ice creamy overload at mr & mrs misc...

Now there's another boutique ice cream shop in town. It's call Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous and it's located in of all places, the Dogpatch. Co-owners Anabelle Topacio and Ian Flores have been churning out classic American flavors with several twists. They have been open for 1+ years and the recent features on both Food Network and Cooking Channel have taken this unassuming spot to the next level of popularity.

Sheila and I have been meaning to try this place for a few months and on a Indian Summer afternoon this past October we made the trip over to the Dogpatch via Muni from the Mission. The shop is a converted warehouse storefront with large glass roll up doors and an open space plan. We we arrived, the line was about 10 deep, but by the time we sat down to eat our ice cream, the line had swelled to 25 plus! Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous makes their ice cream daily in one batch; once they're out, the shop closes. Very SF-esque, think an ice cream version of Una Pizza Napoletana!

The flavors on tap on that Sunday were exciting - we tasted the salted mango, lemon verbena before settling on jasmine green tea and rosemary pistachio. The portions were very large - Sheila's junior at $3.25 and my single at $4.25 - easily could have been shared and several others in the shop were doing. Starting with the jasmine green tea - Sheila described it as creamy and aromatic. Typically green tea can be bitter, but this was delicate. It reminded her of an ice cream version of bubble tea from Fantasia, Sheila's favorite pearl tea shop in Santa Clara. She gave it two thumbs up.

The rosemary pistachio was equally earthy and aromatic like the jasmine green tea. The rosemary provided the a great element of surprise - like smelling a nicely balanced Pottery Barn candle. There were pistachio were toasted and provide a nice chunky element throughout the scoop. However the cream, and by virtue the sugar content, was overpowering at times which made it pretty hard to finish. I enjoy ice cream like most people, but I wish the cream was lighter. In hindsight, I should have gone for the salted mango.

Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous is an inventive shop! The quirky flavor combinations will keep the patrols coming to this gentrified neighborhood. In Sheila's mind, when compared with Humphry Slocombe in the Mission, Mr & Mrs easily is superior because the flavors are delicate and the ice cream is lighter. I would tend to agree, despite the my lukewarm review of the rosemary pistachio.

is pizzeria delfina the best in sf?

Arguably yes, if you asked Sheila and I. Pizzeria Delfina is the uber-trendy casual establishment of Craig and Anne Stoll (of Delfina and Locand0) that opened in 1995. It serves Neapolitan style pizzas using local and seasonal ingredients. There are six staple pizzas and two or more daily-changing specials. There are two locations -one in Pacific Heights off Fillmore; and the other on 18th St sandwiched between Tartine and Bi-Rite. Over the past 2-1/2 years, we've probably been the both an equal number of times - maybe 8 times in all, but who's counting!

The place is tiny with around 25 total seats inside and a dozen outside and an open plan kitchen. The environment is casual (more so that Flour + Water and Berreta); and the ambiance is simple and functional. It doesn't take reservations, there's a chalkboard as you enter when names can be added, so be prepared to wait around 30-45 mins any day of the week. We've had some luck during odd hours - post lunch rush around 2pm and pre-dinner rush around 5pm. The place to sit is at the sidewalk tables, especially when the weather is cooperative. More often than not we opt for two pizzas instead of sharing a salad and pizza, but to be honest it's that good! The pizzas remain a constant as well - Panna and Margherita.

The panna is a mouth watering take on a pie with tomato sauce, fresh basil, shaved parmesan, and cream. The tomato sauce is fresh, slightly chunky, and a bit sweet. The fresh basil give the dish an aromatic punch; the shaved parmesan (thin strips) provide the salty element; and lastly the cream (sorta like a creme fraise) provides the silky buttery aftertaste. Oh wait, don't forget about the crust - thin, crispy, and always slightly burnt - it's cooked in a wood fire oven at about 700 degrees. The one word that comes to mind with this crust is consistent. You always know what you’re going to get – it’s not paper thin like a cracker and not overly chewy like some other California-style crusts. The perfect blend of crunchy and chewy, we feel this crust is the best in the City. And at $10, this is one of best bargains for high end hipster pizza.

The margherita is a simply prepared with the freshest of ingredients. The tomato sauce and fresh basil (same as the panna pie) are juicy and bursting with flavors. The fior di latte mozzarella is soft, silky, and. This is pie best eaten piping hot from the even – when the sauce is still bubbling, the crust still steaming, and the melted mozzarella falling off the slices. The pizza just doesn’t have the same character after getting cold – of course the same can be said for most others. It’s been a while since I’ve had the margherita pies at Gialina, Zero Zero, and Beretta; but for my money, Pizzeria Delfina takes the prize. The perfect crust, with fresh ingredients, cooked in a wood fired oven, served steaming hot! It is $12.50; which is a reasonably priced when compared to its competitors.

So to conclude, Pizzeria Delfina is the real deal. Sheila and I would recommend this place hands down. The Mission location has the ambiance, but the Pacific Heights location is larger and easier to find parking. Again, the food quality is great at both and the wait may like be the same. Service can be hit or miss (hipster status quo); we’ve had many more positive experiences than negative. Skip the appetizers and dessert (Tartine and Bi-Rite are next door) and order one pie per person. If there are left0vers; don’t fret I’d be glad to help out. Happy eating, from the pizza monster!

Expected more from Brassica in St Helena...

During a day trip up to Napa Valley, Sheila and I decided to try Cindy Pawlcyn's re-invented Brassica in St Helena. It used to be a seafood joint and is now a Mediterranean Kitchen. Inspired by the flavors of Northern Africa, Morocco, and Turkey, Brassica serves a healthy selection of mezzes, small plates, entrees, and a hugh variety of Napa Valley wines.

Located in the heart of St Helena, Brassica is warm and inviting with several distinct eating areas. The decor is French country, shabby chic with a subtle wine country references. The host and wait service was rather friendly and efficient; a pleasant surprise given that Sheila and I often get the "minority" treatment. This evening, we opted for sampling of mezzes, rather than a large meal - baba ghanoush, sheared haloumi, eggplant fries, and the dessert sampler ("five easy pieces").

The baba ghanoush (oven roasted pureed eggplant) was served cold with crispy pita chips and sesame seeds. It was a standard dish, but nothing spectacular. The eggplant was fresh and earthy, the sesame seeds added a nice crunch, and the pita chips were drizzled with sea salt and spice powder. I preferred to eat it with the table bread, which was a soft and warm than the chips, which tasted over-crisped.

The seared haloumi (salty goat and sheep's milk cheese from Cyprus) was served sizzling hot in small skillet. It was seasoned with red chili flakes, oregano, and garlic - and in our estimation over seasoned. All you could taste were the spices - which was a shame because haloumi has such a salty flavor and distinctive layered texture - it could have been mozzarella for all we knew.

The eggplant fries were served with a zatar yoghurt, which was underwhelming. The fries were under-seasoned, needed both salt and pepper to wake it up. Sheila felt like the zatar yoghurt tasted like pine sol, perhaps because of the added mint and spices. The fries themselves did not hold up their crispiness and basically tasted liked lightly breaded eggplant sticks.

The dessert sampler was by far the best dish of the evening. The five small taster included chocolate pot de creme, baklava, honey fig ice cream, hard nougat candy, and ricotta tart. Each bite had distinct taste - the baklava had a traditional earthy flavor (the most Middle Eastern tasting bite of the evening); the pot de creme was cool and bittersweet (a great French influenced bite); the ice cream was sweet and super creamy (a California fresh figs and honey definitely came through); the tart had a crunchy crust and soft (not overly sweet but surprisingly light) custard; and the nougat candy (chunky walnuts gave a depth of textures).

Neither Sheila and I were fond of the meal. This is of course because of high water mark for Mediterranean food is Gem Restaurant in Islington, North London. Perhaps because this was a Middle Eastern inspired California restaurant and not a traditional one. However more so than that each dish was an extreme; some were under-seasoned and others were over-seasoned. If in the area again, unfortunately I would pass on Brassica.

delfina...ten years later

Delfina is great and has been for over a decade, but it is still hip and does it still have star power? My answer is...YES. There's a large wood entry door like there should be a bouncer out front, the dining room is cramped, the bar area is small, the ambient noise carries throughout, and reservations are tough to come by. Why would anyone want to go there? Of course, for the FOOD!

Delfina launched the Mission gourmet ghetto scene in 1998 with homestyle cooking, freshly prepared pastas, locally sourced ingredients, and a daily changing menu based on the season. Owner and chef Craig Stoll appeared on the cover of Food & Wine Magazine in 2001 as one of the top ten new chefs in the US. Seven years later he received the James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific. That says it all, right?

Sheila and I went to Defina over ten years ago on one of our early dates. I can recall how difficult it was to get a reservation, hence the reason it wasn't our first date. We were seated in the back corner of the dark dining area surrounded by an SF foodie crowd. It was a great night for certain, however neither of us truly comprehended how great the food was back then until we visited Delfina recently. So on an Indian Summer Friday night in Sept, we made the trip back to this much heralded Italian-inspired California trattoria.

The space appeared much larger then we first remember with approx 70 seats and a small bar area. There are locally created art piece hanging throughout the space and dimly light pendant lights over each table. The space is warm and inviting, which is exactly what they're going for. The waiter warmed greeted a few mins after we were seated and after letting him know that we were vegetarian, he jumped right in to explain the entire menu, dish by dish. This was great touch because it allowed us to hear the best dishes from both his and the kitchen's perspective since the menu changes every night based on the ingredients in season. After ordered a couple of glasses of recommended wine (Barbera and Timorasso), we decided on our dishes.

Fresh stretched mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and basil oil - This was the kitchen's take on a caprese salad. The heirloom tomatoes were firm, juicy and sweet; felt like no other tomato I've eaten before. The dish was gently seasoned with some fresh ground pepper which grounded the dish. A handful of arugula added another layer of earthiness and texture. The mozzarella, made and stretched in house, was light, soft, and airy. And it was the mozzarella and tomatoes that were in perfect harmony - saltiness of the cheese balanced with the ripened sweetness of the tomatoes. They even split the portion for us before serving which was a great touch. The kitchen recommended this dish because this season's supply of tomatoes and basil have been the best they have seen in several years. Both of us agreed and we would order it again!

Spaghetti with plum tomatoes, garlic, basil - Cooked al dente, this wasn't an overpowering dish of tomato sauce or pasta; both were mixed to perfection. The dish has a lot of sweet undertones due to the tomatoes. You could taste the slight flavors of garlic and evoo, but neither were meant to be the star of this dish. The plate was filling by not food coma status, like your run of the mill spaghetti dishes. In fact the table right next to us liked it so much that they order another one half-way through their meal. Sheila felt the same way and would order it again. Note this pasta dish takes 25 mins to cook because it's the only hard pasta they have on the menu; all others freshly made to order. It comes in two sizes - side dish or main course. Order the main course side at $13, it's actually just the right amount.

Pansotti stuffed with ricotta and dandelions served over a walnut cream sauce - A delightful walnut cream sauce that was infused with lemon. It gave the dish an overall citrus/acidic tone and also kept the cream sauce very light. The stuffed pastas with ricotta and dandelions was freshly made and you could tell. Soft and moist, each bite just melted in my mouth. I had a tough time tasting the dandelions, perhaps because the walnut and lemon were so prominent. Of course my palate is not as discerning so don't take my word for it. All in all there was good balance - saltiness from the ricotta, earthiness from the walnuts, zest from the lemon, and creaminess from the sauce. At $17, this was a good value selection. Although I have to say that the portion size was a bit smaller than expected. That just mean I had room for dessert!

Profiteroles with espresso gelato, warm chocolate sauce, and candied almonds - Three roles were served side by side on crisp white plate. Sheila's first bite was of the espresso gelato and almonds which were very strong. My first bite was the profiteroles with chocolate sauce and it was rather bitter. However eaten together the dish worked well - sweetness from the almonds, bitterness from the chocolate, creaminess from the gelato, and crunchiness from the profiteroles. I would have preferred a bit more warmed to balance out the ice cream, perhaps warming the profiteroles? After a while all you could taste was the ice cream and the dish ended up being pretty heavy; I struggled to finish the last one. There was a apples and honey dessert available for Rosh Hashanah. Alas I was swayed by the chocolate on the menu; Sheila would have preferred to order this; let's hope they have it next time.

Ten years later, Delfina remains the gourmet ghetto stalwart. All around it, there are liked minded restaurants popping up from Farina and Bar Tartine to Flour + Water and Frances. However, it continues to play to sold out crowds each night with a superb quality of food. We'll be back for sure, just not after 10 years again! Who wants to come with us the next time?!?!

a culinary visit to saigon...sandwich...

In an indistinct storefront on Larkin St in the Tenderloin, sits Saigon Sandwich. Don't laugh when you see this place. In fact, you probably wouldn't even notice the shop if it wasn't for the line out front. There are no tables, credit cards, or plates. It won't be found in Frommers, Lonely Planet, of Foder's; but word on the street will get you there.

Saigon Sandwich is run by three middle-aged Vietnamese ladies who spoke but a little english. One runs the cash register; the other the bread; meats, and tofu; and the last the final fixings/assembly. Together they put out what are considered the best banh mi sandwiches in SF. The sandwiches come in pork, chicken, and tofu. We naturally went for two tofu banh mis.

Service was slow and the small store was crammed full. on the Saturday afternoon that we showed up, someone had a 200 sandwich party order that back up things further. After waiting about 20 mins, one of the ladies called out our order. At that very moment, the only two chair at the window counter opened up and we grabbed them.

The sandwich was served on a 6" French baguette that was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The juicy marinated tofu was glazed with sweet and sour sauce. The carrots and cilantro were freshly cut - tasted like they came from the Asian market up the street. However, it lacked the spiciness that typical of banh mi sandwiches. There were a few green peppers sprinkled in, but they were few and far between. With one collective bite, the sandwich tasted great - incorporating chewy bread, crispy carrots, citrusy cilantro, and juicy tofu. However the tofu and veggies were not evenly distributed which meant some bites were bread w/ tofu and others were bread w/ veggies. My advice - take it home; fix the fixings; slice it in half, eat it the right way.

All in all, a solid sandwich that I would go back to eat. But it's not a place I would take out of town visitors looking for the best of SF. I feel like hitting up the nom nom truck is a better "experience" than Saigon Sandwich. That's my take and I'm sticking to it.

pasta? in palo alto...

This is definitely our restaurant, Sheila has been going here for 9 years and she's been taking me there since I moved to the Bay Area in '02. We've celebrated many a birthday and anniversary here because it simply brings back great memories.

Located on University Ave in Palo Alto, it often goes unnoticed amongst to eclectic mix of other restaurants. The funny thing is that storefronts have changed overnight given the economic downturn. However Pasta? has remained open for 10 years now. The reason is the food - Southern Italian fare prepared with authentic and simple recipes. There is mix of soups and salad; an array of tube and filled pastas; and decadent desserts. Having been to Italy, Pasta? is not that far off from it's roots. For this review, I'm going to focus on our last orders - ravioli della casa, chocolate souffle, and tiramisu.

The ravioli della casa consists of handmade fresh ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach in pink sauce. The ravioli is cooked al dente and the filling is melt in your mouth good! The flavors of both compliment each other with being overpowering. The pink sauce (blend of tomatoes, cream, red onion, and basil) provides a perfect, slightly sweet base for the bed of ravioli. Don't get me wrong it is smothering in pink sauce, but I have often found myself wiping the plate clean with their complementary sourdough bread. The portion is just right for allowing room for dessert. This is my favorite pasta dish and Italian restaurant outside of the original.

The chocolate souffle at Pasta? is a 3" diameter chocolate cake with molten chocolate center served alongside two small scoops of vanilla ice cream. Once you cut into the cake the wonderful dark chocolate oozes out. The cake is somewhat bitter, which is good because the ice cream provide the right amount of sweetness. Based on it's size, I would recommend sharing it. All in all, it's nice end cap this meal.

As noted on the menu, the tiramisu is made in house. The layers of marscapone, rum-infused ladyfinger cake, and coffee are perfectly balanced. It's not overly sweet or rummy, which allows for each ingredient to shine in it's own way. I have to say that the last time we went, the bottom layer had excess moisture, probably because of settling. There was a dollop of whipped cream, which was unnecessary, so we ended up taking it off. Along with the ravioli, this dessert is part of our normal staple of orders.

Over the years, Pasta? has gone through a couple of renovations and even expanded to include an adjacent bar area, which has meant a steady increase in prices. The interior has gone from a sleepy farmhouse to a pseudo lounge. However, one thing that hasn't changed is the quality of the food. Now at $15.45; inflation is out of control as this was $8.95 nine years ago. However its still a great by when compared to other Palo Alto joints. Forget the other fancy storefronts along University Ave and stop into Pasta? for some neighborhood Southern Italian food. Like us, I hope it will be memorable.

arabic fusion at saha in sf...

After watching the glowing reviews about Saha on a recent episode of Check Please Bay Area we made sure to add it to our ongoing "restaurants to try" list. We decided that the most opportune time to try this Yemenese Arabic inspired joint was my upcoming bday dinner.

Being located in the Tenderloin is one thing, but this place resided in the indistinct Hotel Carlton on Sutter between Larkin and Hyde. Who would have thunk it for a place with a 26 rating for food by Zagat! Despite the immediate surroundings we walked in to the restaurant on a cold Friday evening with open minds and empty stomachs.

The ambiance is casual romantic - colorful light fixtures, red sheer drapes, dark wood tables, and Mediterranean music playing in the background. The crowd was a mix of couples and young families, definitely off the beaten path for tourists. The menu is chalked full of wonderful sounding mezes, salads, entrees, desserts. Even more, a majority of their dishes can be made vegan! After consulting with our waiter, we narrowed down the order to three mezes and one dessert. Note they also have a vegetarian pre-fix menu available for $35 per person (one meze, one entree, and one dessert).

Avocado tomato tabbouleh salad ($10) - I felt that too it was too tangy, but Sheila thought it had the perfect balance of flavors. I couldn't taste the actual tabbouleh and was hoping for some texture / crunch; perhaps some toasted pita chips. Sheila surprisingly was not bothered by the abundance of avocados, which she doesn’t typically enjoy. We both agreed that this surprisingly filling dish as a starter salad. Sheila would definitely order this dish again (it was the special of the evening), but I would probably try one of their other salads because they all sounded great.

Saha’s ravioli ($12) - Four large moons of ravioli stuffed with shitake mushrooms and mint in a sweet mango sauce. Although rather sweet, there was a distinct spiciness that came from the addition of red chili flakes. Dispite the size of each ravioli, this overall diss was actually light. The ravioli was well cooked (not al dente as you’d expect from an Italian version) and the stuffing well seasoned. A complete bit including the ravioli and sauce was a great ying and yang balance of savory and sweet. However, if you just had the sauce itself, it would have tasted like melted spicy mango ice cream. Interesting to say the least and worth a repeat order.

Malfufa ($12) – Baked phyllo stuffed with potatoes, sage, garlic, and olive oil. This was essentially a circular bake samosa; a good savory dish in flavor but with the thick wrapper and the potato quantity this came across as very starchy. There was also a leban and mustard sauce underneath the malfufa. It was quite tangy, but there just wasn’t enough of it. We both would not other this again since there are similar phyllo dishes that include more veggies.

Knaffe ($8) - Shredded phyllo bake that was drizzled with honey and nuts. Sound great, right? However in the middle it had this melted salty Arabic cheese, which totally killed the dish. It’s the equivalent of using cheddar cheese in a cheesecake. A mascarpone or cream cheese of sorts would have been much better compliment for this baklava-esque dish. I have to admit that our server recommended it, so bottom line is go with your instinct when it comes to dessert!

All in all, Saha is a nice Mediterranean restaurant with a huge selection of vegetarian dishes. It’s one of those places that you could order something new each time, which is probably what will do next go around. Yes, there will be a next time as beside the awful dessert, Sheila and I have been craving a Gem replacement, and Saha might be it. For those who know of our London days, Gem was the local Kurdish spot that we frequented at least 20 times in two years! On that, check out Saha and be adventurous with your order.