Category Archives: Restaurants

New Oakville Grocery Sammies, Santana Row To Welcome A New Restaurant, and More

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The new Cuban sandwich at Oakville Grocery. (Photo courtesy of the store.)

The new Cuban sandwich at Oakville Grocery. (Photo courtesy of the store.)

New Sandwiches Galore At Oakville Grocery

Oakville Grocery, the 130-year-old landmark Wine Country gourmet store has rolled out a delicious new sandwich menu created by Chef Jason Rose.

Look for the Oakville Muffaletta ($13), a ciabatta piled with Toscano salami, sopressata, ham, provolone, and pickled pepper relish; the Cuban ($13), a torpedo roll stuffed with slow-cooked pork shoulder, ham, yellow mustard, pickles, Swiss cheese, and aioli; and the Quinoa Falafel ($9.50), spinach lavash rolled up around spicy hummus, harissa Greek yogurt, grilled eggplant, cucumber and pickles.

Each day, a special tartine ($10) also is featured, along with a waffle sandwich ($7) of ham and Swiss cheese.

The muffaletta. (Photo courtesy of Oakville Grocery.)

The muffaletta. (Photo courtesy of Oakville Grocery.)

With two locations — the original in Oakville and the other in Healdsburg — it’s a perfect place to pick up a quick lunch after cycling or touring wineries.

Get Ready for a Taste of Brazil at Santana Row

Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse, will be opening in San Jose’s Santana Row in early 2014.

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At Howie’s, It’s All About the Crust

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Meatballs at Howie's Artisan Pizzeria in Palo Alto.

Meatballs at Howie’s Artisan Pizzeria in Palo Alto.

Howard Bulka is one of those chefs who will get fixated on something, then research and tweak it to death until it’s just right.

Such was the case when he decided to trade decades of preparing fancy, fine-dining, prixe-fixe menus for pizza instead.

Howie’s Artisan Pizza opened in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village four years ago. Crowds have been lining up ever since for the pizzas, constructed with a bread flour-dough, which takes two days to mix and proof before being turned into pies that are baked in a gas-fired brick oven at 600 degrees for 5-6 minutes.

These are multi-dimensional crusts with puffy edges of air holes that provide chew and crunch, and centers that get thinner and crisper.

The whimsical art work on the walls.

The whimsical art work on the walls.

The dining room.

The dining room.

Recently, I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant. We started with the Chinese Chicken Salad ($10). The generous-sized salad is more than enough for two to share. A mountain of chopped romaine is tossed with cucumber, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, chicken chunks, crispy won ton strips and a creamy, mustardy dressing. It’s almost like an Asian version of a chopped salad.

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Incanto Always Surprises

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Strawberries with -- what else -- lardo. At Incanto.

Strawberries with — what else — lardo. At Incanto.

 

I always think of Chris Cosentino of San Francisco’s Incanto as one brave chef.

After all, it’s the easiest thing in the world to attract diners with perfect grilled salmon or a great roast chicken.

But enticing them with organ meats — especially long before they became trendy ingredients — is one tough challenge.

Fortunately, Cosentino doesn’t buckle easily.

Thanks to his persistence and his delicious way with offal, so many more diners have learned to appreciate the odds, ends and bits that they once shunned.

Recently, my husband and I had a chance to dine at this popular Noe Valley restaurant. Although we paid our tab, Cosentino sent out a few dishes gratis that he wanted us to try.

The always bustling dining room.

The always bustling dining room.

All around us, we watched as Flintstone-sized pork chops, sheep’s heads and whole pig’s trotters were paraded out to diners. Incanto gets in whole animals and uses every part imaginatively. In fact, it’s well-known for its “Leg of Beast” dinners that revolve around a whole beef shank and plenty of marrow bones, as well as its “Whole Pig Dining” that centers on a roasted pig and plenty of fixings. The evening we were there, a group of about a dozen men were seated in the private dining room, going to town on a whole pig.

As celebrated as it is, Incanto very much remains a neighborhood restaurant. As such, prices are moderate. Pastas come in two sizes, ranging in price from $10 to $18 each. Starters run $4 to $18. Larger plates for two can run $30 or more.

A chalkboard by the bar lists that evening’s “Odds and Ends” or specials.

Egg in gelatin...

Egg in gelatin…

With its still runny egg yolk.

With its still runny egg yolk.

From that list, we couldn’t resist an old-school egg preparation, in which a whole, poached egg is encased in gelatin of broth made with 2-year-old-aged Iberico. Summer truffles are shaved over it all. Cut into the egg and it’s miraculously still oozy. It’s a beauty of a dish.

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Meet Chef Charlie Ayers and the Food Gal at Macy’s Valley Fair

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If you missed your chance to check out last month’s demo at Macy’s Valley Fair in Santa Clara, now’s your chance to catch another.

I’m thrilled to be hosting a 6 p.m. cooking demo on July 11 with  none other than Charlie Ayers, the first ever Google executive chef who now owns his own restaurant, Calafia Cafe in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village.

The eco-conscious  establishment offers plenty of healthful fare, including many vegetarian options.

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Cooking in Embers a la Michael Chiarello

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Grilled potato salad with ember-roasted garlic dressing -- to put pizzazz in your Fourth of July.

Grilled potato salad with ember-roasted garlic dressing — to put pizzazz in your Fourth of July.

Men like to play with fire. And male chefs sure like cooking with it.

In fact, cooking in embers is all the rage now at places like Saison in San Francisco, and the Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena.

What’s the appeal? First, the primal aspect of it all. Second, the technique makes use of the residual heat that would otherwise just dissipate and go to waste. Third, it adds a gentle yet deep smoky quality.

I thought I’d give it a try, particularly when a free copy of the new “Michael Chiarello’s Live Fire” (Chronicle Books) landed in my mailbox for reviewing. Chiarello is a major fan of live fire. Every Northern California he’s worked in or owned — Tra Vigne, Bottega and Coqueta — all feature grills with live fire.

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The book includes 125 recipes for cooking everything from seafood to pizza to desserts over a live fire. Of course, not many of us may have the space to cook a whole baby goat on a spitjack in our backyard, but there are plenty of recipes easily do-able even on a compact grill.

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