No Noe: Noe Valley, SF ain't feeling the love from 7x7. The mag invited residents to pitch in for its neighborhood issue, submitting photos and boosterish essays. And while the Mission and Castro scored, Noe got ignored. Like a guy who thinks he sniffs a love connection on a first date, only to never get another text from his hoped-for hubby, Noe Valley, SF sloshes around in a murky mix of anger and self-doubt: Should we be offended? Did they not like the letters or photos? Is Noe too far away for the average 7x7 reader (Chloe's, Toast, Savor and cheap nails/waxing exluded)? [sic] It's not you, Noe. You're way too good for them, baby.
Better hope they're edible: No, G, "superweed" isn't a generic descriptor for Purple Kush, but the name of a pesticide-resistant crop killer. Grist's Tom Philpott points a finger at Big Ag, which, in its zeal for Monsanto's Roundup, sowed the seeds of Roundup resistance, now a major migraine. He quotes Ford L. Baldwin, described as a Big Ag "weed consultant." Come to think of it, given the seemingly intractable problem of superweeds, Mr. Baldwin might consider a new career consulting growers of Purple Kush.
We can't give out too many details for fear of turning the whole thing into an unruly cluster-eff. What we can say is that it'll be at an easy-to-get-to venue in San Francisco, kicking off at 6 p.m.. There'll be special drinks, a bit of food (don't be surprised to see a taco truck), and culinary-star co-partiers that'll have you TwitPic-ing like a paparazzo.
What's the way in? Simple. Let us know why you love Tony Bourdain in 60 words or less. Tell us you think he's brilliant, tell us you think he's super hot and you want to carry his spawn (guys?), tell us what you'd like to eat with him and where. Authors of the five best entries (as determined by the team of SFoodie contributors) and their plus-ones will win places at the viewing bash, and score a couple of free drinks, too. We'll publish the winning entries. Maybe some inspiring non-winning submissions, too.
Deadline is midnight on Monday, August 3rd. We'll announce the winners next day. E-mail submissions to John.Birdsall@SFWeekly.com, and write "Bourdain Contest" in the subject line. Good luck.
In March, Tony's producer emailed Oscar to let him know the show was coming to town. Did he want to participate? I offered to help by jumping on the email and phone chain, and ended up eating a HUGE meal in San Francisco a week later with the show's scout, who insisted on having me ham it up for his digital camera. My food-nerdy emails to the crew continued, but they already had some locations and ideas in place. Oscar and I promised we'd keep all location discussions under wraps, as well as not leaking where Tony was staying. We're still not spilling the beans.
For one Sunday shoot (we were there for three shoots total), we were supposed to meet Tony and crew in the afternoon. Oscar and I were pacing, waiting for the call from the producer to say we were good to go. But typical of any TV production, the timeline changed: Rather than proceeding directly to the location, we'd need to stow away with Tony somewhere, preferably at a bar. I said, "Bender's" to Oscar after he hung up the phone, and sure enough, Bender's was the bar Tony's crew had picked, too.
| human companion/Flickr |
On Saturday, August 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., South will be offering a three-course, four-wine lunch, packing a summer menu of chilled heirloom tomato soup with prawn ceviche (paired with a Nautilus Pinot Gris 2008), confit trout with shallot marmalade (with a Nautilus Chardonnay 2006), and organic chicken breast with bacon and figs (with a Nautilus Pinot Noir 2008).
As a door prize, one guest will take home a bottle of Nautilus' top-tier Four Barriques Pinot Noir. Cost: $45 per person (which includes wine). To reserve seats, e-mail info@southfwb.com with "Nautilus" in the subject line.
| Juliane N./Yelp |
| Fat and juicy. |
The outlines are pretty much diner classic, despite daikon sprouts and a side of pickled daikon. The fat, juicy Niman Ranch patty shows up on a glossy pain de mie bun slicked up with Dijon and aïoli, along with your choice of cheddar, Jack, or Swiss ($12). Choose French fries or a salad to go with. For an added Korean kick, you can add kimchi relish for a buck.
It's thrilling, but the real thrill is the burger's wonderfully charred taste, courtesy of bincho-tan smoldering in the grill. Perfect washed down with one of Namu's unusual infused han soju cocktails ($9) -- the spicy Thai chili or the one infused with pu er tea.
| Pres a Vi's duck buns. |
| jillpyle85/Flickr |
| No, the freebie you get won't be this big. |
At a couple of Whole Foods markets in the city, the national gelato chain is unleashing its 2009 coast-to-coast summer tour on S.F. pavement, handing out 3.5-ounce cups of blood orange, lemon, and mango sorbets, and Tahitian vanilla and chocolate hazelnut gelato. Ciao Bella plans to pull up its Gelato Mobile (done up in colors as bright as some Dora the Explorer backpack) to the Whole Foods at 1765 California (at Franklin) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the store at 399 Fourth St. (at Harrison) from 4 to 7 p.m. And while the promo's branding has a whiff of some grand humanitarian gesture with a touch of, say, Idol Gives Back, don't let that distract you from feeling deliciously selfish about scoring a frozen freebie.
| Mary Ladd |
| The Noe Valley Tuesday farmers' market: Call it cozy. |
| Mary Ladd |
| Where else on 24th can you score these? |
Yesterday's cold weather and the market's chain-link fences (combined with the fact that only seven vendors and a volunteer musician were on hand) were reminders that mixing community-building and food yields results that aren't always glamorous.
We clocked baguettes and onion/pepper scones (cookies, too) from Bennett Ridge Baking Company, plus the usual naan and Indian dips from Sukhi's. Seasonal produce included lemon cukes, tomatoes, stone fruit, greens, and more. Not a lot of anything in particular, but hey, where else can you buy veggies and fruit on that stretch of 24th, now that Cala and Jim & Son's are shuttered?
| shanrev/Flickr |
| Not a favorite of local chefs. |
A spot check of favorite Italian restaurants revealed that not only won't there be lasagna on their menus today, it almost never makes an appearance. Incanto told us simply, "We don't do lasagna." Bar Bambino said they've only served it once: at a recent Monday night regional dinner featuring the cooking of Campania. And Perbacco chef Staffan Terje said, "It's kind of a fall item for a cold night. I do a free-form wild mushroom lasagna, folded in on itself -- not a very structured lasagna."
Neither Tuscan-inspired Delfina nor Ligurian-flavor Farina features the dish. After all, it is credited to Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna, so we wouldn't expect it on the Sardinian menu at La Ciccia. But surprisingly, it doesn't show up at family-style Joey & Eddie's either.
In fact, the only place we enjoy where we've spotted it is at Joe Dimaggio's, where a serving of wood-oven-baked lasagna (fresh pasta, Bolognese, Italian cheeses, and marinara) will run you $20.
