order it.

  

One of the most unusual elements of the menu was the selection of vegetables. I don’t think I have ever seen so many options for vegetables on a Japanese menu and the prices were very low. I put the photo of the wasabi and ginger as a reminder that it came to the table ahead of the sushi and I really liked the fact that there was plenty of it. The seaweed salad was very nice with a sesame oil and rice vinegar dressing that made it taste fresh and bright in flavor. It was actually too generous a portion for one and only cost $4.75. It was comparable in value to the Duo of Ohitashi (spinach) with bonito flakes that was priced at $5.50. My dining partner took half home even after sharing a good portion with me.

Agedashi Tofu was lightly fried and bathed in a lovely light broth. The texture was very silky so the contrast with the crisp exterior was quite nice; another good value for $5. I ordered the Tokyo Tower because I like Tempura Shrimp in sushi, but more importantly because the name conjured up a very architectural image. I’m afraid the only architecture in the order was the small bit of shrimp you see towering all of one inch above the piece of sushi on the right. It was a also a let down in the fact that the roll was only cut into 4 pieces; this was not good value for $6.95. In order to give a fair evaluation to my dining experiences at Japanese restaurants, I almost always order a spicy tuna roll for my point of comparison. The Poke Roll at Ebisu was not outstanding, in fact it was ordinary and cut too small into 8 pieces from a noticeably thin roll.

 

The Applewood Scallop Carpaccio was outstanding and worth every single one of the 900 pennies it cost. The smoked scallops were layered over a blood orange sauce that was slightly bitter like a marmalade; not the taste I was expecting, nor as sweet as I had hoped, but very good. The mustard micro greens and sesame seeds added a visual and textural contrast. Again, the build up was misleading. The menu lists “Sizzling blood orange vinaigrette”, yet mine was room temperature at best.

 

I admit, I was smitten with the idea of the uni, and it didn’t disappoint. The briny, creamy , rich taste was what I was seeking. If you want a taste of the sea, sea urchin is the ticket. I didn’t even bother with the lemon. As a child I watched my Italian grandfather eat sea urchins right out of the shell and wondered why he did it standing up in the kitchen, not sitting at the table. I think I now understand his urgency at eating it as fresh as possible. Then again, perhaps he didn’t want to share.

 

The Drunken Berries In Sake with Vanilla Ice Cream was refreshing and very well thought out. The sake and berries worked perfectly together, so perfectly, I now want to try more sake, since my experience has been limited. The mixed berries were a combination of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Fresh strawberries may have made it even better, but sometimes we have to settle for frozen fruit.

http://www.ebisusushi.com/ebisu-sushi-menu.php?location=1&menu=14

Eliza's

I wanted to like this restaurant because I liked the modern interior , bad artwork excluded, and my husband had eaten lunch there and liked it. It's within a neighborhood we can walk to and we could build up quite an appetite getting there. We're also lifelong fans of Chinese American food and there are no Chinese restaurants in our immediate neighborhood. Eliza's had all the appearances of a restaurant that might go the distance to bring inventive fare to its patrons. It just fell short, but not on the first plate that arrived on the table.

The dumplings were far from ordinary, because first and foremost they were vegetarian. The fried garlic garnish added not only an enhancement to the taste, but also acted as a textural contrast, pleasing to the palate. The addition of a sizable portion of bok choy was much more than I would have expected. 

These delightful dumplings were then bathed in a flavorful, light broth. For a simple appetizer, these were executed with a light hand, by someone clearly in touch with the cuisine, who wasn't timid about putting their personal stamp on the finished dish. It was impressive and set a positive tone for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately it also raised the bar of our expectations.

Next up was the Lemon Chicken, a dish both of us had eaten on many an occasion. Its appearance was flat, and so was its sauce. There was no eye appeal and the color was off putting, like they may have added food coloring to liven it up. It was cooked well, but the sauce was really too sweet and lacked a fresh lemon flavor. It's thickeners, along with the sweetness made it seem more like a lemon curd ready to be added to a dessert, not a sauce appropriate for poultry.

The Mongolian Lamb was a bit better, but not a memorable version. It was overpowered by the green onions, and for my taste, was stretched too far with vegetables. There just wasn't enough meat. The sauce was alright, but I didn't think it was very complex nor exceptional in any way.

Our last disappointment was the fried rice. Our traditional choice would have been BBQ Pork fried rice, but the pork in this rice dish was shredded, probably braised and not flavorful on it's own. The onions, peas and carrots may be compulsory in fried rice, but they didn't bring much to the table either. We would have been better off with steamed rice. A lower expectation may have been met with steamed rice.

I don't know if we'll return to Eliza's, but should that happen, we will not be ordering any of our last three items. There are too many other Chinese restaurants in San Francisco to settle on one just for its convenient location. Lackluster service added to the picture I've drawn. As I looked around the dining room I noticed that linens were stacked on the bar, also on a stool, and a box was carelessly left in the dining room. That didn't make a good impression either. It reminded me of a hole in the wall, mom and pop place that belonged more fittingly in an edgy location where the chaos would actually have been part of the appeal.

2877 California St. (bet. Broderick & Divisadero Sts.)
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-621-4819

Fish

Fish the unassuming glass and steel place on the docks at Gate 5 in Sausalito is worth investigating further. We just can't manage to get beyond the Crab Roll. What a Lobster roll is to the Eastern Seaboard, the Crab Roll has become to the West Coast, or at least this part of it.

The restaurant itself is bare bones on comfort and minimal on style. With stainless, glass and concrete as the main building materials, there is a cool, industrial feel, as well there should be in this blue collar working environment. There is a boat building school around the corner, a West Marine store and a marina where many small sailboats are berthed, so casual is the theme for this nautical crowd.

The menu appears broad but it specializes exclusively in fish and specifically in sustainable fish and responsible fishing practices, so you won't see farmed salmon on the menu. Fish also sources its organic vegetables from local vendors and small farmers in Marin. This may account for pricing that seems a bit high for such a casual restaurant. I can personally attest to the quality of their Dungeness crab. Their popularity certainly contributes to the idea that they serve good food. There's always a long line after noon.

What do you think, is this picture worth a thousand words? The Acme torpedo roll is toasted and buttered with all organic Strauss butter, the crab is fresh and unadorned, except for a smattering of chives. Fries are crisp and flavorful.

How about this one? I find their website full of interesting information about them and what they love most, fish. Go Fish!

http://www.331fish.com/food/index.html

350 Harbor Drive
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: 415-331-FISH (3474)
Fax: 415-331-3421

Open all week 11:30 am - 4:30pm for lunch
5:30pm - 8:30pm for dinner
limited offerings between 4:30 & 5:30

Chile Pies

As a fan of Green Chile Kitchen I wanted to like Chile Pies, but so far I'm under whelmed. That was also the case with my first visit to Green Chile Kitchen when it originally opened. I couldn't wait to try New Mexican food right here in California, but the green chile verde I had ordered was so hot, I became ill on the 2 block walk home. It took months before I went back in and ordered roasted chicken just to be on the safe side.

 

They deserve credit for sourcing out interesting drinks like the very tasty Sprecher root beer, and more credit for serving Three Twins ice cream, which I  had heard very good things about, since it started being manufactured. The small selection of the ice cream being offered was slightly disappointing, maybe 10 at the most. Since the ice cream is all natural, the colors weren't very diverse either, but after trying their Lemon Cookie, I don't care what it looks like; it's delicious. I also give thumbs up to the cardamom, salted caramel and coffee flavors. I hear their ice cream and pie milkshakes are equally good, but have yet to try one.

I digress, their main claim to fame is pie, so I stuck to my original mission and ordered one of their pot pies. On observation, it looked like a decent size for the price ($7) and the crust was very appealing. It was such a unique idea for a stand alone restaurant that Chile Pies already had my vote for support, now was the test of fire, trying a pie to see if I could truly support it with continued patronage. Not so much. While the chicken filling was nicely cooked, chunky and combined with some carrot and red skinned potato, the sauce lacked much flavor. Even though green chilies were part of it, they didn't lend much flavor either. I believe it was under seasoned. That beautiful golden crust literally "didn't bring much to the table", not to the pie anyway. Even with the extra sauce, there was no wow factor. My final criticism is that it needed more filling, no matter what the taste, it seemed skimpy to me. I walked by a month or so after eating this meal and noticed that the pie being served was much smaller than those in the above photos. Eating less of it for the same price does not make it taste any better.

On my next visit I went back to try the Frito pie that I kept hearing about. I think it must have been invented in the 1960's when housewives were making casseroles from anything and everything that came from a can, box, or bag. It seemed to make enough of a hit with New Mexicans, that Chile Pies added it to their menu. I have to admit that is was much better than the chicken pot pie and was fun in a nostalgic, weird food sort of way. Chile Pies has a presence in  the neighborhood, but it seems to be more about their fruit pies and ice cream than anything else, but that's enough reason to return. Their Boysenberry Pie Ala Mode definitely satisfies a sweet tooth. They now serve the same green chile stew and chicken posole that you can get up the street at Green Chile Kitchen and I have nothing but very good things to say about both those dishes.

Chile Pies Website

601 Baker St @ Fulton St San Francisco CA 94115 (415) 614-9411