Cotogna, worthy of a James Beard award!

In a crowded SF food scene, Cotogna definitely has star power. It's to be expected with Chef Michael Tusk having recently snagged a James Beard Award for Best New Chef - Pacific Northwest. We decided on a late Saturday lunch/early dinner in order to secure a reservation. But since it was the weekend, we didn't get the opportunity to try three-course pre-fix menu. However despite that, we'd say it's very well deserved of the accolades received.

Tucked away behind the FiDi and adjacent to North Beach, historic Jackson Square is a quaint neighborhood with it's collection of late 1800/early 1900 brick buildings now home to art galleries, interior design studios, and specialty furniture shops. So you wouldn't expect a restaurant the quality of Cotogna (sister to Quince) around here, especially in such close proximity to North Beach. But trust us, Cotogna is the real deal. It's rustic Italian gem with a organic sustainable menu that changes daily and a lively, yet inviting venue.

As is typically the case, we shared an appetizer, had our own mains, and then shared a dessert. First up was Cotogna's homemade bread (available upon request). Focaccia drizzled with olive oil, red chili flakes, sea salt, fennel, and dried oregano - served on a dark wood slab. A wonderfully earthy thin loaf that was light and airy; the addition of chili and fennel, gave it a faint kick which went really well with our cocktail drinks.

Then came our purslane, cucumber, cherry tomato, and feta salad. I know I alway say this, but SF restaurants always get their hands on the freshest, ripe fruits and veggie around. Purslane, although considered a weed in the US, is a leafy micro-green typically served in Southern Europe on salads. Never had it before, but really enjoyed the texture and taste. The cherry tomatoes and cucumbers were extremely juicy and crispy, respectively. I'm typically not a fan of feta because it can overpower a dish. However, this salad was very well balanced due to the tartness from the balsamtic vinaigrette dressing.


Next I had the eggplant tortelloni with smoked ricotta and basil pesto. Seven delicately placed stuffed pastas came on a large Heath ceramic bowl with a layer of genovese basil on the bottom and smoked ricotta nibbles on top. To my pleasant surprise, the pureed and lightly seasoned eggplant did not consume the entire entire. They were a bit sweet, but that was balanced well by the salty basil pesto. The smokiness of the ricotta really came through in an unexpected way; providing another layer of beautiful earthy flavors. Even Sheila, who doesn't eat eggplant, really enjoyed the complex flavors of this simply prepared dish. I would order this again and again, but with a daily changing menu this may be my only chance.

Sheila went for the genovese basil, fior di latta mozzarella, and sun gold tomatoes pizza. Head scratcher, right? I'm the one who always orders pizza, but this afternoon the ingredients were speaking to her. Needless to say, this was a great choice. The beautifully charred crust, amazingly fresh tomatoes and red onions, and smooth/rich mozzarella made this a winning dish. Not overly cheesy, you taste the juiciness of the tomatoes, earthiness of the basil, and sweetness of the red onions with ever bite. Yes we eat a lot of pizza, but this one was different. Why, you ask? It's all about the chewy inside crust and bubbly outer crust, which is a sign of great gluten development. And because of this the taste remained awesome even after the pizza got cold on our table; something that I can't say for Delfina or Gialina. Actually the pizza reminded us of Keste's in New York!


Last up was the cheesecake with hazelnuts and blueberries. Another delicately prepared dish with a crumbled butter cookie based, light and airy ricotta cheese, and whole & macerated blueberries. In a word - decadent. It was not overly sweet, in fact the blueberries added a hint of tartness to this dish. The crumble crust kept things from getting too dense. And the roasted hazelnuts (whole and chopped) scattered around the cheesecake added to the depth of flavors. I really nice way to end our meal.

Cotogna is a destination restaurant I recommend going to. The exquisitely prepared dishes capitalize on the array of fresh, organic, and sustainable ingredients available in the SF Bay Area. They do rustic Italian right!

Piccino in the Dogpatch...

The Dogpatch neighborhood of SF is not known as culinary destination. However over the past few years, there's a been a gentrification as the IT industry continues to drive growth further down from SOMA. A few month's ago, I wrote about Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous. This time it's Piccino, an inviting restaurant on the bottom floor of a Victorian building. The open plan california-style italian restaurant has a large bar area overlooking the kitchen and communal tables spread throughout dinning area. 

At the recommendation of our waitress, we order several small plates for sharing, starting with a salad of strawberries, shaved fennel, arugula, mint, and toasted hazelnut. Sweet and tart, fresh and crunchy, this salad had a nice overall balance. You normally expect walnuts and goat cheese, but this take was a welcome departure. Definitely worth trying. 

Next up, we went for the falafel plate. This was a head scratcher to see on the menu, but that didn't stop us from trying it. Served on a cucumber yogurt, the falafel were crispy on the outside and very moist on the inside. It not uncommon for falafels to dry out if overcooked, so needless say we enjoyed them. Despite how great they were, we've had better...so stick to the italian dishes instead. 

For the main, we decided to share a margherita pizza. Served on a wood board with parchment paper, the pizza came out piping hot. As you'd expect, all the ingredients were simple and really fresh - tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. The dough was slightly chewy; not as crispy in comparison to Delfina or Gialina. What was unique though is that this pizza didn't get cold and soggy. We both figured it was because it was served on a wood board that absorbed any excess moisture. Funny thing is, it didn't take us long to finish the pizza because of how good it was. 

For dessert, we shared the stonefruit crostata with brandy zabaglione, and spiced walnut. This wouldn't have been a normal choice, since I always opt for chocolate. Not sure what got into me, but it was definitely the right move. It had the right balance of fruit and dough; and was not overly sweet. The fruit (which I believer were plums) was appropriately the star of the dessert. The zabaglione and the walnuts were a nice touch, but not memorable. 

All in all, a great restaurant off the beaten track. And with a large communal space makes, Piccino is ideal for larger parties. Go try it! 

mozzeria...heartwarming gourmet pizza

San Francisco has no shortage of pizzerias, so the opening of another one in the Mission District was a bit perplexing to me. Then I heard about the premiss for Mozzeria, a wood-fire Neapolitan pizza restaurant, owned by a deaf couple. Even more heartwarming is that the owners are deaf and they employ several deaf people that work in the restaurant. What wonderful human and community spirit! Melody Stein, the co-owner, is a third generation restauranteur who before opening Mozzeria, also spent several weeks in Italy learning the final art of pizza making.

The restaurant is located on 16th and Guererro on the ground floor of a Mission Edwardian. The interior can be described as modern rustic with a beautiful carrera marble bar counter, dark cherry dining tables, bright red dining chairs, and warmly lit Edison bulbs. Let's just say I want my house to look like that! Towards the back, but in prominent view is large wood-fire pizza oven. Given the oven's location, it almost acts like a heater. However on the night Sheila and I visited it was unseasonably hot in SF, which meant we were boiling inside.

The menu is a mix of small plates (salads, cheeses, meats), a few pastas, and several pizzas. The wait staff was extremely friendly and helped to recommend a few dishes for us veggies using sign language. We ended up selecting a Rainbow Beet Salad, Japanese Pumpkin Ravioli, Ortolana Pizza, and Lemon Curd Cheesecake.

Rainbow Beet Salad. Sheila and I shared this starter salad of fresh beets, goat cheese, arugula, citrus, and horseradish. On paper I wasn't sure about citrus and horseradish, but to my surprise the contrasting textures and flavors worked very well. The acidity and bitterness of those two ingredients were balanced by the sweetness of the goat cheese and crispness of the arugula and beets.

Japanese Pumpkin Ravioli. This was Sheila's order of Japanese pumpkin, walnut gremolata, arugula, sage brown butter. The homemade pasta was cooked slightly al dente and Sheila found it very filling. The brown butter gave the dish a sweet taste. Sheila noted that there wasn't anything to balance that out like spice or acid. Nevertheless, she did enjoy the fresh busting flavors.

Ortolana Pizza. This was my pizza order of eggplant, red onion, red peppers, and pomodoro sauce. I also added on mozzarella. Piping hot and cut into four large slices, I started eating it from center out. This totally reminded me of La Porchetta, our neighborhood pizza joint when living in London. The eggplants had been grilled to a slight char, the onion had been caramelized, and red peppers had been roasted. Individually these toppings would have worked, but my senses were confused when they were all combined on one pizza. It tasted like a mixed grilled veggie sandwich, but on a pizza. The caramelized onions overpowered the other toppings with too much sweetness and the mozzarella didn't add enough saltiness. Of course, I'm an equal opportunity pizza eater, so despite my comments I still would eat this pizza every day.

Lemon Curd Cheesecake. A New York style cheesecake with lemon curd and raspberries served on a graham cracker chocolate crust. The cheesecake was light, rich and smooth; the crust was dense and crackly; the lemon and raspberries were fresh and tart. Overall, the dish wasn't overly sweet and we were absolutely fine with that. I can tell you that they don't skimp on the portions here, but neither of us were able to finish the slice.

You feel joy dining at Mozzeria because of the sense of humanity. The food is cooked from the heart as if you were sitting in the owners' home. And therein lies story, the Stein's are cooking for their family (the patrons), but the food needs to be refined for the masses. That's not to say that it wasn't good food, I just think Sheila and I have been spoiled by living in SF where there are dozens of great gourmet pizzerias.

Copper Indian in Charlotte

My frequent trips to Charlotte haven't necessarily meant that I've been able to try some of the better restaurants in the Queen City. However this last trip was different, I convinced two colleagues to join in a meal at Copper, a highly regarded Indian restaurant in the Dilworth neighborhood.

With it close proximity to the tech triangle of Raleigh, Charlotte has started to attract a pretty large population of Indian-Americans. Even over the past year, I've heard of new places opening up, which is great if I feel like a home-cooked meal while away on business. 

Copper is located in a picturesque 1900s cottage with each room serving as a quaint dining space. Interior is modern Asian with pops of vibrant colors mimicking bright spices. The menu is a mix of traditional Northern Indian curries and modern Indian-spiced infused Western dishes. Our waiter was kind enough to recommend several dishes to share. 

Samosas (pastry pouch of potatoes and peas) - Lightly fried and golden brown, these samosas came to our table piping hot. The crispy exterior and perfectly spiced potato and peas filing made this a great starter to our meal. Copper's samosa was certainly above average. 

Saag Paneer (spinach and cottage cheese curry) - Fresh and light, this saag paneer was well balanced in flavor. However it did lack some heat, meaning spicy. The added cream provided a slightly sweet taste, which I didn't mind. Typically I find Northern Indian curries too heavy handed with butter or garam masala, so I appreciated Copper's restraint. This was my favorite dish of the evening. 

Garlic Naan - freshly made and lightly spread with butter and garlic, Copper's garlic naan was on par with any I've had in California. For me the best naans have air pockets between the layers,  a few charred bubbles, and softness in dough (low gluten). Copper does their naan very well.   

Chole Bature (garbanzo bean and tomato curry) - Now this had the potential for being a great dish if it wasn't for being under-seasoned. The elements were all there, a nice rich tomato curry base, perfectly cooked garbanzo beans, garlic and ginger undertones, and a light cream drizzle. I just wish the chef had added in some cloves, cinnamon, and red chili powder. Perhaps next time. 

All in all, Copper was quite good. I'd definitely come back, but would ask the chef to crank up the heat!    I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10; worth a visit when in Charlotte.

jean-georges' abc kitchen

ABC Kitchen is located in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan. It's the vision of famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Per their website, the restaurant is focused on local, sustainable, organic, and seasonal produce. This is not a new food concept for San Franciscans, but in the NYC this makes headlines. The interior of ABC Kitchen mirrors it's food concepts - a medley of harvest tables, edison bulbs, french countryside motifs, and exposed raw materials.

We made reservations for a Friday lunch, meaning we were seated in a completely packed restaurant beside power lunchers, european tourist, and NYC socialites. I definitely recommend making reservations because even during lunch the wait was 45 mins unless you could score a table at the front bar. Service was pleasant as we were seated within 10 mins of arriving. The size of the restaurant is deceiving as our hostess escorted through the three rooms before finally seating us in the casual cafe area.

The seasonal menu constantly changes and on this day there were several vegetarian options. Sheila and I decide to order a separate starters and share the main course. We decided on the roasted beets with house-made yogurt; lentil soup with celery root, parmesan and herbs; and ricotta ravioli w/ tomato sauce.

The beets, both golden and red, surprising complemented the house-made greek yogurt. This was a light and refreshing dish which was a perfect start to our meal. The airy yogurt was slightly thick as greek yogurt should be, yet was not overly tart or sour. The size was a bit small, otherwise Sheila could have had this as her main course. We would order this again.

The lentil soup was vaguely reminiscent of a home-style curry we typically make at home called maag. The twists were heathy texture and the inclusion of celery root and parmesan, which add a depth of buttery flavor. However, I have to say that the parmesan added too much saltiness which ended up overpowering everything else. We'd pass on this next time, especially at $13.

The kitchen was kind enough to pre-split our ravioli which ensure that we had an equal ratio of pieces and sauces - a nice touch. A real fresh al dente pasta with an equally fresh and creamy ricotta filling. Perhaps it was rolled and filled to order? Highly unlikely but you could have fooled me. The tomato sauce was a fine balance of sweetness and tartness with a very subtle herb flavor. The best part of the dish was by far the ricotta. We'd recommend this one, despite it's $23 menu price.

Overall the concept for ABC Kitchen is authentic in a city where there are unlimited eatery options. The ambience, fresh produce flavors, and inventive vegetarian dishes makes it an intriguing dining experience. Sheila and I would return even though it ended up being an expensive lunch meal ($60), but what else would you expect from a Jean-Georges restaurant.

a visit to france without leaving glen park!

Le P’tit Laurant is a French bistro located in the heart of Glen Park village, a neighborhood we know well for those who have visited us. As vegetarians, we tend to pass on French cuisine because there’s typically nothing to eat of substance;Le P’tit Laurant is a wonderful exception though, that we’ve had the pleasure to eat at.

Upon entering, you feel transported to Parisian bistro, with old antiquities, tin plaques, old vine decanters, fleur de lys silverware, and Pastis/Ricard bottles. All of the wait staff are French, which always makes for an enjoyable experience ordering food. Tip, this place gets very busy so it’s well worth it to make reservations a couple of weeks in advance. They also have a three-course tasting menu from Sunday through Thursday, for $25 per person, which is a great bargain!

We made early dinner reservations on Sunday evening and were promptly seated at a corner table, which was great for people watching inside and outside the restaurant. The waitress even came by to explain every vegetarian option they had available that night, a nice touch. With 15 minutes of us arriving the place was completely packed, but the noise level was fine and we could easily continue our conversation.

We decided to order separate appetizer and share an entrée and dessert. Sheila opted for Crottin de Chavignol chaud et salade (warm bread with a pat of melted cheese served over mixed green salad). I started with Napoleon de Betterave et mozzarella, vinaigrette au balsamique (fresh mozzarella and red beet napolean with balsamic dressing). For our entrée it was the L’assiette végétarienne du Chef, on this night stuffed zucchini with fresh tomato sauce, carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions. And for dessert was had the Profiteroles glace vanille sauce chocolat (profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce).

Crottin de Chavignol: A very balanced and satisfying salad to start the evening. The dressing for the greens was a slightly sweet, which complemented the somewhat earthy flavor of the cheese. The greens themselves were perfectly fresh, what you certainly come to expect from SF restaurants. Placing the pat of cheese on the piece of toast was a great idea that preventing wilted greens. This also allowed Sheila to control the consistence of each bite. Definitely would order this again, perhaps even as a main.

Napoleon de Betterave: A beet and mozzarella pairing may seem odd, but this dish completely worked. I was swayed by the waitress’ recommendation. The presentation alone gets my vote with layers of beets, greens, mozzarella stacked 3 inches high, drizzled with balsamic dressing. Each bite brought out another layer of flavors. First the bold red beets came through, followed by the mild yet mature mozzarella (almost tasted smoked), then the fresh greens and balsamic cleaned my palate. Individually each component wouldn’t have been exciting, but together this dish hit the right notes. I would also order this again.

Stuffed Zucchini with Fresh Tomato Sauce: In a word it was DELICIOUS. When you first looked at it, the dish looked like a simple stew. But one bite unlocked an explosion of flavors consisting of carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes, and cream. The veggies were tender yet maintain a nice bit. The tomato cream sauce was the perfect dipping stew for our warm table baguette. We could have eaten that only all night and would have been perfectly happy. The hollowed zucchinis that sat in the center of our stew were filled with a sprinkling of cheese, zucchinis, red peppers, and carrots. The zucchini itself was firm and provide a nice textural change and crunch to the tender veggies of the stew. The severing portion was definitely enough to share amongst two people.

Profiteroles: The waitress advised that Le P’tit Laurant was known for this dessert. There were three roles and each came with a petite scope of vanilla ice cream. The entire plate was then covered with warm semi-sweet chocolate sauce. The first few bites were fantastic, the crunch of the profiteroles, the cool sweetness from the ice cream, and the warmth from the sauce. However, the profiteroles themselves became soggy quickly due to the amount sauce. This was certainly a dish where the sum of the parts tasted much better than each individual component. It bordered on being too sweet primarily because of the sauce. Of course having a sweet tooth meant that I literally wiped the bowl clean. I think next time we’ll opt for the cheesecake or pain perdu. But we’ll let you be the judge.

Our bill came to around $60, which included a ½ carafe of red wine. I thought this was very reasonable price for a satisfying meal; note that the entrée itself was $17. All in all, Sheila and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal and will be going back once the seasonal menu changes again. I would recommend Le P’tit Laurant wholeheartedly, not just because it’s in Glen Park, but because it really does embody what a bistro is all about – taking simple ingredients and elevating them into a noteworthy dish, served in a cozy neighborhood atmosphere, with charming wait service.

What's the big fuss with Nopa?

Nopa is located at the corner on Divisadero and Hayes, north of the Panhandle. According to their website, they serve urban rustic food and specialize in organic wood-fired cuisine. As you would expect in SF, they source all ingredients from local purveyors. I wonder, do SF restaurants even need to say that anymore? I mean, is that the norm? I digress, the fact is that Nopa serves as the late night locale of choice for SF master chefs. It's ambiance is noisy upscale casual with a large ground floor dining area, expansive bar, and small mezzanine dining space. The clientele range from young professionals, to old money, to hipsters. Reservations can be made one month in advance; I would recommend making one because it's a tough ticket even with all the other dining options in SF.

We arrived a few mins before our 7:45pm reservation and decided to wait by the bar. The drinks are stiff - specializing in gins, bourbons, and rums - so order wisely. Our table was up on the mezzanine level, with a great view of the downstairs dining space. We informed our waitress that we were vegetarian and she promptly recommended several options to choose from. Overall, service was mediocre, I almost felt like the wait staff was just going through the motions rather than being attentive of the patrons. In any event, let's get to the food.

A few mins after being seated, we were given an amouse bouche of two apple slices with mint herbed yogurt. Simple but sumptuous, the apples were fresh and crispy, the yogurt earthy and slightly salty. A nice touch and a great way to start, it changes nightly as well.

First off, we ordered the fried brussels sprouts with lemon and pecorino. They arrived piping hot to the table and looked very appealing. However, I felt that they were way too salty - perhaps it was the natural qualities of the brussels sprouts, or the lemon juice, or the pecorino cheese - but I could only stomach a few bites. Sheila on the other hand loved this dish and felt there was a great balance of acidity from the lemon, saltiness from the cheese, earthiness from the sprouts. We agreed to differ in views and she went on to finish the dish.

Second, we ordered the warm goat's cheese, crostini, arugula, and shaved persimmons. the cheese was served in a small ramekin and the greens and fruit made up a side salad. Now this was a well balanced dish - spread the warm goat's cheese on the warm crostini, top of off with a shaved persimmon and arugula. It was different from all angles - warm yet cold, savory yet sweet, cream yet crunchy, fresh yet cooked. Okay now I understand why the big fuss about Nopa. The food is darn good, and more importantly...darn interesting.

Next, we decided to share the Moroccan vegetable tagine with almonds and lemon yogurt. The kitchen was kind enough to serve the dishes separately, which was another nice touch. The vegetables included eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and carrots - cooked perfectly Moroccan style in a tagine and in Nopa wood-fired oven. The spices were not overpowering so you could actually taste each vegetable, but hints of garlic, rosemary, oregano, and chili did come through. The cool yogurt was a perfect agent to quell those brief instances of heat. The almond gave an added element of texture and crunch, but I felt that there weren't enough of them in the dish. Portion size was just enough to share given that we ordered two starters.

Last, we ordered two desserts. Sheila opted for the sopaipillas with spiced hot chocolate. Basically fried dough covered in cinnamon and sugar. Each piece was light and fluffy and tasted quite good when dipped in the spicy bittersweet chocolate. However on it's own, Sheila noted that the sopaipillas tasted like they were fried in the same oil as the brussels sprouts. I didn't initially notice it, but after she made the comment I couldn't get passed it.

I opted for the pumpkin souffle cake with sage caramel and buttermilk sherbet. Like many of the dishes, this dessert had great balance and could have almost passed for a savory meal. The buttermilk sherbet was creamy but not overly sweet. The sage-infused caramel brought rustic element to the dish. The cake itself was a bit dense for my liking, but it's warm spicy undertones made up from the lake of airiness.

Our bill, including drinks was around $80, not bad considering the level of cuisine. Final verdict....I would come back for the atmosphere, drinks, and appetizers. Note that the pickings are slim for vegetarian entrees. However, the bar scene is happening and there's more room to graze than at Beretta or Wayfare Tavern. Let me know what YOU think?