Swann et Vincent

 

Swann Et Vincent is another charming small restaurant in the Marais neighborhood of Paris. Located on a narrow side street, it could easily get missed if you didn’t know about it. As it happened, it was on the shortest route between our hotel and Chez Paul, our favorite restaurant in Paris, or we may have missed it ourselves. This spot is decidedly Italian in nature, but the food has a very French influence in the way they handle classic Italian recipes. It’s clearly a French homage to Italian food or perhaps, as in America, Italian immigrants used what was available locally to try and recreate what they had eaten in Italy and it morphed into something unique.

 

One thing’s for certain, the bread was hard to visually identify as either French or Italian, but that held no importance because it was the taste that mattered. This herb and green olive baguette was 100% Mediterranean. But it was the fact that the herbs were Herbes de Provence  that  definitely made it French, along with a very soft crumb. Olives were also spanning both culinary traditions with their briny taste enhanced by an addition of olive oil.

There was no contest with the charcuterie platter. While the name is strictly French, the cold cuts were undeniably Italian. The plate included Mortadella , prosciutto, salami, coppa and even a bit of Bresaola the Northern Italian dry cured beef. All were very good, very authentic, but I doubt they were house made. After going to at least 7 major outdoor markets on this trip, I discovered that nearly every one of them had vendors selling Italian imported cheese, charcuterie and other foodstuffs.

 

The Carbonara aficionado at our table pulled a switch and ordered the Tagliatelle  with Gorgonzola Sauce. It was a decent interpretation of the classic and he was very satisfied with the selection. Heavy on cream and heavy on Gorgonzola and I suspect some Parmigiano, it was rich and satisfying. I in turn ordered the Pasta Carbonara, a very uncharacteristic rendition of the Italian classic. It looked like a cream sauce, but it wasn’t entirely made of cream. The  pasta with a bit of bacon, perhaps pancetta since it was not smoked, also had a sprinkling of parsley. There was no evidence of egg in the taste, even though the menu states that yolks were used, and no black pepper, two essential ingredients for an authentic Italian Carbonara. The cream was a dead giveaway that the chef was not Italian, as an Italian would lose his citizenship for adding cream to Carbonara! Even though I refuse to buy any Italian cookbook if cream is present in the recipe, I enjoyed this pasta, I just could not bring myself to call it Carbonara.

 

The atmosphere of this bistro/trattoria was lively, even early in the evening, and it was mainly serving French patrons. The decor was dark and a bit brooding, but not the clientele. To a person traveling, it was a good opportunity to get a sense of the community, but not feel like part of the touring hoard that can ruin the ambiance for regular patrons.  The service was good and there are so many specials offered each night, we’ll be going back when we again stay in the Marais.

http://www.swann-vincent.fr/en/restaurant-italian-paris-12-bastille-menu.html

7, rue Saint Nicolas 75012 Paris Tel : 01 43 43 49 40 Open daily for lunch and dinner Between the Bastille and Ledru Rollin metro stops

Yank Sing

Visiting Hang Ah reminded me of what a good restaurant Yank Sing happens to be. Although I’ve had excellent dim sum in other, cheaper restaurants over the years, none has been quite as enjoyable as Yank Sing. The serving is relaxed, not frenetic or boisterous. There’s a quiet elegance to the restaurant and that makes it my first choice for recommendations. I need to revisit a few other restaurants specializing in Chinese small plate dining to determine who has the best variety and price, but Yank Sing is worth its generally higher prices for a memorable, low key, dining atmosphere and the high quality of its food.

Ha Gow is almost always the first dim sum I select from the cart. Yank Sing makes it easy to order because the shrimp is always plump, plentiful and very fresh. How can something made with so few ingredients  taste so good? It was surprising to see a salad on the carts one afternoon so my dining companion and I decided to try it. Nice for the crunch factor, but not for a second go round. Considering the myriad  of dumplings available, those with fresh vegetables are another favorite, as was the pea tendril sample in this last photo. It looks like a pot sticker, but it was steamed.

  

Eggrolls don’t really thrill me anymore, they seem greasier than need be, but these were decent, as were the pork and cabbage filled Pot Stickers. The Phoenix Shrimp were encased in a shrimp mousse and deep fried. A nice little surprise, since I had not seen those before. The sweet chili sauce was a nice addition to the plate and worked well with the shrimp.

  

These chicken and vegetable dumplings were a generous size and provided a nice change from shrimp and pork, although I forgot to ask their official name. Something I had not tried before was the Pork Rice Noodle, a nice little package of pork, green onion and rice noodle sitting in a very flavorful sauce. I have since tried the Beef Rice Noodle at Yank Sing and liked it just as well. This last dumpling, the Mandarin with Chives was made with shrimp, garlic, cilantro and chives; another great little dumpling with good flavor, even better when dipped in soy sauce and chili oil.

 

This Shanghai Dumpling came as a complete shock; it was filled with hot broth as well as pork, ginger and green onion. This “soup dumpling” traditionally called a Xiao Long Bao originated in Shanghai, and was made by placing the meat filling in aspic, that melts when the dumpling is steamed.  What an entertainment. These may have been skipped for years, because they looked flat and only partially filled, but I’ll be ordering them from now on. Add the fried taro, in the next photo, to that order. There’s something about the pasty texture of taro root that really appeals to me. I liked this one, but really prefer the fried taro that is wrapped around a filling of ground pork. They’re heavy , so you definitely want to split an order of these. One is plenty.

Here’s a full admission, I very well may be addicted to Egg Custard Tarts. I cannot sit down to dim sum and leave without having one order, sometimes two if we’re sharing. I think they are the perfect sweet ending to a dim sum lunch and would not turn them down if they were served all by their lonesome. The custard is really egg rich and the dough is flakey and light.

http://www.yanksing.com/our-cuisine/index.html

101 Spear St San Francisco CA 415 781-1111 Open daily 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Bar Bambino

Bar Bambino adopted a rather curious concept for a fine restaurant. Besides the furniture being mismatched and the atmosphere being very casual with no linens on the tables, the wait staff looked  like they walked in off the street and were difficult to differentiate from the patrons of the restaurant. Attentive at first, they wandered off and made themselves scarce towards the end of our meal. Bar Bambino’s location is truly ironic considering the excellent and elegant food they serve. It is located a few doors down from a street notorious for down at heel and overly worn out ladies of the night, and a closed theater where the homeless squat on inclement evenings. It was a zoo out there and that may have been just enough to keep me from ever going back, were it not for the food.

 

My first encounter with the restaurant was during the day, when I stopped by for a bruschetta of fava and pecorino on rustic, toasted bread. I was on a mission and had the zeal of a missionary in my quest. I had just joined Foodspotting.com and decided to enter a contest whereby I could win a dinner with the Chronicle food critic, Michael Bauer. He selected 100 food items he had tried while on assignment, writing reviews, and anyone who tried them all and finished first won the prize. It was a foolish quest on two fronts, one I never even read his column, and two, I soon realized it would cost me a king’s ransom and the prize would not be worth my investment in either time or money. As it turned out, no one won the dinner because the contest had a deadline. I think the best prize was being introduced to several Bay Area restaurants I surely never would have discovered on my own. Bar Bambino was one such restaurant.

The bruschetta was remarkable in it’s simplicity and flavor. I was determined to come back and finally did on a damp and cold February evening. I knew before I entered the dining room that I would finally try the egg and truffle bruschetta, which I had earlier been forced to choose against when the fava bruschetta was on the menu. I’m a big fan of fava beans and even grow them on occasion. The truffle and egg bruschetta was just as enchanting as the fava and pecorino combination and used a bit of truffle oil to boost the flavor. It was a delicious starter.

      

My dining companion opted for one of several very small starters on offer, a miniscule plate of fried artichoke hearts. I say miniscule because what you see was a small baby artichoke presented on a plate suitable for use as a small ashtray. Still, it was delicious and tender at its heart, that had been filled with an artichoke puree. We split the bruschetta and went next to a pasta course. The reason I’m so confused by the atmosphere and location of Bar Bambino is that their pasta is world class. It could be served in any elegant dining room in this country or Italy for that matter.

 

My dinner partner selected the pork shoulder ragu served over a house made egg pasta. Garganelli look like the tube pasta called penne that is extruded, but are in reality a thinner flat square of pasta rolled over onto itself. This dish was exquisite and subtle, but bursting with flavor. The golden raisins elevated the taste of the fork tender pork shoulder that melted in your mouth. It was a small portion that proved very satisfying. The nuttiness of the Parmigiano was a perfect finish to the flavors of this “sauce”.

My pasta course consisted of four little pasta purses filled with red wine braised oxtail. They were called Oxtail Cestini after the Italian word "cestino", which means basket. Again, a subtlety of flavor that was inappropriately nuanced and upscale for such a casual dining experience.  I found myself cutting each small bundle into several pieces, so I could savor it as long as possible. This was a dish that could compare favorably with any pasta I have ever tasted and I have a lifetime of experience tasting pasta. I’m sorry it is not on the Spring menu. That would have served to broaden my description of this impressive pasta choice.

 

The Brussel Sprouts were at their peak of flavor, and the roasting brought out a sweetness through caramelization that was just right to play off of the smoked lardons, used to add an additional element to the sprouts. The braised Lamb shoulder was another meat that was perfectly prepared by the chef. It was, like the pork, fork tender and succulent. The pumpkin was a good choice for this stew, adding needed color as well as flavor.

The fresh pomegranate  and pumpkin seeds were the textural elements that enhanced the dish with small bursts of sweetness and richness when eaten with the lamb. They were like small jewels added for style, but intrinsically valuable in their own right. The confetti of seeds and mint made the dish visually exciting and the color palette was sumptuous. They knocked this dish out of the park; another home run. It was especially good with their Grasso Nebbiolo wine.

The artisan ice cream was decent, but the flavor selection was too limited. I ended up selecting 2 scoops of salted chocolate malt and one of pomegranate sorbet, for lack of anything more interesting. This was not the reason to come back to Bar Bambino; it was everything else. I need to return, but have decided to arrive while it’s still light outside and finish before dark. Since it’s on 16th St, it should be relatively safe, considering the large numbers of commuters who will be around at that time, coming from BART or lining up for the buses. I can appreciate edgy, but Bar Bambino’s location is really rock bottom and has been since long before their doors opened for business.

Bar Bambino Website

2931 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 701-8466

Hang Ah

You can hang ME, better yet shoot me, if I ever go back to this Chinatown institution. My niece was in town and wanted dim sum on a Sunday night. I racked my brain trying to think of a place that served dim sum in the evenings. Perhaps I would have been better served to use the Yellow Pages. In any case, my all time favorite, Canton Teahouse has been closed for years, so I remembered a small hole in the wall, off the beaten path type place and once I figured out the name, gave them a call and they confirmed that they served dim sum all day. I asked if a reservation would be necessary and the woman on the other end of the line seemed amused as she said “no problem”. There were five people there when we arrived.

 

My heart sank as I looked at the dim sum menu (it was already beating irregularly from the garish and bright paint on the walls), with not more that ten items on it. There were some standards like the Siu Mai pictured above, and Ha Gow, my favorite dim sum dumpling made of shrimp steamed in a rice wrapper, but the selection was dismal. Still we went ahead and ordered some, supplementing it with an order of steamed rice and Chicken in Black Bean Sauce. The only condiments were chili oil and an inky black soy sauce. They did not look right. The pepper flakes looked black and gummy in the oil and there were no black beans, nor was there the scent of garlic. The opacity of the soy sauce immediately put me off of using it at all. The Ha Gow was bad and tasted as though it had been washed in some kind of disinfectant. I didn’t bother with a photo. The Sui Mai was okay, but nothing without some condiments on it.

 

There were no baked pork buns, only Char Siu Bao. Okay, I can live with that, but the dough was a bit off in flavor and my niece wouldn’t even touch them based on looks alone. The filling was actually good, but the dough made the whole item sub par. I was wondering if things could get worse.

  

I was hoping the one bright spot would be their foil wrapped chicken, a delicacy I remembered loving as a child. I haven’t seen it on a menu in many years. After trying one, I carefully thought about what might make this item appeal to a child. Oh yes, it came to me. It would be similar to opening a box of Cracker Jack and looking for the small prize, tearing open the paper envelope and finding something wonderful inside. The expectation was where the thrill came. The chicken was a thigh joint with bone, that had been marinated in Chinese 5 Spice and that inky soy sauce. Come to think of it, I never found a great prize in Cracker Jack either.

That leaves us with the Chicken in black Bean Sauce. I used the photo to fill the spot where I would normally place a shot of the restaurant itself, but it was hard enough to sit there and eat, so I wasn’t about to remind myself of it later with a photograph. The chicken was okay and had every ingredient required of that dish, but it had an uncharacteristic sweetness and was too salty. I now have to wonder not only why I thought it was a good restaurant at one time, but also how it could possibly remain in business for 80 years. I now have a renewed respect for Yank Sing in San Francisco and Golden Unicorn in New York City.

1 Pagoda Place San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 982-5686

My Father’s Kitchen

Clean, modern and spare can sum up the atmosphere at My Father’s Kitchen, a small Vietnamese restaurant that opened over a year ago on Divisadero St. We arrived early and even though the place was not even half full, we found the service slow. That can be good if you want an unrushed dinner, but if lingering is not your main aim when dining out, it can be a point of frustration. We had time to kill, so it was not an issue, but I got the impression that this may have been typical at this restaurant. Pricing was good, food was adequate, but we will probably not return anytime soon. We really need the wow factor to be enticed to come back to any restaurant in San Francisco, or very personalized service.

They may have had Vietnamese Coffee on the menu, but we ordered Thai Iced Tea instead, and were puzzled, but happy to see that it was even available. Spring Rolls were next on our agenda for this evening. If the rolls are good we know what to expect during the rest of the meal. They were classically made with rice wrappers, shrimp, mint, carrots, cilantro, lettuce and rice noodles; also served with an exceptionally creamy and thick peanut sauce. It was one of the best versions of peanut sauce I have ever tasted, and there were no worries about it dripping off the roll. This dish set our expectations higher than the restaurant could meet. But it shows potential in the kitchen.

Although the Imperial Rolls tasted fine, they had no eye appeal and looked a bit anemic, since they were not the expected golden brown color. I have to face the fact that we have been spoiled by Tu Lan, because they have superior Vietnamese food, but a restaurant facility and location that would bring my mother to tears, if she ever saw me walk through the door, or heaven forbid, sit down there. In fact, we are still looking for a Vietnamese restaurant replacement, because I just cannot sit down at Tu Lan any longer… I’m always afraid I will find vermin in my purse when I return home. But, back to My Father’s Kitchen. A for effort and pricing, but this restaurant is just not hitting the mark for us, and I really wish it would. Admittedly, we did not order anything extraordinary, so the restaurant could really shine, but it was a small menu with modest menu items to select from; nothing seemed inventive or unique to this restaurant.

 

For that very reason, we ordered what we generally like, since we were familiar with practically all the menu items. In fairness, I have heard that they serve a really good Pho, but we didn’t order it. Instead the Yellow Curry Chicken arrived with a good flavor and generous portion. The peanut sauce showed up as a condiment and it worked very well with the curry. The Pork With Rice Noodle in rice vinegar and sweet chili sauce was also good, but nothing we haven’t eaten elsewhere. All in all, it was decent but ho hum for someone familiar with Vietnamese food. The selection of items on the menu is particularly small.

http://www.myfatherskitchensf.com/menu.pdf

1655 Divisadero Street San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 829-2610

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana

San Francisco has been attracting better and better pizza parlors over the last decade and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach just may be the best. Admittedly, we have not yet been to Flour & Water, nor Delfina, but those restaurants have so many other tantalizing items to offer, especially pasta, I’m not certain we’d ever get around to the pizze. Not so with Tony’s as the pizze are as prominent on the menu as the name of the restaurant. There may be side acts such as salads, pastas, and desserts, but pizza is the headliner that plays the center ring at this circus. The restaurant is lively, with a wait staff quick on their feet, but it is comfortable for conversation. The fast pace is more a product of the numbers of patrons, rather than the staff encouraging a quick turnover. We took our time and were not rushed.

The all too familiar bread and butter served at almost every restaurant in town is not familiar at all when you go into Tony’s. With all those pizza ovens, someone was bound to make focaccia on site. Since focaccia was developed in the Liguria region of Italy simply as a means to test the temperature of the communal bread ovens, it seems a fitting start to our meal. While the olive oil and fresh garlic was a nice fit for the focaccia, I preferred the plain olive oil. The tomato paste and olive oil mix may have been a good idea in terms of flavor, but visually it was unappealing. It needed to be blended to work.

Tony’s bakes it’s pizze in several different ways, depending on different temperatures to achieve different results. They also use specific flours for each of the ovens. They have this down to a science. The next time we go, I’m interested in discovering in greater detail the differences between each method. One only cooks the pizza for a minute in 1000 degrees and that may be the coal burning oven with the hottest temperature for very thin, crisp crust pizze. This one was baked in a domed, gas fueled, brick oven for a chewier texture on the dough. It was called the Cal Italia and is made with premium Italian imports and resides on the menu under the “Classic Italian” recipes. All the classic Italian pizze are made using vine ripened tomato sauce, with this being the exception.

 

Instead of tomato sauce, the Cal Italia, which by the way is an award winning pizza, utilizes fig jam from Croatia. This sweet preserve sets the foundation for a very savory pizza with the bite of imported Italian Gorgonzola, that also imparts a saltiness that the Mozzarella lacks. Asiago and the nuttier tasting Parmigiano help to add another layer of flavor and depth to this beautifully balanced pizza. Prosciutto di Parma and Balsamic vinegar add more salty sweetness to the mix. From these photos it is clear to see that the prosciutto, and well as one or more of the cheeses are not cooked, but layered on top after the pizza comes out of the oven. I’m certain the syrupy vinegar is also added after plating. They all get just enough residual heat to perk up their flavors. This pizza is a spectacular success and needs to be tried, then reordered. As original as the flavor combination seems to be, it is very similar to a pizza we tried many years ago in Boston at Todd English’s pizza parlor called Fig’s on Beacon Hill. A photo of that pizza can be found in a separate review. However, there’s no contest when it comes to the crust; Tony’s is superior.

From the 900 degree wood fired oven comes the Truffle – Less Pizza; the Cal Italia has the same medium rustic dough but is hand tossed. The Truffle – Less Pizza is not listed as being hand tossed, but interestingly enough the dough looked less uniform than that on the Cal Italia. Even more interesting is the fact that it was a bit less chewy. The ovens must really make a greater difference than one imagines on the outcome of the dough. Odd name, but only because I opted out of shaved truffle for this pizza. Black truffles were what was available; I prefer the heady perfume of white truffles. Since white truffle infused oil was available I decided to go with that, instead of fresh black truffle. It was a great call in terms of price. Truffle – Less was $19, Black Truffle Pizza is $39, and in season, White Truffle Pizza is $89. Now I long for the white truffle pizza I ate in Gubbio Italy for all of 9 euros!

  

The Truffle Pizza is made up primarily of cheeses; Mozzarella, Burrata, Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam triple cream cheese, and Parmigiano, with wild mushrooms, arugula and shaved truffles, or in this case truffle oil. It sounds creamy, milky and earthy and it was all three. The Parmigiano provided the much needed salty element. Once again, some ingredients were added after the pizza was baked, most notably the Parmigiano, arugula, and truffle oil. The residual heat helped the truffle scent travel upwards through the air above the table, like a bird gliding on an updraft. I can’t wait to go back and try another one of these sensational combination of flavors. While reading over the antipasti section of the menu, I found some other worthwhile items to try. A small plate dinner may be the direction I take next time.

http://www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com/includes/menu/Tony's%20pizza%20Menu_inside%202010.pdf

1570 Stockton St San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 835-9888

Taqueria Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa has been in business for over twenty years to my recollection. Always dependable for a good burrito, it has been a standard for our household as a “go to” restaurant for a quick meal. It is perpetually packed every time we stop by, so for years we have enjoyed it as a take out operation. When Groupon had a promotion recently, I purchased the discount coupon, knowing full well that I would use it. In fact, I purchased two. I went in with a friend and decided to actually sit down for a meal other than a burrito. I chose the Carne Asada dinner. In truth, I was not impressed. It was good, but not very different than their burritos, as it came with rice and beans and a small side of guacamole. There were seafood options that I didn’t have time to look at as I stood in line at the counter. I think they will be worth a try some other time. But as take out, because the restaurant is chaotic at best and does not provide a relaxing setting for a meal. One cannot hold a conversation there due to the excessively loud noise level. My dining companion literally had to shoo away other patrons as they attempted to share our postage stamp table.

  

Here’s a photo (to the left) of the Carne Asada Burrito that I found much more satisfying than the dinner version. It held less meat, but the dinner was a hearty portion and probably too large, even for someone who was really hungry. You cannot fault Pancho Villa for serving generous portions. Of the two burritos shown I must say that the Carnitas Burrito (on the right) was more to my liking for one simple reason. The meat was more tender and flavorful.  I selected pinto beans instead of black beans, but that difference was imperceptible; it was the meat that made all the difference. Grilled beef will never be as tender as braised pork. Pancho Villa uses a lean cut of beef for grilling and pork shoulder for the carnitas. Cooking any meat until it falls off the bone will result in a more tender product, and the fat didn’t hurt the flavor either.

http://panchovillasf.com/

3071 16th St San Francisco, CA 94103

Tel: (415) 864-8840