Category Archives: Restaurants

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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A Toast to the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th Anniversary, Andrea Nguyen Macy’s San Jose Cooking Demo & More

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Golden Gate Bridge Anniversary Cuvee medallion. (Image courtesy of Iron Horse)

Tiny Bubbles to Toast the Golden Gate Bridge

This year, San Francisco’s landmark Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 75th anniversary on May 27.

Iron Horse wants to help you toast that monumental achievement with a special bottle of bubbly.

The new, limited-edition Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Cuvee is comprised of a base of 2007 Blanc de Noir. Its pretty rosy color pays tribute to the bridge’s unmistakable hue.

A 750ml bottle is $50. Additionally, 75 etched commemorative jeroboams also were created for $475 each.

Iron Horse will donate $5 from each bottled sold to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

Join Cookbook Author Andrea Nguyen at Macy’s for a Tofu-Licious Time

(Photo courtesty of Andrea Nguyen)You may think you know tofu. But you don’t know it like Andrea Nguyen does.

My good friend and Bay Area cookbook author, Nguyen has just released her newest book, “Asian Tofu” (Ten Speed Press).

It’s a comprehensive look at the varieties of tofu on the market, as well as recipes for their many delicious uses. There are even directions for making your own tofu from scratch, if you want to give it a whirl.

Nguyen will be doing a cooking demo at the kitchen at Macy’s Valley Fair in San Jose, 1 p.m. May 12. You’ll learn how to make spicy yuba ribbons and get the chance to taste various artisan tofus.

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A Cracking Good Crawfish Time at Yankee Pier

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Enjoy an old-fashioned crawfish boil at Yankee Pier this week.

Messy, but good.

That’s what a crawfish boil is all about, as you tear into a pile of tiny crustaceans with your fingers to dig out the coveted sweet, almost lobster-like morsel of tail meat.

Tie on a bibb and grab your shellfish crackers to enjoy exactly that through May 5 at all Bay Area Yankee Pier locations (San Jose, Lafayette and Larskpur), which are featuring crawfish boils for $35 per person during dinner service until supplies run out.

You might need one of these bibbs as you dig in with your hands.

My husband and I were invited as guests to experience that irresistible taste of New Orleans this past Sunday, as a Zyedeco band grooved on the sidewalk outside the Santana Row Yankee Pier.

One order of the crawfish boil is pretty sizable, so if you want to nosh on a few other menu items, you might want to share one like we did.

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Enjoying Foie Gras While You Can, Tomato Seedling Sale & More

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Get it while you can -- duck confit burger with foie gras. (Photo courtesy of the Bank Cafe & Bar)

Chef Ken Frank’s Extravagant Foie Gras Duck Burger

Picture rich duck confit formed into a thick patty, then topped with seared foie gras.

At Bank Cafe & Bar in the lobby of the Westin Verasa Napa, Chef Ken Frank of La Toque fame, invites you to taste just that.

The duck foie burger has been a popular fixture on the cafe’s menu since it opened four years ago. Frank plans to continue selling it until July 1, when California will become the only state in the country to ban the sale of foie gras.

Enjoy the $24 burger at lunch or dinner — while you can.

To learn more about Frank’s strong stance against the ban, read this thoughtful piece he penned for the Los Angeles Times.

Northern California Chefs vs. Southern California Chefs in Foie Gras “Battle”

If you happen to be traveling to Los Angeles on May 14, you won’t want to miss this blockbuster chef affair.

Especially because it involves foie gras. A lot of foie gras.

Chefs from the Bay Area will be flying down south to work alongside their notable Southern California counterparts at four top Los Angeles restaurants for one night and one night only. At each of the restaurants, the chefs will be creating a six-course feast of foie gras.

It’s all a benefit for the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards (CHEFS), a pro-foie gras organization.

Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani will be cooking up foie in Southern California for a special event. (Photo courtesy of the chefs

OK, it’s not a full-on battle, per se. But you can be sure the Bay Area chefs will be trying to outdo the Los Angeles ones with their dishes.

Here’s who will be cooking where:

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