Dining At The West Coast’s First Chotto Matte

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Chicken karage with gochujang at Chotto Matte.
Chicken kaarage with gochujang at Chotto Matte.

If you’ve been wanting to experience a mesmerizing infinity room, you don’t have to trek to a museum. Just head to dinner at San Francisco’s new hot spot restaurant Chotto Matte that opened in October.

Step inside the first floor entrance of what used to be Macy’s Men’s Store and be greeted by floor-to-ceiling glossy walls that reflect colorful pendants hanging from the ceiling, making them appear as if they go on forever.

The entrance, where you'll find the elevator to take you to the rooftop restaurant.
The entrance, where you’ll find the elevator to take you to the rooftop restaurant.
The host stand at the restaurant.
The host stand at the restaurant.

Just exercise caution after taking the elevator up to the restaurant, though, as the same black polished walls are used in the unisex bathrooms, creating such an entrancing effect that my husband, as well as the person walking in behind him, nearly walked into a wall.

Chotto Matte is definitely flash and panache, a fun-house dining experience.

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The Holiday Taste of Cranberries in Florentine Bars

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Get your cranberry fix with these sweet florentine bar cookies.
Get your cranberry fix with these sweet florentine bar cookies.

Two treats in one.

Like cookie meets candy.

Like buttery, chewy, sweet, and nutty all at once.

That’s what “Florentine Bars” are like. Plus they have the festive sweet-tart taste of dried cranberries that we call can’t get enough of at this time of year.

This recipe is from “Baking School” (W.W. Norton, 2022), of which I received a review copy, by the King Arthur Baking School.

The book is filled with the time-honored recipes that the Vermont cooking school has been teaching students for more than 20 years. They include the likes of “Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls,” “Raisin Pecan Bread,” “Kouign Amann,” “Dark Chocolate Cake,” and all manner of pie crusts and fillings to mix and match.

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Light and Bright Dot’s Lemon Sponge Pie

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This lemon pie is just what your taste buds need after a big heavy holiday meal.
This lemon pie is just what your taste buds need after a big heavy holiday meal.

Anyone who knows me knows that I turn up my nose at pumpkin pie.

Yes, that may be sacrilege at this time of year.

But before you think me a pie snob, it’s just that pumpkin filling is too one-note for me. Instead, I prefer a pie with a little more spunk and personality.

Something exactly along the lines of “Dot’s Lemon Sponge Pie.”

This lovely pie with its light and bright character is just what you want to reset the palate after all that heavy turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

The recipe is from “Pie is Messy” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by pie doyenne Rebecca Grasley, with an assist from food writer Willy Blackmore.

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A Sri Lankan Tasting Menu to Savor at 1601 Bar & Kitchen

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Avocado stuffed with caviar and atop a cloud of coconut at 1601 Bar & Kitchen.
Avocado stuffed with caviar and atop a cloud of coconut at 1601 Bar & Kitchen.

One of the few Sri Lankan fine-dining restaurants around, 1601 Bar & Kitchen celebrated a decade in San Francisco this year.

As with many establishments, the last few have certainly been challenging for it, what with the pandemic and increasing grittiness of the city.

But owners, Chef Brian Fernando and his wife, Yuliya Pavlova, who runs front of house, persevered mightily. And in February, they reopened their doors fully to the public, offering a $150 per person tasting menu Thursday through Saturday now.

They have a loyal clientele, many of whom have supported the restaurant by booking group events regularly.

The bar area.
The bar area.
Artwork on the walls.
Artwork on the walls.

A couple weeks ago, I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant to enjoy the current tasting menu.

If you don’t know Sri Lankan food, this is a perfect place to experience it, as you will feel warmly cared for by the couple from the moment you step through the doors. A little reminiscent of Indian food, the food of this Indian Ocean island is centered on rice, curries, chilies, and spices. Coconut is used copiously.

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Potato and Mushroom Gratin — With A Japanese Twist

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A potato and mushroom gratin made with miso.
A potato and mushroom gratin made with miso.

At this time of year, a potato gratin is almost de rigueur.

And over the years, I’ve made countless variations on them.

This particular one for “Potato and Mushroom Gratin” caught my eye because it includes a novel ingredient: miso.

The recipe is from “Make It Japanese” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook is by Rie McClenny, a culinary content creator and graduate of the French Culinary Institute who created viral food videos for BuzzFeed Tasty. Born in Hiroshima, she now lives in Los Angeles. It was written with Sanae Lemoine, a former cookbook editor for Phaidon and Martha Stewart.

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