Yesterday, the New York Times ran a front-page story by Michael Moss about the USDA's conflicting missions. Moss revealed that the architects of a successful new Domino's pizza campaign ― the six-cheese Wisconsin pizza, one slice of which has two-thirds the recommended daily allowance of saturated fat ― to be Dairy Management, the "Got Milk?" campaign company. What's significant about that? Well, Dairy Management is funded by USDA-mandated fees, and its campaigns must be approved by the federal agency. The Wisconsin pizza is far from the only gut-busting fast-food product that Dairy Management has helped introduce to boost cheese sales:
In its reports to Congress ... the Agriculture Department tallies Dairy Management's successes in millions of pounds of cheese served. In 2007, the department highlighted Pizza Hut's Cheesy Bites pizza, Wendy's "dual Double Melt sandwich concept," and Burger King's Cheesy Angus Bacon cheeseburger and TenderCrisp chicken sandwich. "Both featured two slices of American cheese, a slice of pepper jack and a cheesy sauce," the department said.
At a public hearing earlier today, San Francisco's City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee approved a new ordinance for street-food vendors on streets and sidewalks, moving the city closer to streamlining its process for licensing mobile food sellers. The Committee made only minor changes to legislation sponsored by Supervisor Bevan Dufty, including reducing pushcart vendors sidewalk clearance from 10 feet to 8.
The Committee also approved the new rules voted Friday by the Planning Commission regulating vendors on private property, including city parks. The Board of Supervisors will take up the new legislation as soon as Nov. 23.
Get a rare opportunity tonight at Ristobar to meet with Luca Currado, winemaker at Vietti winery in the small medieval village of Castiglione Falletto, the heart of Piedmont's famous Langhe wine region. Six of his organically produced wines will be available by the glass, along with a special a la carte menu of dishes designed to be enjoyed with the wine.
The menu:
2009 Vietti Roero Arneis, $10
Vitello tonnato,$12
2007 Vietti Barbera d'Alba "Tre Vigne," $12
2006 Vietti Barbera d'Asti "La Crena," $21
Tortellini stuffed with melted raschera cheese and truffle butter, $14
2007 Vietti "Perbacco" Langhe Nebbiolo, $14
Risotto cooked with Nebbiolo, $15
2005 Vietti "Castiglione" Baralo, $20
Meyer Ranch beef short ribs braised in tomato, cipollata, and Nebbiolo wine, $18
2009 Viette Moscato d'Asti, $8
Selection of Gary Rulli desserts
Vietti Winery Dinner at Ristobar
When: Tonight, Nov. 8, 5:30-10 p.m.
Where: Ristobar, 2300 Chestnut St (at Scott), 923-6464
A simultaneous welcome party and anniversary celebration went down Saturday at 331 Cortland, the six-stall food marketplace in Bernal Heights. The welcome party was for Spice Hound, Tammy Tan's mini emporium of spices and salts, which is in the space vacated by Della Terra Organics in July. Tan has been vending primarily in the South Bay at the Campbell farmer's market (her warehouse is in Sunnyvale) but was keeping an eye out for a San Francisco location. "I never saw the space when it was Della Terra," Tan said, "but talked with [331 Cortland owner] Debra Resnik late in the summer and then came to check it out. It's a great fit."
Also celebrated: The six-month anniversary of 331 Cortland itself. Free bites included banana dulce de leche empanadas from El Porteño and garlic dills from Paulie's Pickling. How do the vendors feel about 331Cortland six months in? "The collaborative aspect is a gift," said Erin Archuleta, co-owner of ICHI Lucky Cat Deli. "Our work can be solitary at times but here we can share feedback and community." Added Bernal Cutlery's Josh Donald, "I had been sharpening knives at home for several years but now I have great exposure."
To the north, the Oregon Brewers Guild lists almost 30 different breweries operating in the Portland metro area, thereby earning the city its nom de bière, Beervana. Down south, the San Diego Brewers Guild rattles off 25 distinct breweries operating in San Diego County. Yet, whereas this map pinpoints the dozens of breweries operating in the greater Bay Area, in San Francisco ― not counting Anchor ― the SF Brewers Guild boasts seven fellow fermenters. That's about to change, starting early next year.
San Francisco is poised to witness a rash of new breweries. Over the next five days, we'll give you the heads up on five gearing up to quench your thirst for local suds.
In the Mission, Southern Pacific Brewing is likely to be the first of this new crop to start brewing and serving fresh ales and lagers. S.F. native Chris Lawrence (former sales manager for Speakeasy) and Cal alumnus Anthony LaVia (Gestalt, Matador) got hops fiends salivating when word got out about their plans to open Central Market Brewing, but that deal fell through. That's when a friend with warehouse space at 620 Treat (near Folsom and 19th Street) brought an 8,500-square-foot space to their attention a year ago. Now it's all about lining up those ducks.
Classic cocktails from the 19th to early 20th centuries ― like the Sazerac ― have become standards on Bay Area bar menus. They're quickly being joined by their opposites, unfussy, accessible cocktails from the 1960s and '70s. The champion of the movement is the Harvey Wallbanger, a simple yet surprisingly tasty drink, basically a screwdriver dressed up with Galliano, a bright yellow Italian herbal liqueur made with juniper, anise, mint, and vanilla.
Given the reformulation of Galliano back to its original recipe (higher alcohol, less vanilla, more restrained sweetness) and since that today happens to be National Harvey Wallbanger Day, you have every reason to try one (again). Burritt Room is serving up a whisky variation, while both Thermidor and Hog and Rocks plan to mix up the originals all day.
Carmen Vazquez is the genius behind the mind-blowing vegan flan at Gracias Madre in the Mission. She's also one of the chefs behind the now-defunct Brassica Supper Club, may it rest in peace/come back to life as a full-blown restaurant so I can eat my way up to my ideal 500 pounds. I recently quizzed Vazquez for the story behind the flan, which she makes from cashew milk thickened with agar-agar. She shared her thoughts on "veganizing" traditional dishes, and what the future looks like for a talented vegan chef.
SFoodie: When did you start cooking?
Vazquez: I fell in love with cooking about six years ago. That's when I really started, and when I decided to enroll in culinary school. But, like a lot of us who grew up surrounded by grandmas and moms who spent their time in the kitchen, I can say I've been cooking my whole life.
What inspired you to make the flan?
I can't really say what inspired the creation of the flan. Ever since I found out about this new organic vegan Mexican restaurant [i.e., Gracias Madre], I knew I wanted to be part of it. I originally wanted to help with the development of the savory menu, but when I realized that was already done, desserts it was. I asked my Latino coworkers for ideas on traditional Mexican desserts and flan was the clear winner. It was a challenge, but I like challenging myself ― maybe it's the reason why I enjoy veganizing dishes no matter how "traditional" or difficult they may seem.
In choosing a greatest hits collection of Times recipes dating back to the 1850s for her new The Essential New York Times Cookbook, Amanda Hesser took on a daunting task. Just as daunting was the challenge administered to 11 local chefs at Sunday's Ultimate Potluck Cocktail Brunch, produced by SF Food Wars, celebrating the launch of said cookbook. Each was asked to select a single recipe from among Hesser's 932 pages to interpret outside, in Ferry Plaza, for a crowd of a few hundred.
Asked about the decision to prepare Joyce Goldstein's pickled salmon, one of four dishes the Aziza crew took on, chef Louis Maldonado confessed his love for Goldstein. Bridget Batson of Gitane told us that mackerel is one of her very favorite things, so she chose to riff on smoked mackerel on toast. One problem: Her fishmonger had no mackerel, so Batson had to go with trout. Hapa Ramen's Richie Nakano was eager to show off his cheese-making skills ― he prepared ricotta crostini with fresh thyme and dried oregano. "I learned how to make ricotta when I cooked at NOPA," he said. Nakano ditched the dried oregano in favor of tobacco leaves, which he'd found at the Saturday market. If it wasn't for the mild nicotine buzz (and the fact that Nakano tipped us off), we would have never guessed.
Here's a beautiful salad made of local ingredients. Can you tell us the specific name of this dish (plus its add-on extra), as well as the San Francisco restaurant in this picture? Offer your guess in the comments below.
Congratulations to for figuring out that the corned beef plate pictured in last week's Mystery Spot is served at Tommy's Joynt.
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