Same w/ this one...

Hats off to TBS for suggesting trying Umami Burger yesterday.
Went in w/o any expectations as I had no idea about this place.
I guess it's some off-shoot of the one in LA?

Walking in you're greeted w/ a pristine white samurai sword by the front door.
I guess it's the weapon of choice by the old tater tots grandma. More on that later.
Off the bat, second on the list is their Manly Burger.
That was enough for me to just get it for the name.



The Manly Burger has beer-cheddar cheese, smoked salt-onion strings, bacon lardons, ketchup and mustard.
BACON LARDONS!!! Even w/ that I ended up going w/ something else.
Here's a shot of TBS's Manly Burger.
Looks delicious, he didn't share so I had no idea how it tasted.
I'm guessing it was good since it was gone w/ the quickness.



I passed up the MB since on the menu there was Bacon-Wrapped Scallop Burger: scallop patty topped w/ crispy pork belly, sweet chili sauce and yuzu-garlic aioli.
For me, crispy pork belly > bacon lardons in this case.
So how was this burger? Technically not really one it was fucking delicious.
There were two fatty slices of pork belly on top of a patty made from juicy scallops.
It was freaking melt in your mouth fantastic.



And no pic here (think TBS posted one), but our server also recommended the Greenbird, first on the menu: Diestel Farms turkey, crushed avocado, green cheese, butter lettuce, sprouts, green goddess.
At first taste, didn't seem like it was turkey but more like lamb.
It was quite gamey and easily passable for me in the future.
Other pass, their Tempura Onion Rings.
Sweet Potato Fries were only ok.

I'd definitely recommend getting the House Pickles.
At first I thought it'd be just some normal house pickled cucumbers instead of a whole plate of pickled vegetables.



And back to the tater tots grandma, apparently it's not on their menu but they have Cheesy Tater Tots.
Saw some dude enjoying what seemed like a bowl of tots and it was!
At first I thought it might have been their Smushed Potatoes on the menu, but it's not.
We asked our server and she said that they don't put the tots on the menu because it's very limited and runs out quick.
Some grandma rolls them by hand in their underground dungeon. Poor grandma.

Bottom line: Recommended to try. Prices are out there though.
But there's plenty of other burgers on the menu that I would try along w/ the tots.

Forgot to add this, somehow my paper placemat ended up like this.
Totally how I felt after the meal.

foie gras is being banned?

yeah i heard Umami had this idea for a "Sharkfin" burger, but that got nixed recently too.

Really Falkner and Iuzzini are a lot like the UK punk of the late 70s. A lot of posturing and show but not a lot of substance. I for the life of me can't understand why Boulud or anyone thinks his stuff is mind altering. Same with EF. I dont need my dessert to look like a fucking ice sculpture.

I actually really enjoyed the El Bulli ep of no reservations minus the aforementioned talk of the think tank. I think it conveyed what it meant to the different people there plus the history of it.

Need to check out Lucky Peach asap

More food talk:

I went to Park Tavern this week. For those unfamiliar(Joe), it's the new restaurant by the people who brought you Marlowe. They also indeed have the Marlowe burger but wasn't about to waste my dinner on that. We started with the Brussels Sprout Chipss(omething Joe and I enjoyed when we went to Marlowe). Dare I say they were better than Marlowe's? I thought so. We also got the Pork belly bites, horseradish aioli . My friend did not care for them, I felt it was a little much but didn't dislike them.

For entrees I got the Pork Chop w/ italian butter beans & dinosaur kale with a side of Brussells Sprout hearts. The sprouts were my favorite of the meal. They were put in a cast iron pan and had Parmesan on them I believe. Loved it.The Pork Chop is better than Nopa's. A title I thought could not be taken away. It's also HUGE. My friend had the Creekstone New York steak, red wine jus, Mangalitsa butter & french fries . Honestly though we didn't really talk about it. The Chicken looked great but I just don't think I could have attacked it after the starters and bread.


Dessert was cute. No other word better describes it. I ordered a slice of their "Birthday Cake". Flavors change monthly and I got to try one of the last days of the Coconut Creme cake. It comes out as a big slice with a big lit birthday candle in it. Cute right? My friend had the tcho chocolate crème brûlée Chocolate biscotti, chili & lemon zest. Good but not as good as the brulee we had at Foreign Cinema the week before.

I don't always agree with bauer but he just gave them 3 stars. So get ready to have a hard time getting a reservation come Holiday time. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1LJISG.DTL

Oh ouch. There goes the soundtrack to my teen years. Buzzcocks, Stranglers, early Siouxsie and The Clash were without substance? Sheesh we oldsters never get a break from you hardcore types. But you've got a point there. The OG American punk bands were more about having fun and kicking out the jams than making some statement. Even the brainy Talking Heads rocked out live.

I bought Iuzzini's "Dessert Fourplay" book because it got rave reviews. But it's sort of like the Alinea book ... you need to prepare multiple recipes so that you can assemble them all as one when you're done. I don't mind "project" cooking if the end product is the main event, like a complex mole or a paella but spending three days making a preciously pretty little dessert, no thanks. I'll leave that to the pros.

Anyway, enjoyed your posts Alex. This thread is much more fun than Bauer's weirdly conflicted reviews. Never thought I'd see you singing the praises of sprouts, though.

haha dont get me wrong, I love a lot of those bands. I'm talking more about bands like Anti-Nowhere league, eater, chelsea, chron gen and what have you. The "hair punk" bands as I like to call them.

I actually LOVE Brussels Sprouts. When I'm not eating out I usually eat pretty healthy(dare I say Veganish), so I eat sprouts about twice a week. With that said, I have another reservation for at Park later this week and at Aziza in 2 weeks. Who else has been eating out?

Oh should mention that Chili Pies and Ice cream just opened a 2nd spot on the castro. Boom!

Just kiddin' but you knew that.

Confess I don't eat out as much these days ... just got a brand spankin' new oven at home and can't pull myself away from it. (Made pumpkin gratin-souffles last night, delicious!) So besides adventures in home cooking all I've got is that Top Chef Texas premieres tonight. But it's great reading the reviews and seeing the pictures from youz guyz here.

I do plan on trying some of Adria's meals from the book. I think my favorite thing he said about it was that he wanted anybody to be able to pick up the book, with no prior cooking ability, and be able to make what was in the book. You have to applaud a man who has made a name in the most complex of recipes trying to make it accessible to everyone.

Well I applaud anyone who tries to cook, because it might seem intimidating at first, but like any endeavor, the more you do it, the better you get, and it never stops. One you have a bit of confidence, you can also have some swagger because everyone loves a good cook.

Adria's book seems like a great place to start, although there have been some criticisms about the proportions in some cases. (e.g. the chocolate cookies. Only two teaspoons of flour? That's gotta be a mistake.) I haven't had any problems yet with it, but have only made a few things. When I started teaching myself to cook at 18 it was all about Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. It's hippie-style vegetarian but was great for a beginner, and got me started on thinking about how different flavor combinations and ingredients are associated with different regions and cultures. Mark Bittman's books are good for basics, too. Also just about anything by the Cook's Illustrated / America's Test Kitchen people, and also Alice Waters' "Art of Simple Food" ... basic, sensible and foolproof.

Ah - brussel sprouts, the vegetable i abhorred as a kid, that I love as an adult!

If you're in LA, you should check out the brussel sprouts at Manhattan Beach Post, one of my new favorite restaurants for any occasion. Anything on the vegetable side of their menu will blow your mind.

http://eatmbpost.com/

I've always cooked a little at home but mostly for myself and never gotten too crazy aside from making sweets. PS- I guess I should start posting photos of some of the gelato I've been making and selling over the last year. I'll get to it eventually.



Menu looks great! My kind of place. Top of my list now for places to try in LA..

While I'm back visiting DC in a month, I will be dining at Jose Andres' "America Eats". It's a partnership between Andres and The Foundation for the National Archives. They closed down Cafe Atlantico (supposedly to be reopened somewhere else in DC) to open it. As much as it bummed me out since Cafe Atlantico was one of my favorite spots in DC, I'm pretty excited to try Andres' take on American comfort food. Supposedly, after America Eat closes in DEC, he will turn the entire place into Minibar. Minibar is the 5 seat micro restaurant inside where he flexes all he learned from Adria. I've been told Bazaar in LA is not unlike a small version of minibar.

http://www.americaeatstavern.com/

When a friend invited me up to Napa for dinner at Bottega, I couldn't refuse the chance to see what Michael Chiarello was up to post Tra Vigne.

A gorgeous bottle of 2005 Kathryn Hall Cabernet started the meal.




the polenta under glass with caramelized mushrooms was probably one of the best starters. Technically, a dish that would be fun to do at home, the challenge is having on hand ingredients to prepare the deeply flavored balsamic game sauce.


the black pepper bucatini alla carbonara was topped with a soft cooked hen egg, brocolini, guanciale. targliarini bolognese with veal, pork, and porcini mushroom sugo. Both were excellent, as was the burrata with house cured coppa which our waiter recommended.


pan fried gnocchi... a twist on the tradition. Once I got used to the idea, I thought it was a nice variation.


I don't usually order entrees at an italian restaurant, because I think they're rarely that exciting. In this case, i would have regretted not trying the steak, which was as good as any steakhouse.


truffle fries were a nice accompaniment to the steak, though they've become a bit ubiquitous


sadly chocolate drizzled profiteroles were not entirely worth the extra calories. Overall, 2011 has not been a stellar year for dessert. I miss the glory days of Boulevard.


I think the two dining rooms are somewhat nicer than the chef's tasting table. Stayed late to take this closing shot.

I've always been fond of Michael Chiarello's style. The meal looks fantastic. The polenta under glass makes me want to run there. Looks like I need to take a trip back to Napa right now!

I'm heading to Aziza for the Chef's tasting menu, promise to report back.

A coupla off-topic notes for food-oriented toy collectors. I hear that some such people exist hereabouts.

- Lucky Peach issue No. 2 is out. More topically diverse than the first issue, every bit as good. Track it down if interested ... you won't be disappointed. There are some disturbingly sexual food illustrations that monster-lovers will appreciate. I actually went hunting for freeze dried corn yesterday to make Momofuku Milk Bar Corn Cookies, recipe included in the issue. No luck. Shoulda gone to a camping supply store or maybe just the internet.

- "The Layover" ... whaddya think? It's closer to "No Reservations" than I'd expected, but that's fine. They're trying to keep it from getting to stale. Evidently the obligatory closing statement about the commonality of humanity is gone, as are some of the snark and the boozy interludes, replaced by fancy 60s-style split-screen technique, specific do-and-don't recommendations per locale, and oddly, some bits done in locations that Bourdain didn't have time to visit. Isn't that cheating on the concept? (j/k) ... I liked the opening episode just fine, even if much of it seemed like a repeat of past visits to pan-China. Really looking forward to the SF episode, in which he visits my favorite dive bars from the 80s when I still went to dive bars, Li Po Room and Persian Aub Zam Zam. Both are more yuppie-hipster than they were back then, but I'm sure Tony will find the right things to say.

not sf... but lask doesn't like food apperently (no good food threads)

went to wurstkuche on my recent l.a. trip. really good hotdogs!
HATE the atmosphere though.



a great selection of sodas


i ordered the rattlesnake/rabbit dog... very good!


younger brother ordered the filipino dog... good


youngest brother ordered the chipotle vegan dog... very good and spicy. his wife ordered the snake/rabbit dog as well.


friend ordered the duck/bacon dog... this one was my favorite!

kinda reminds me of Rosamunde

went back to 4505 meats... had the dogzilla and the sweet potato chili fries.
the hot dog was great, but the chili fries were amazing!
first food coma in a very long time.

^ Fixed your pic so I can view what was so good.

No pics and decidedly not upscale, but I pigged out at Shin Toe Bul Yi on Taraval a few nights ago. Best Korean I've had in the city including the BBQ places in J-Town and my own 'hood. As is usually the case we received several dishes that weren't even ordered, in fact it was pretty hard to fit everything on the table. Noodles w/octopus had an incredibly delicious sauce that we couldn't quite figure out, love those mystery flavors. Fried chicken at this place is legendary ... we received a huge heaping plate and polished the whole thing off. Pot stickers were sweeter than I've ever had but so good. I was amazed when the bill arrived. Two happily overfed diners and it was about $39 total, not each. Evidently this place is packed every night, and I can see why. Next I need to try King of Dumpling up the street...

So much to talk about:

-I have reservations at French Laundry. Finally. March 11th.
I also have reservations for Ad-Hoc and Bouchon that day. Shit is going to get epic.

-Encuentro in the east bay is another good example of Vegan dining. A wine bar and tapas style dishes. I suggest:

Dark Green Salad Kale, roasted beets, cumin roasted carrots, olives, arugula and sprouts
w/garlic nettle gomasio tossed in a lemon tahini dressing with feta or
herbed cashew cheese. This could be the best salad I've ever tried


Bruschetta w/ Avocado, olive oil and cilantro with chili jam and black salt I hate to sound like a foodie but this is so perfectly balanced. I love it.

Samositas stuffed with sweet potatoes and topped with pear ginger chutney and
tamarind sauce


Vegan "Cheese" plate - Smoked Pecan/Macadamia Nut/Herbed Cashew cheeses.
with fig chutney, grain mustard, walnut "honey" (v), seasonal fruit
extra crostini Forget the pretension and just think of these as spreads instead of cheese. It's fucking good. I promise.


and while we're talking vegan. He is a photo I snapped of the Nacho fries at Source in Soma.

Remember Chef Keller's advice to Bourdain, Ruhlman, and Ripert before he was about to serve them a mega-FL meal? "Don't eat!"

Three TK meals in one day. You must blog. At least here. Jeez dude, I don't know how a single human body could manage that. An FL meal alone is worth fasting a day in advance to handle.

Anyway congrats on finally landing the res.

can't wait to see the write-up/pictures!!!

the fremont diner in sonoma on the sonoma highway is great!
the burger was fantastic (very well seasoned, with a great bun, their sauce is really good), the fried oyster po'boy w/ bacon had all kinds of good flavors going, and the grilled cheese was truffleishes.
we also had an horchata milk shake which was good, but not amazing... not enough cinnamon?
they had a mexican chocolate, nutella, salted caramel, and a few other interesting flavors as well.

check out their delicious menu... gotta go back and try some more stuff.
http://thefremontdiner.com/

I did Bouchon for lunch and then Ad Hoc for dinner and it was too much. Also then had Taylor's for lunch the next day and then drove to Chez Panisse for dinner. Tastebuds overkill.

Bouchon and FL on the same day would be OK. Just order light at Bouchon. I like the trout at the Bouchon in Yountville. They don't do it as well at the other branches.

Can't wait for the blogging Alex.