Around Town:
With the growing popularity of Asian fusion menus across the Bay Area dining scene, and specifically the fiery, Korean-influenced tastes of kimchi making heads turn recently, the Inner Richmond’s Namu (439 Balboa at Fifth Ave.) is a natural focus for the buzz du jour. Offering an eclectic menu of contemporary Asian combinations dominated by Korean-Japanese hybrids, the family-run restaurant finds its inspiration close to home. “A lot of people come in asking for our spicy pork ribs, which come from my mom’s recipe,” Namu co-owner David Lee says. “It’s probably my favorite dish.” He adds, “We use Maverick Ranch pork ribs grilled over Sumi charcoals — a special blend of wood imported from Japan.” For more info, call 386-8332 or visit www.namubar.com.
Under the direction of chef Randy Gannaway, Turkish eatery Troya (349 Clement at Fifth Ave.), in the Inner Richmond, has evolved well beyond the typical kebab house so common when we think of Turkish food. Try the braised lamb dolmas, dubbed “the best I’ve ever tasted” by the SF Weekly’s Robert Lauriston. Another startlingly good combination not to be missed is the calamari stuffed with goat cheese, eggplant, and spinach, all served on a cannellini bean and fennel salad. For more info, call 379-6000 or visit www.troyasf.com.
Weekly Planner:
Born from the dreary desperation of the winter, February marks the Sixth Annual Strong Beer Month. Two excellent local brewpubs are fixing to make it a celebration to remember (or not, depending on just how strong you like your beer). All month long, Magnolia Pub & Brewery (1398 Haight at Masonic) in the Haight and 21st Amendment Brewery (563 Second St. at Bryant) in SOMA will serve 12 “high-gravity” brews — six per venue — ranging in strength from the relatively tame 8.5 percent alcohol content (Hendrik’s Russian Imperial Espresso Stout) to the staggering 11.2 percent (Old Thunderpussy Barleywine). The stoutest of stout drinkers can drink the entire go-round and get a commemorative tasting glass. For more info, call 864-7468 or visit www.magnoliapub.com or call 369-0900 or visit www.21st-amendment.com.
Date Night:
It just wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without a zillion special super-expensive prix-fixe menus at the city’s restaurants, and like it or hate it, there are bound to be a few great tables for two out there. Here are a few of the most interesting and moderately priced Valentine’s Day shindigs: Indian/Pakistani restaurant Dosa (995 Valencia at 21st St.) in the Mission is fixing up what promises to be a tasty four-course South Indian tasting menu ($37 per person) with an optional wine pairing ($15). For more info, call 642-3672 or visit www.dosasf.com. Try a taste of the Mediterranean at Palmetto (2032 Union at Buchanan) in the Marina, which is offering a three-course tasting menu ($65 per person), including a delicious-sounding porcini-crusted filet mignon with roasted salsify. For more info, call 931-5006 or visit www.palmetto-sf.com. For something completely different, check out Pete’s Tavern (128 King at Second St.) in SOMA, which will be kicking it old-school with an ’80s–style Valentine’s Day prom including dancing and mock gambling, plus (of course) plenty of booze and an à la carte menu. $10 per person. For more info, call 817-5040 or visit www.petestavernsf.com.
Night Cap:
I know the category is named nightcap, but the afternoon is just as good a time to get boozy, and the new tapas and cocktail happy hour at Coco500 (500 Brannan at Fourth St.) is too inspired not to mention. Spend your dwindling daylight hours sipping expertly poured cocktails and noshing on three-dollar tapas. This is your chance to eat food prepared by Jennifer Biesty, soon to be a contestant on Top Chef 4. The tapas menu is available 3:00-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more info, call 543-2222 or visit www.coco500.com.
In honor of Valentine's Day (gag) I thought it would be a good time to go trolling for the very worst/tackiest edible gift of the season, and with so many of them out there to choose from, it didn't take long. As Serious Eats points out, the anatomically correct gummy human heart is perhaps the worst human organ molded into gummy form.
While the Baron Bob version (top) features the hilariously disturbing skinned human torso packaging, the reliably weird folks over at Archie McPhee offer their own nearly identical gummy heart, which actually comes in a Valentiney heart-shaped box bearing this endearing serial-killer-esque poem:
"My love is pure, my love is true, you can have my heart and eat it too!"
-- Brian Bernbaum
Sure, the Thai hot sauce known as Sriracha (alternately known as Cock Sauce due to the big rooster on the bottle -- don't ask why it's not just called Rooster Sauce) consists of only five simple ingredients, but they may be the best ingredients ever: chilies, garlic, vinegar, salt and sugar. As Gourmet.com's Alan Sytsma writes "that combination is far greater than the sum of its parts." Truer words were never spoken. Sytsma also chimes in with some enlightening background on Cock Sauce:
"Sriracha is, like Champagne in France, a region. And in Thailand, one can get different sauces from Sriracha, just as one can get different wines from Champagne. In fact, if you hunt around, you can get those sauces here, too."
Even as a longtime Tabasco partisan, I concede that Cock Sauce (heh) rivals the classic Avery Island fire juice in terms of pure versatility -- it goes good on just about anything, and perhaps not coincidentally, Tabasco consists of three of the very same ingredients: red pepper, vinegar and salt. Now, without further ado, let the burn begin. (via The Grinder)
Image courtesy/Wikipedia
-- Brian Bernbaum
