Category Archives: Chefs

Dinners For Free at a Campbell Cooking School — But You Have to Know Someone

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A generous-sized asparagus salad, cooked by students at the International Culinary Center in Campbell.

On the second floor of the International Culinary Center in Campbell sits the Monte Bello room.

The 24-seat, makeshift dining room serves lunch daily and dinner on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

For free.

The catch is that you have to know someone affiliated with the school in order to get invited to enjoy the multi-course meals that are prepared by the culinary students.

Fortunately, Bruce McCann, president of the culinary school, provided just that opportunity last week for my husband and I to experience dinner there.

The culinary school doesn’t have a license to operate a full-blown restaurant on the premises. But administrators wanted to give students the experience of cooking for real diners. So, they came up with this concept, in which invited guests can partake of a meal for free. At the end of the meal, you’re asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire that ranks the taste, presentation, flavors and cooking of each dish so that the students can get feedback from the experience. Though it’s not required, you also can make a donation of any amount that will be donated to the student scholarship fund. Tips also are appreciated, as your waiter is not a student but an actual professional server.

Your meal is technically for free, but you can enjoy wine or beer for a charge.

The comment card you fill out to give feedback on the meal.

For dinner, seating begins at 8 p.m., as the students arrive at 6 p.m. to begin prepping for that evening’s menu.

When you are seated, you’ll get a pencil and questionnaire, as well as a printed menu. There’s always a choice of entrees,  at least one of which is vegetarian. Depending upon how many students are working that night, you might also get a choice of appetizers and desserts.

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BBQ Oyster Time, Golden Gate Anniversary Eats & More

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Oysters fresh off the grill at Fish Story. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

Fish Story’s Barbecued Oysters

Fish Story in Napa has introduced a fun new “Happy Hour” on Friday and Saturday afternoons, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m,  that’s all about the barbecue.

Just in time for these warmer days ahead, the restaurant is grilling Rock Cod soft tacos ($4) and Drake’s Bay oysters with chili butter ($2) and your choice of three relishes.

Enjoy those noshes with $2.50 draft beer and $5 artisan tap wines.

The GG75 cocktail, named after the iconic bridge. (Photo courtesy of Jardiniere)

Sweets and Libations to Celebrate the Golden Gate Bridge

Restaurants are already getting in on the celebrating for the 75th anniversary of San Francisco’s landmark Golden Gate Bridge on May 27.

Head to Jardiniere restaurant in San Francisco on May 23 when cocktail writer Camper English will be behind the bar, pouring the GG75, a riff on the French 75. It’s a mix of California sparkling wine, Campari, simple syrup, orange bitters and blood orange juice to give the cocktail a hue similar to that of the iconic bridge.

The cocktail is $10. Sales will benefit Hands on the Bay Area, a non-profit that encourages San Franciscans to volunteer, learn and lead their communities.

If you plan to take in the May 27 fireworks show in San Francisco, Greens Restaurant, with its bird’s-eye-view of the festivities, is the perfect place to do so.

The vegetarian restaurant will offer two dinner seatings that night. The first, 5:30 p.m.-6:45 p.m., features an a la carte menu, but no viewing of the fireworks from the restaurant dining room. It’s designed more for folks who want to eat before they walk down to the Marina for an outside view.

The second seating, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m., will serve up a four-course $75 prix fixe, plus viewing of the fireworks. Reservations for this seating must be made by calling the restaurant directly at (415) 771-6222.

A Golden Gate Bridge cookie. (Photo courtesy of Greens)

For a sweet taste of the event, Greens also has designed a Golden Gate Bridge short bread cookie with royal icing. The cookies are available for $3.75 at the “Greens To Go” counter at the restaurant.

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For the Halibut

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Halibut in a vibrant sauce made of orange juice. lemon juice and olive oil.

When trying out a recipe for the first time, it’s always a good sign when your husband exclaims after just one bite, “Mmm, you should make this again.”

Such was the case when I tried the “Sauteed Fillet of Halibut with Fennel and White Anchovies” recipe from the new “Cooking Without Borders” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) cookbook, of which I received a review copy.

It’s the first cookbook by the very talented New York Chef Anita Lo of Annisa restaurant in Manhattan. You probably recognize her from her appearances on “Top Chef Masters” and “Iron Chef America.”

I loved this dish as much as my husband did. To me, it’s the perfect spring-summer fish dish — healthful and light tasting, and full of vibrant citrus flavors and crunchy textures.

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Scrumptious Snapshots from New York, Part I

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Eating my way through New York, including this pasta at Eataly.

NEW YORK, NY — Yes, the hubby (aka Meat Boy) and I sneaked off to New York last week for one of the first real vacations we’ve had in a long time.

By that, I mean it was a trip that didn’t solely revolve around my work as a food writer. Instead, it was merely for relaxation and enjoyment — plus lots of good eats, of course. To make sure I actually did take time off, I wasn’t allowed to lug around my usual heavy camera, but only a tiny point-and-shoot. I had to ration my shots, too. After all, it’s not really a vacation if it’s viewed only through the lens of a camera and not the full spectrum of your own eyes.

Hope you enjoy the highlights:

When in New York, you've gotta have a bagel. Or two. Or...

Barney Greengrass

After taking the red-eye from San Jose to New York, we caught a couple of hours of shut-eye at our hotel before venturing to this 100-year-old institution. If you’re in New York, you’ve got to have a bagel or two, right? And what better place than at Barney Greengrass, famed for its smoked sturgeon.

Grab a table where you can at this tightly packed store flanked by deli cases.

My famished husband tore into a plate of smoked sturgeon scrambled with eggs and onions ($18.50), plus a bagel on the side, while I noshed on a sesame bagel stuffed with cream cheese, capers, onion, tomato, smoked sturgeon and Nova Scotia salmon ($20.75). Hello, New York!

BaoHaus

Chinese steamed buns filled with all manner of inventive fillings is the bill of fare at the shoebox-size BaoHaus started by the irreverent, lawyer-turned-street food-restaurateur Eddie Huang and his brother, Evan.

The zany artwork at BaoHaus.

Steamed buns filled with fried chicken (back) and pork belly (front).

The “Chairman Bao” ($2.99) is a fluffy white bun caressing juicy braised pork belly, cilantro, crushed peanuts and a hit of Taiwanese red sugar.

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Chef Chris Cosentino Visits Palo Alto, Fun Classes at NapaStyle & More

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Chef Chris Cosentino on Tuesday in Palo Alto. (Photo by Michael Harlan Turkell)

Meet Chris Cosentino at Williams-Sonoma

The offal-good chef, Chris Cosentino of San Francisco’s Incanto, will sign copies of his new cookbook, “Beginnings: My Way to Start a Meal” (Weldon Owen) at Williams-Sonoma at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, 2 p.m. May 15.

In a departure from his trademark head-to-tail cooking that makes use of organ meats and every other odd bit, his cookbook spotlights 60 recipes for Italian first-courses through the seasons.

Books must be purchased at Williams-Sonoma in order to be signed.

La Boulange Opens in Downtown Palo Alto

The Bay Area’s La Boulange is opening its 19th locale — this newest one in downtown Palo Alto at 151 University Ave. Doors will open May 16.

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