Dinner at Californios

Growing up in Holland (MI), the idea of gourmet cuisine was pretty much relegated to whatever one could prepare at home. Even then, the menu was limited to what one could find at the local grocer. Upscale markets in nearby Grand Rapids, while offering the vast majority of missing ingredients for whatever Thomas Keller or Mario Batali cookbook one was using; asking for oxtail and other such ingredients was still a tall ask.

That's not to say Holland was devoid of good food. Local Dutch bakeries still churn out an incredible breakfast (Saucijzenbroodjes - Dutch sausage rolls - for the win!), and the local butchers offer some incredible meats that perfectly embrace the long summer outings by the grill. The sizable Hispanic population has also led to some excellent Mexican restaurants, with Taco Fiesta holding a special place in my heart growing up. 

Prior to dining at Californios, my experience with Mexican food was consistent with my upbringing. Platters of home made tacos, chile rellenos, asado de puerco con salsa verde and tamales. All accompanied with refried beans and yellow hued rice. I wouldn't call it greasy spoon food, but it certainly stuck to one's ribs, and it was/is darn good. 

The idea of a Mexican restaurant offering a tasting menu was completely foreign to me. Rick Bayless' Topolobampo offers a Mexican tasting menu, but over the years the family could never seem to get reservations when we would visit Chicago. After dining at Californios, I now know why it's so popular still to this day!

The slate gray exterior of Californios on 22nd Street in
San Francisco's Mission neighborhood

Dinner at RASA

Today's post takes us south of my usual gastronomic stomping grounds of San Francisco, to the suburb of Burlingame. Located there, on Park Rd. in the quaint downtown, is the subject of today's review: RASA. Opened in November 2014, RASA has become one of the top Indian restaurants in the Bay Area, through the combination of pan-Indian dishes and the finest - most sustainable - local produce. The approach may be painstaking for Chef Vijay Kumar, but the results speak for themselves as RASA has earned a Michelin star in 2016 and 2017.

Outer signage at RASA - Contemporary Indian

Dinner at State Bird Provisions

There are few places in the western hemisphere that have the quality and quantity of dim sum like the Bay Area. San Francisco has - after all - one of the largest and oldest Chinese enclaves outside of Asia. Thus, it's fitting that a restaurant creating 'American dim sum' should be found in this city by the Bay. What wasn't a foregone conclusions was just how popular State Bird Provisions would come to be. It's truly a testament to the ingenuity of Chefs/owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski for creating one of the hardest reservations in a city featuring some of America's top restaurants.

Outside of State Bird Provisions (right) and The Progress (left) on Fillmore St.

Dinner at Gary Danko

This edition takes us to one of San Francisco's culinary stalwarts that has dazzled guests with its delights for close to two decades: Restaurant Gary Danko. Located in the annoyingly touristy Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, the restaurant carries its owner's and executive chef's namesake, and both are institutions in San Francsico's culinary scene. Chef Gary Danko's mantra is to pair classical French cooking with the local bounty that California provides.

Outside of Restaurant Gary Danko, at the corner of Hyde and North Point St.

Dinner at SPQR

This week's update takes us back to back to the Western Addition neighborhood, just four blocks north of The Progress on Fillmore Street, to San Francisco's Italian gem: SPQR. SPQR hails its name from the Latin phrase Senātus Populusque Rōmānus (The Roman Senate and People), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. Fun fact: SPQR is still used as an official emblem of the modern-day commune (municipality) of Rome.

Outer façade of SPQR from across Fillmore Street

While SPQR has been open since 2004, Chef Matthew Accarrino has manned the helm since 2010. What's fascinating is that Chef Matthew literally fell in to a career in the culinary arts, when a bad cycling accident eventually forced a career change. Since then, the restaurant has garnered numerous accolades, including a Michelin star every year starting in 2013. Molded by his Italian heritage, personal experience, and classical training; Chef Matthew takes full advantage of what California has to offer... to the point of even taking part in the creation of certain ingredients.

Dinner at Lord Stanley

This edition of Jon Voyage! takes us to Lord Stanley, a little Californian-European inspired restaurant located in the 'Polk Gulch' neighborhood of San Francisco. This is essentially part two of my Memorial Day 2017 foodie-focused weekend, having checked out Mister Jiu's the night before.

To be more specific, the 'Polk Gulch' is an informal name of the neighborhood consisting of Polk Street, between Geary in the infamous Tenderloin neighborhood, and Union Street in the Russian Hill neighborhood. This strip is teaming with excellent bars (Lush Lounge, Hi-Lo Club, The Rusted Mule), and great eateries (Aquarello, Swan Oyster Depot). On the corner of Polk and Broadway sits Lord Stanley, its large Broadway street-facing windows allowing a glimpse of its culinary delights for those walking by.

Lord Stanley is the brainchild of co-chefs/owners Rupert and Carrie Blease. Before they took the plunge in restaurant ownership, their culinary odyssey took them to such acclaimed establishments as Thomas Keller's New York bastion Per Se, two Michelin starred UK stalwart The Restaurant at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, and local San Francisco establishments like The Commonwealth. Per Lord Stanley's website, their goal is to "[offer] simple yet refined cuisine with European influences served in a casual, friendly atmosphere." The results have spoken for themselves, including back to back Michelin stars in 2016 and 2017. Being all for refined cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere, I used the Memorial Day weekend as an excuse to see the magic first hand!

Dinner at Mister Jiu's

Tonight's edition takes us to the San Francisco's iconic Chinatown neighborhood - the oldest such enclave in North America, and the largest outside of Asia - to call upon the swank eatery Mister Jiu's. Opened in the Spring of 2016, Chef Brandon Jew (Bar Agricole, Quince, Zuni) has set out on a mission to offer traditional Chinese flavors with a modern approach. Working with Chef Brandon is notable pastry Chef Melissa Chou, previously of Aziza and Mouroud, and nominated for the James Beard award for outstanding pastry chef. This duo, along with the rest of the kitchen staff, have done incredible things in their first year, including earning their first Michelin star.

Dinner at The Progress

Tonight's outing takes us to San Francisco's Western Addition, located just west of the Civic Center area / Van Ness Avenue. On Fillmore street, in the heart of this neighborhood, lies two of San Francisco's top restaurants: State Bird Provisions, and - the topic of this post - The Progress.

Outside of The Progress and State Bird Provisions
2017 San Francisco, CA

The Progress is a New American restaurant featuring a family style format. The menu features three set starters, followed by fourteen options broken into two groups of seven that differentiate between lighter and heavier fare. For $62 per person, guests are asked to select four dishes for the table from the fourteen. Additionally, the menu includes four options guests can add to their meal that are seasonal in nature. Dishes are then served scaled up for the size of the party.

Dinner at Al's Place

Tonight's culinary adventure takes back to San Francisco's Mission district, a couple blocks southwest of Mission landmark la Taqueria, to Chef Aaron London's New American restaurant: Al's Place. Sporting a corner location, the eatery sports a beautiful blue outer façade and even a make-shift al fresco dining area on the 26th street side. Stepping inside the establishment, one enters the dining area, with only a little desk suggesting reception.

Al's Place outer facade on the corner of Valencia and 26th St.

The interior of the long and decent-sized dining area sports a delightful palette of white/off-white walls, light wood accent, and white tile wainscoting. Accenting this was various pieces of artwork, adding necessary color and an artistic flare to complete the walls. Near where the ceiling met the walls, a ledge had been built to hold various plants - their green again added a nice diversity of color to the visual aesthetic.

Dinner at Rooh

Tonight's culinary adventure takes us to a relatively new addition to the San Francisco culinary scene: Rooh. At the helm of this contemporary Indian restaurant is Chef Sujan Sarkar, who was awarded Times Chef of the Year in India. Chef Sarkar's goal is to take his guests on a gastronomical journey pairing flavors across India with the bounty available in California.

Rooh is located in the South Beach neighborhood of downtown San Francisco, only a few blocks away from AT&T Park. In fact, something to consider if one wants to visit during baseball season; the area backs up considerably when the San Francisco Giants play home games. The restaurant is located on the ground level of a renovated warehouse building.

Interior of Rooh from my table
2017 Rooh. San Francisco, CA

The renovated warehouse provides a nice space for its proprietors to work with. It's high, open ceilings offer a nice balance to the long and narrow space. Walking through the front door, one enters into a small reception area featuring a small desk as host station. From there, the dining room flanks both sides of the premises, with the left featuring a few tables along the outer wall and large array of two-top tables that can be combined for larger groups.

The right side of the dining room, again along the front all, features several two-tops situated parallel with the outer wall. Along the inner wall, a bar area dominates the space, offering  high-top seating  for those looking for a bit more casual element.

The color palette of the restaurant is fresh and vibrant, yet not to an obnoxious extent. Chairs are of a nice green leather, while the fabric of the bench seats along the walls are a delightful canary yellow. Tables are of a darker wood, with legs of lighter wood. Finally, accents of curtains in reds, along with lighter tans of the ceiling piping, offer nice color accents that really round out the space.

Breakfast at Tartine Bakery

In a day of low-carb diets and protein shake-sporting Instagram photos, the role of the neighborhood bakery has greatly diminished in many parts of the United States. One of the things I remember most about my time abroad in Europe, was walking to the neighborhood bakery in the morning for fresh croissants. Sure, I could stop by a Whole Foods that has a sizable bakery operation, but it just isn't the same. It's the charm of a neighborhood operation, and the heart and soul that the bakery imbues into every kneaded loaf.

Tartine Bakery, located on the corner of 18th and Guerrero in San Francisco's
Mission district, will have a line forming at least thirty minutes before opening

Those in San Francisco's Mission district are fortunate to have their own little slice of bread and croissant heaven in the form of Tartine Bakery. Started by the husband-wife team of baker Chad Robertson, and pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt, the two got their start at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. After traveling and training in France, the two opened up a bakery in Point Reyes Station. Their rustic wood fire-baked wares garnered them considerable attention, including being mentioned in celebrated chef Alain Ducasse's book 'Harvesting Excellence.' After 6 years in Marin County, the duo relocated their operation to the corner of 18th and Guerrero in San Francisco's mission district, where they remain today.

Dinner at KEIKO à Nob Hill

This edition of Weekend by the Bay takes us to a little Japanese-influenced French restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's posh Nob Hill neighborhood: KEIKO à Nob Hill. Before starting the restaurant with her namesake, Chef Keiko Takahashi earned a Michelin star in 2009 working in the Mill Valley stalwart El Paseo. Now with her own restaurant, and another Michelin Star to her acclaim, Chef Keiko continues to do what put her on the culinary map: create amazing works of Japanese-inspired french cuisine.

Dinner at Commonwealth Restaurant

The original plan for Easter Sunday consisted of meeting up with some fellow Michigan State alumni for brunch. From where I live in the Bay Area, heading into the city isn't the most convenient undertaking: requiring roughly a 40 minutes ride on the BART. Thus, the idea of just heading into the city for a two hour brunch seemed like quite a waste. I started looking for any restaurant openings in that evening to book-end an afternoon, and when I saw that the Commonwealth Restaurant had openings for dinner, I decided to stick around.

Dinner at Nico

Frugality and fine dining rarely seem to go hand in hand. To some, spending hundreds of dollars at a restaurant is justified by the artistry on display, similar to springing for front-row tickets to Hamilton. Sometimes the planets align, and a restaurant does provide an amazing gastronomic journey at a reasonable price, as witnessed in my previous write-up of San Francisco's Aster.

These culinary jewels are rare, and need to be celebrated when found. Thus, a fitting follow-up to my Aster review is another San Francisco eatery: Nico. Nico operates on a "carte blanche" style, where the menu is not known to the guest as the dishes are served. A five course prix fix menu runs for $70, while optional wine pairings run for an additional $65. That equals out to $115 for five courses with wine, right up there in the value department as Aster.

Lunch at la Taqueria

Johan Bartolomew's 1st law of gastronomy states that all Michelin starred restaurants are great, but not all great restaurants are Michelin starred. Franklin BBQ in Austin, Oklahoma Joe's in KC; none being featured in this year's Red Guide, but I dare anyone to say those places and their craft are not amazing. The fact that people wait outside Franklin BBQ in the wee hours of the night, hopping to snag a few slices of brisket the following morning before they run out, is a testament to their greatness.

Similar can be said for pizza places in New York and Chicago, and Mexican food throughout the American West. One of San Francisco's contributors in the Mexican food department is la Taqueria, located in the vibrant-yet-grungy Mission district. La Taqueria is a bit of an institution, providing its tasty Mexican fare since 1973, and in the process generating some pretty impressive lines (especially on the weekends). Claiming "America's Best Burrito" in a 538.com burrito bracket challenge certainly has not helped.

Dinner at La Ciccia

For this edition of Weekend by the Bay, I decided to put down the Michelin Red Guide and try a place off the beaten trail. After doing a little research, I settled on a cozy little eatery in the Noe Valley (pronounced Noey, or Noë) neighborhood of San Francisco called La Ciccia.

La Ciccia - or "the flab" if literally translated in Italian - is actually an Italian term of endearment (think "Ciao Ciccio/Ciccia"). And endearment is just what this place is going for, as this neighborhood gem is just wide enough for a 6 person bar on one side, and two banks of tables on the other. Walls are painted a beautiful olive green, while the art adorning the walls every now and then evokes the feeling of olives growing in the countryside of Sardinia.

Dinner at Aster

Spring time for someone working for a Treasury function within a Bank is usually the toughest part of the year. Banks do their final push to file their Comprehensive Capital Adequacy Review ("CCAR") with the Federal Reserve, which means lots of risk modeling and narrative drafting. Combine this with the annual shenanigans associated with March Madness, and one has an interesting dichotomy of fun and misery.

In anticipation for this stretch, I plan the annual Cayman trip to top off the fuel gauge. That trip made for some nice experiences, which you can read all about here. Of course there was a celebratory dinner at Coi, and couple nice weekends of Michigan State basketball. But now Michigan State is out of the Big Dance, and it's time to turn my attention to a deeper appreciation of the San Francisco culinary scene. The first restaurant to be crossed off the list: Aster.

Celebratory dinner at Coi

As much as I wish eating - as well as writing about said eating - was my day job, it's sadly not. In fact my budding career in liquidity risk management (a topic I forbid to discuss on this forum) is what allows me to indulge in these culinary odysseys. Thus, when I was notified at the end of February 2017 that I was promoted, I decided it was a great reason to finally cross Coi off my list of places to check out in San Francisco.

Birthday dinner at Spruce

As evening begins to take hold along the San Francisco peninsula, the hustle-bustle of shoppers along Market Street slowly yields to those in smarter attire heading to various eateries and functions. As my birthday was a few days to come, I decided to throw on an extra snazzy layer, join the bourgeois crowd and head over to one of San Francisco's top restaurants: Spruce.

Irish coffee and random San Francisco wanderings

The suburb of Walnut Creek - a place I currently call home - is roughly 46 minutes by BART to downtown San Francisco. While this is a pitiful distance in the grand scheme of things; it certainly limits when I venture into the city, and what I do when I visit. BART only runs to 1:00 AM on weekday and Saturday nights, which means my nights are usually cut short. That 46 minute ride usually means, unless I get up extremely early, breakfast and coffee mornings in SF are not going to happen.

Given the situation, the sweet spot for visits is roughly 11 AM - 11 PM. As such, spending the weekend in San Francisco - despite being less than an hour from home - brings opportunities to do some things I normally wouldn't. The first, as I wake up at 7:30 AM to start the day, is to grab an Irish Coffee and breakfast at the renowned Buena Vista.

Irish coffee to start the day!
2017 The Buena Vista. San Francisco, CA

Irish coffee is a very simple concoction. Hot water is poured into a chalice to pre-heat the glass. Once emptied, it is filled three quarters of the way with piping hot coffee. Two sugar cubes are added, and the liquid is stirred until they are dissolved. A full shot of whiskey is added, and then lightly-whipped whipped cream is poured over a spoon so it layers beautifully over-top the drink.