Beef Cheeks, Baby!

Posted on by 10 comments
Happiness is beef cheeks -- cooked until tender as can be.

Happiness is beef cheeks — cooked until tender as can be.

 

I’ve found a new love.

Its name is beef cheeks.

Oh sure, for the longest time, I’d had a torrid love affair with short ribs, my favorite cut of meat for its unabashed tenderness.

But what can I say? Beef cheeks have that going on and more.

Braised for hours, their toughness gives way to pure unadulterated lushness. Best yet, they don’t have bones like short ribs nor any bits of fat and sinew left even after long cooking. They’re just succulent meat through and through.

It used to be that I could only enjoy these at restaurants. But now that Prather Ranch has started selling its primo, sustainable meats in the South Bay at farmers markets in Santa Clara and Campbell, they’re easy to come by.

Read more

Clear Skies with A Chance of Great Chicken at the New Fog City

Posted on by 7 comments
Chef Bruce Hill cutting up a chicken cooked with his patented method at Fog City.

Chef Bruce Hill cutting up a chicken cooked with his patented method at Fog City.

 

Fog City Diner has a most storied past in San Francisco.

Long ago, the establishment nourished sailors before they shipped out to do battle in World War II. Then in 1985, Chef Cindy Pawlycn opened the doors there to what was then called Fog City Diner, serving up burgeoning California cuisine in the shiny Airstream-like restaurant.

A month ago, after an extensive remodel by owners Bill Higgins and Bill Upson, it reopened with veteran Chef Bruce Hill at the helm. It jettisoned the “diner” to become just Fog City.

The whimsical artwork on one wall.

The whimsical artwork on one wall.

With Hill’s vast experience as co-owner also of Bix, Picco, Pizzeria Pico and Zero Zero, it’s no surprise that the restaurant charged out of the gate with an impressive showing, as evidenced by the media dinner I was invited to there the week it opened. All around me, booths were crowded and seats at the bar filled with patrons enjoying specialty cocktails such as the gingery “Inside Job” (James E. Pepper Rye, Nocino, Orgeat, ginger shrub and lemon; $11).

Read more


Cozy Up To These Pumpkin Rolls

Posted on by 20 comments
The orange tint of these rolls comes from -- what else -- pumpkin.

The orange tint of these rolls comes from — what else — pumpkin.

 

These are called “Pumpkin Cozy Rolls” for a reason.

The dough is so downright pillowy to the touch, you’ll be hard pressed not to lay your head on it to take a nap.

The recipe is from the new “Choosing Sides” (Andrews McMeel), of which I received a review copy. Food writer Tara Mataraza Desmond has crafted this cleverly named cookbook that’s perfect for this time of year — when you’re scratching your head for new side dishes to add pizazz to your holiday table.

The book includes 130 recipes for breads, salads, veggie dishes, grains and stuffings. The directions are detailed and even include suggestions for main courses to pair each side with.

ChoosingSides

With Halloween here tomorrow, I couldn’t help but be thinking of pumpkins.

Read more

Westfield Valley Fair Debuts New Dining Terrace, One Market Expands Weekly Beast Menu & More

Posted on by 5 comments
Artist's rendering of the new Dining Terrace at Valley Fair Shopping Center. (Photo courtesy of Westfiled)

Artist’s rendering of the new Dining Terrace at Valley Fair Shopping Center. (Photo courtesy of Westfiled)

Westfield Valley Fair Unveils New Dining Terrace

If you’ve worked up a hunger after fighting the crowds at the new Uniqlo store at Santa Clara’s Westfield Valley Fair Shopping Center, head to the mall’s spiffy new Dining Terrace.

The revamped 23,000-square-foot space opens to the public officially November 1.

In addition to comfy lounge seating and an alfresco outdoor patio with fire pits, the Dining Terrace will feature 18 fast-casual eateries.

Read more

No Surprise: The Steaks Are The Thing at Osso Steakhouse

Posted on by 5 comments
A whole Dungeness in garlic sauce at Osso Steakhouse.

A whole Dungeness in garlic sauce at Osso Steakhouse.

 

Osso Steakhouse opened earlier this summer in a most storied location: the site of the former Vanessi’s, the venerable San Francisco restaurant high atop Nob Hill that fed generations during a time when eating out was really an occasion.

Situated at the bottom of the stately high-rise condo building, the Grammercy Towers, the restaurant is very much a throwback. It’s done up in striking Art Deco black and green, with sleek silver sconces illuminating the room. Tuxedo-attired servers carry the food to the cozy booths from the exhibition kitchen.

Osso is the latest venture by Dante Serafini, and Jennifer and Jerry Dal Bozzo, the same team behind the Franciscan Crab Restaurant, The Stinking Rose, Calzone’s Pizza Cucina and the Old Clam House, all in San Francisco. Recently, I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant to sample the new menu.

The Art Deco-inspired dining room.

The Art Deco-inspired dining room.

We started with the octopus crostini ($15.95), which brought thinly shaved octopus slices piled high on crisp rounds of bread. The octopus was nicely tender, but the liberal amount of chili used totally obliterated it.

Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »