With New Year's right around the corner, it's time to let your stomach have its last hurrah. It's an organ that stretches for a reason, so why not have a have a fat-tastic time? Here's a list of must-eats before you embark on that new gluten-free master-cleanse ab-roller no-fun New Year's Resolution diet. Our list stops at 10, but feel free to ad your own favorites in the comments section.
10. Ice Cream from Bi-Rite Creamery
9. Doughnuts from Bob's
8. Cupcakes from Kara's
With six locations in the Bay Area and Napa, you have no excuse to not figureout some route home from work that takes you past a Kara's. Order the
fleur de sel, a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, filled with
caramel, and with a touch of sea salt. They say fleur de sel is French
sea salt, but at Kara's Cupcakes it translates to "mouthwatering." We
work from home, and we'll be stopping at Kara's on our way home from
work today. 3249 Scott (at Chestnut) and 900 North Point (at Larkin) www.karascupcakes.com/
7. Cheese Steak from The Cheese Steak Shop
do you like your meat cooked? Answer: In a Philadelphia cheese-steak
roll. At 1716 Divisadero there is a special "shop" filled with the most
delicious cheese steaks in the Bay Area. If you are a card-carrying
member of The Cheese Steak Shop and know that Sundays and Tuesdays are
double-stamp days, then there is a lot to like about you.
1716 Divisadero (at Sutter) http://www.cheesesteakshop.com
6. Carbo Loading at Dottie's True Blue Café
If you live in San Francisco and you have not been to Dottie's for
brunch, then you need to go, and you need to go tomorrow. At the very
least you need to go before the New Year begins, while carbs are still
your friend. You will stand in line for over a half an hour, outside,
in the Tenderloin, but we promise you need to go there anyway. Dottie's
is the best place on Earth, like Disneyworld for your stomach. Order
anything, better yet, go with friends and share everything. 522 Jones
(at Geary)
http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com
5. Breakfast for Dinner at Town Hall
down the best comfort food in the city is tucked in the starter menu at
Town Hall. Order Faith's warm ham and cheese toast with poached egg and
jalapeno cream. This is an appetizer that truly should not be shared,
simply because if someone eats more then their fair share, you will
understand the meaning of the word hate. Miss Manners be damned: Simply say to your dining companions, "Order your own, I'm not sharing." 342 Howard (at Fremont) https://www.townhallsf.com
4. Hot Dogs from the Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog Carts
carts move, which makes stumbling into one late night feel ever so
serendipitous, like the delicious bacon-wrapped hot-dog deliciousness
was meant just for you. On New Year's, if midnight hits and you didn't
find someone to kiss, go to the Mission and find one of these carts. If
the person in line in front of you orders a bacon-wrapped dog, they're
your soul mate.
3. Ribs at Baby Blues BBQ
you like some meat to go with your meat? The best part about Baby Blues
is the fact that it delivers, meaning you can dive ungracefully into a
BBQ-induced food coma and not have to worry about getting home. 3149
Mission (at Powers) www.babybluessf.com
2. Duck Fat Fries at Orson
say potato, I say duck fat fries. As this list (and 2009) comes to a
close, head over to Orson and reminisce about the past year with a
glass of wine and a plate of duck fat fries. www.orsonsf.com
508 Fourth St. (at Bryant)
1. Ryan Scott's Homemade Mac 'n' Cheese
Café, our fave place to get mac 'n' cheese, is gone, but we scoured
Facebook to rustle up the recipe from former chef Ryan Scott (yes, the
hottie from Bravo's Top Chef Season Four).
Adult Truffled Mac 'n' Cheese with Smoked Bacon and Gruyere
by Ryan Scott, Ryan Scott 2 Go
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere, grated
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
1/2 pound smoked bacon, cooked and chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
Procedure:
1) Preheat oven to
375°F.
2) Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions; drain well.
3) Meanwhile, heat milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil.
Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add
flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Add hot
milk, whisking, and cook 1-2 minutes, until thickened and smooth.
Remove from heat and add cheeses, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and
nutmeg. Add cooked macaroni and stir well. Stir in truffle oil and
chopped bacon and pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
4) Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, combine with fresh
bread crumbs, and sprinkle on top. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the
sauce is bubbly and the top browned.