“I write to discover what I know.” – Flannery O’Connor

Summer riches surround me with a Wine Country wedding, BBQs, film nights in the park and visiting family. I am off to New Orleans in a few days for Tales of the Cocktail, so you know more is on its way from one of my favorite cities!

Top Tastes runs the gamut from lobster in a Mad Men-era setting, oysters and ham contrasted with vegetarian, to cheap eats like falafel, Ethiopian, arepas or Peking duck in a Chinese donut (!)

Check out my top new coffee stop and the drink that could divert from my beloved Negroni in Imbiber. Wandering Traveler continues through NY, eating Scandinavian food, uncovering cheap eats and prix fixe deals, contemplating David Chang.

Bibliophile reflects on M.F.K. Fisher’s July birthday via the kitchens she cooked in. The Established revisits the latest reasons to love Mission Beach Cafe. Around the Bay follows chef Scott Howard to Marin.

I’d love your feedback on any spots visited from my site. Please tell your friends and have them sign up for the newsletter. As your personal concierge who tells it to you like a good friend would, I also create personalized itineraries: trips, meals, explorations (under “Services“).

Let me guide you to the perfect spot!

Virginia

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThePerfectSpot

Here’s recent entries in my SF Bay Guardian column, Appetite:
Campo de Encanto – SF’s own Pisco
Don’t Forget to Remember Mission Beach Cafe
Rouge Wines and Hearty Burgers

**Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Virginia Miller**

Top Tastes, rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), are among the best eats since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit previously written about or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned.

EXPENSIVE RESTAURANTS

THERMIDOR, SoMa – The Mad Men craze is a natural for me as that era, from clothing to music to cocktails, has never gone out of style in my book. Whether through the Swingers/swing scene craze in Hollywood back in the 90’s, to the Mad Men resurgence currently, I’ve been collecting vintage dresses, obsessed with classic films and listening to records since I was a girl.

So as soon as I hear Thermidor is opening with a circa 1960’s/Mad Men vibe, I’m in. Even better that the menu is rife with classic dishes of the era. I am completely appreciative of the fact that they’re doing something different instead of the usual understated decor and Cali-fresh, charcuterie & pizza or pig-heavy menus. Not that I am not crazy about all those… I love anything done well. But I am ever grateful for a place that doesn’t just copy what is already there in abundance but seeks a lesser traveled road.

I love the look of the place: wood walls, white/Jetson’s-like vintage chairs, chrome chandeliers, wood paneling and high ceilings… 1960’s chic. The bar is inviting, with completely open doorways opening onto Mint Plaza. I’d return to sip the successful take off a Moscow Mule, the Warsaw Mule (cocktails all $9). It’s made with Bison grass vodka (one this non-vodka drinker likes), organic apple juice, lime, sunshine bitters and ginger beer. It’s refreshing but bracing, with a unique, layered profile.

I was intrigued by the Iceberg Daiquiri, not being the kind of thing I normally see on menus or would order. Thankfully, it wasn’t sweet, rather strong with a white rum/maraschino liqueur kick, a whiff of vanilla, and tart from grapefruit and lime. But I can’t say I ever want to go back to blended drinks days – I got ‘brain freeze’ from first sip, waiting for the drink to melt more before I could finish it.

I’ll get this out of the way now: portions are small in most cases, making prices too high for what you’re getting. The Renaissance Man and myself spent over $100 and didn’t leave full. But… what we had was by and large delicious. Excited as I was for a bit of Chips & Caviar ($6), I’ve had better versions at dinner parties (this one has smoked trout, creme fraiche and caviar on house-made chips).

On the $6 Hors d’Ouevres menu is Crispy Cauliflower, grilled in lemon and mint and quite satisfying. Celery Victor is puzzling (sounded so old school I had to order it). The first two celery stalks were fried and decent dipped in tartar sauce but were really just fried celery.

When I got to the third stalk, it had a white anchovy layered under the fry (as was listed on the menu) and suddenly perked up. I think they made a mistake: each stalk was supposed to have an anchovy? It transformed the appetizer.

A Mini-Lobster Roll ($15 – deal alert: there’s a full sized roll at lunch for only $3 more) was truly mini with nothing more than a side of (admittedly fabulous) pickled Tokyo turnips. I go on lobster roll hunts and though I’ve never had better than at Pearl Oyster Bar in New York, this one pretty much kicks ass. The brioche roll has the perfect combo of light crisp and melting softness, while the lobster is plump, sweet, coated in butter. Lobster Thermidor ($32), the priciest pinnacle of the entrees (otherwise $21-26), is disappointingly small (half a little lobster) but is ridiculously good, baked in the shell with brandy bechamel sauce and half of a twice-baked potato enhanced by crispy skin.

Next time I’ll go with our gracious waiter’s recommend for dessert (all $8.50): Caramelized Poppyseed Cake with thyme ice cream. Initially I had to order the one everyone is talking about: Coffee, Cigarettes & Doughnuts. Though I appreciate the notes of Jim Jarmusch in the dessert’s moniker, I couldn’t taste even a hint of tobacco in the white chocolate custard, nor much carrot in the carrot cake doughnuts. Coffee ice cream over crumbled, dirt-like cookie crumbs, was the highlight of a dish higher on presentation than taste.

I look forward to my next visit to this thankfully unique new restaurant, though thinking economically, it’s going to be for lunch or Chicken Kiev and cocktails at the bar.

MID-RANGE RESTAURANTS

HOG & ROCKS, Mission – I went to a test night of this brand new (sure to be) Mission hot spot, Hog & Rocks, so though I plan to return soon, this initial take comes with the caveat of a number of menu items not yet being available and kinks still being worked out. The space is spare with stainless steel and black, plus plenty of communal seating, and a focus on hams (hog) and oysters (rocks).

I was pleased to see tasting notes listed under the oysters – this should be standard. I sampled G&W Hamery’s 10-month aged ham from Murfreesboro, TN, with whiskey-glazed peanuts and cress salad, as well as Broadbent’s medium hickory smoked ham from Kuttawa, KY, with frisee and cherry tomatoes ($9-11 a platter). There are five hams to choose from, sliced thinly/prosciutto-like, and eight oysters ($1.50-2.50 each), though the menu changes for each.

Cocktails ($7-9) are classics like a Whiskey Sour, Tom Collins or a Hurricane (with the awesome idea of $1 of the latter going to New Orleans’ Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund). At pre-opening, bartenders were still being trained and the cocktails I tried were solid, though lacking in the finesse you might find in the same drinks elsewhere, though the price point is good.

Wine and beer lists are short but thoughtfully chosen (delighted to see an Austrian Zweigelt among the 6 reds), with nods to the welcome, growing trend of a few kegs of wine available by the glass or carafe, and all available in $3.50 half glasses (wish every restaurant did this).

As for the food, it’s a smartly chic menu under $14 of dishes like Fish Pie ($14), Sweetbreads with piquillo peppers ($10), Corned Beef Tongue ($9) and Pickled Sardines ($9). Sadly, none of those were available pre-opening, but I did try Cast Iron Octopus ($10), pleasing enough grilled, with potatoes, pickled jalapeno and a ham vinaigrette.  Chicken Wing Confit ($10) is a generous portion of boneless chicken wings (not sure where the confit part comes in?) in a buffalo wing-style hot sauce with blue cheese dip. My favorite bite (besides sampling the hams) was Crab & Artichoke spread in a jar with Levian bread ($8). There are four different spreads in a jar (the Pimento Cheese, $6, with baguette is creamy, Southern satisfaction), and it’s in their most playful menu items such as these that Hog & Rocks shows its promise.

GREENS, Marina/Fort Mason – It’s a rare restaurant that survives 30 years. But to survive while maintaining a high standard in the kitchen is even more rare. This year is the 30th anniversary of Greens, the first high profile, upscale vegetarian restaurant in the country, with the lovely, warm Annie Sommerville as Executive Chef… and they have maintained.

The anniversary is a fine reason to return to a place I frequented more often when I first moved here nearly a decade ago. Though the space has remained the same with simple,  streamlined decor, stunning views of the Bay, Marin and Golden Gate Bridge remain the setting’s star, while the menu showcased the glories of Summer.

Current menu highlights: Grilled Blossom Bluff Peaches ($12) were improved, if that were possible, by Bellwether Farms‘ incomparable fromage blanc and a dab of Snyder’s wildflower honey, while fresh watercress tasted herbal, grassy. I’ve had a lot of corn cakes in my day, but their Ricotta Corn Cakes ($11.50) are among the finer with crispy white corn accented by jalapenos, scallions and smoked cheddar. House creme fraiche, fire roasted tomato salsa and pumpkin seed cilantro salsa accompanied.

On the entree side, Masa Harina Crepe ($23) is tortilla-reminiscent, made with corn masa, but a light, paper-thin crepe. More corn played prominent with peppers, poblano chilies, and grilled onions piled inside, accented by salsa and creme fraiche. I couldn’t taste chipotle lime butter on the accompanying grilled grazzini squash. I loved Summer Vegetables (carrots, squash, etc…) Indian Curry ($21.50 large; $17.50 small), a curry rich with coconut milk, ginger, tamarind, chilies, on top of mustard seed basmati rice, beautifully contrasted with a “chutney” of juicy peaches in a cherry glaze.

Bing Cherry Almond Cake ($8.75) was heavy on the almond, dry but for plump cherries, and rose geranium ice cream that was a soapy rose bomb. But altogether, it became another dessert entirely, no piece overwhelming the other, cake moistened by a creamy hint of rose.

Greens, after all these years, remains a destination for lovingly-prepared vegetarian cooking. Long may she live.

CHEAP EATS

Mission Chinese Food, Mission – Recently bereft of our beloved twice weekly Mission Street Food dinners in dingy Lung Shan and Mission Burger in Duc Loi Supermarket, there’s at least comfort in knowing founders Anthony Myint and Danny Bowien are still on the scene, now with playful Chinese food at Mission Chinese Food.

For starters, it’s cheap (under $10), but the killer part is: they deliver… anywhere in the city? Guess who’s been savoring some Ma Po Tofu ($8) – ground pork, fermented black beans, mushrooms, peppercorn, ginger and flaming chili oil over rice – from comfortably behind her desk at the Guardian? You can eat in, too, as they’re open seven days week (11am-10:30pm). However you eat it, something tells me you won’t find the likes of Peking Duck Chinito ($8) anywhere. Think Peking duck confit, cucumber and cilantro wrapped inside a Chinese donut. Then cover the roll in rice noodle and dip it in a spicy Hoison oil. I knew you’d be intrigued…

Zaytoon, Mission – A simple menu of five items, an unassuming, bright green and white storefront, and kindly staff make brand new Zaytoon a worthy Valencia Street stop for Falafel Wraps ($6.95-$7.95), Chicken or Lamb Shawerma ($7.95) or a Mazza Platter ($7.95) of falafel, dolmas, hummus, babaganoosh, tabouleh, cucumber/tomato salad and feta. The place and ingredients are spanking fresh, clean and easy to devour.

Moya, SoMa – Though not the best Ethiopian food around (favorites here), I love the mother/daughter team working at brand new Moya (just opened 7/12) and their lunch steal of three vegetarian dishes of your choice piled on injera with salad and yet more injera for just $8.

Mr. Pollo, Mission – Want one of the best Arepas in town ($1.50 for cheese, $5.50 with meat)? Head to Mr. Pollo near the 24th Street BART and get a warm off the grill Cheese Arepa, oozing with cheese and a hint of honey sweetness. It’s as good or better even than ones I had in Venezuela.

COFFEE

Grand Coffee, 2663 Mission Street (at 23rd), 415-206-1238 – My favorite new coffee spot in a city rife with them? Grand Coffee in the Mission (the neighborhood that sickeningly gets all the great coffee… well, SoMa follows close on its heels). Owner Nabeel Silmi is works hard all day, every day behind the counter, creating a fine cappuccino or cup of Four Barrel coffee from his three-group paddle La Marzocco Linea. Besides refined coffee basics, Silmi has a couple specials not found elsewhere in town.

A Liquid Affogato presents itself like a layered Pousse Cafe, with Four Barrel espresso, cane syrup, and Clover half and half. You can also order it shaken, cocktail-style as a refreshing Iced Coffee.

My NY egg cream cravings are satiated (not an easy accomplishment in this town), with Silmi’s Brooklyn Egg Cream ($2.75), a glass first drizzled with Fox’s U-bet chocolate syrup, followed by milk, then seltzer water, culminating into frothy refreshment.

COCKTAILS

Cantina, Downtown – Those who know me know one of my go-to cocktails is the Negroni. The perfect aperitif and a favorite because of Campari’s bitter crispness balanced with gin, my typically adventurous palate has seen no reason to vary from the simple, traditional, already perfect recipe.

Duggan McDonnell at Cantina showed me another way… and it is as revelatory as a classic Negroni. He replaced gin with pisco for a Pisco Negroni (ask for it!) It’s lush, almost caramel-y with his lovely Encanto Pisco and that favored bitter tart of Campari still shining through.

NEW YORK CITY

My beloved New York. The city that awakened me, at the sensitive age of 14, to cities… and the world. I put my hand over my heart upon first glimpse of the radiance of Manhattan at night from Jersey’s banks, where I lived during high school (and my family lived for years beyond).

There’s always dear friends, family, and such an ease and familiarity with city, it’s like second nature roaming its neighborhoods via the metro, wandering “the villages”, Flatiron or Lower East Side, endlessly hunting for a proper coffee (I finally found some on my last visit – see Imbiber). I always feel at home (my second home, it is), with a lifetime of memories all over Manhattan and the other four boroughs.

As I come close to wrapping up my recent NY series, here are my other NY articles.

NoHo PRIX FIXE STEAL

Double Crown, Noho - One of the better dinner deals I’ve seen in New York is at Double Crown, an airy, open space with modern Asian decor, an intriguing basement, sidewalk patio and cooking influenced by various regions of Asia (see their intelligent, visually gorgeous blog cataloging the owners’ Asian travels, gathering culinary influences for their menu).

Nonya Nights happen Sundays, inspired by family-style dining of Singapore and Malaysia with Chinese and Southeast Asian influences, and are $35 per person for eight courses. Friends, for NY, this is a steal and though portions are small, they are not minuscule – you will be quite full by the end of eight dishes.

Though every dish is not a stand-out, the whole forms a pleasing meal, from Coconut Laksa soup with crab, rice noodles and bean sprouts, to Yellowtail Sashimi with cucumber, hijiki and citrus-truffle dressing. I savored lobster chunks in Lobster Lo Mein Noodles with mussels, scallions and cilantro, as well as Crispy Brussels Sprouts in chili caramel.

Over a long dinner with dear friends, it’s a fine communal meal, while the candlelit glow of the dining room inspires conversation, with friendly but unobtrusive service.

Finish with Chocolate Thai Iced Coffee Cake, satisfied by the thoughtfully created feast you’ve devoured for a mere $35. Don’t forget to head next door to their gin bar, Madam Geneva for preserve and jam gin cocktails after or pre-dinner.

CHEAP EATS: East Village duo

Caracas Arepas Bar, East Village – Caracas Arepa Bar is a cheap, utterly satisfying NY meal: Venezuelan homemade arepas stuffed with all kinds of goodness. The tiny, charming East Village spot became so popular, there’s a to-go side and now a second Brooklyn location. Everything is under $7.50 and waits are long unless you arrive early, but you can order Camburada ($4.75 – banana cinnamon milkshake) and Guasacaca & Chips ($6.25 – Venezuelan-style guacamole with plaintain and sweet potato chips) while you wait. I love the La de Pernil Arepa ($7) stuffed with tender pork shoulder, tomato and spicy mango sauce. But I was equally pleased with the vegetarian La Mulata Arepa ($6.25) filled with white cheese, jalapenos, sauteed red peppers, fried sweet plantains and black beans.

Luke’s, East Village – Head right next door from Caracas and you’ll find Luke’s Lobster Shack, a humble hole-in-the-wall with a couple stools, take-out Maine seafood and a second location on the Upper East Side. Operating on principles of sustainability and New England authenticity, the prices are “cheap” for NY and for lobster rolls: get a whole Lobster Roll for $14 or an ideal “snack size” for $8. Loaded with buttery lobster from Maine and a light coating of mayo, it may not be my beloved Pearl’s in the Village, but it’s up there and a steal. For an extra $2, get the roll with Maine Root Soda, Miss Vickie’s chips and a pickle.

GOING UPSCALE… at the right price

Aquavit Bistro, East 50’s -I’ve been trying to get to Aquavit for years, certainly having long heard about the mark chef Marcus Samuelsson left on modern Scandinavian cooking through this restaurant, but also because it is hard to find Scandinavian cuisine most places. I adore the region’s focus on fresh fish, salmon, caviar, herring and, of course, the namesake spirit, aquavit.

Again looking for deals, I dined in the spare, upscale IKEA bistro versus the more stuffy, pricey dining room (though I love the chairs in the bar area of the dining room). Quality does not suffer in the bistro, while service is gracious and well-orchestrated.

Despite a thoughtfully chosen drink menu, I had to go for a $17 flight of three (or $7 each) of the house-infused aquavits, though narrowing down flavors was problematic. I suspect I’d love most of these since the three I chose were all lovely, from a crisp cucumber, to hot mango/lime/chili, to my favorite: horseradish. There could not have been a better accompaniment to the food.

Each dish delighted and portions were generous – The Renaissance Man and I left positively (emphasis on the positive) stuffed. Gravlax ($11) is heaping slices of bright, cured salmon in hovmastar (a mustard/white vinegar based sauce) with dill and lemon. I equally fell for Matjes Herring ($10): thin slices of herring with finely diced yellow beets, red onions and sour cream. Chilled Green Tomato Soup ($11) was almost tart with green tomato skins and pulpy juice, given finesse with apple, horseradish and crunchy croutons.

Swedish Meatballs ($19) were the best I’ve ever had, redolent with cinnamon and gentle spicing in the meat. The massive mountain of meatballs and mound of whipped potato puree contrasted nicely with pickled cucumbers, sweet lingonberries, and  addictive cream sauce.

I longed to try dessert (Stuffed Swedish Pancake with goat cheese cream?), but had not an inch of space to spare in my stomach, though it was happy with me for feeding it ultra-fresh fish. This is now a New York favorite and I’m more than a little sad not to have a place like it here in SF.

Sho Shaun Hergatt, Wall Street/Financial District - Sho Shaun Hergatt is a newer fine dining kid-on-the-block getting rave reviews for it’s “Asian-accented French cuisine” from chef Shaun Hergatt.

I was pleased to enjoy this expensive destination at lunch for a $30 Prix Fixe. Normally, lunch prix fixe menus offer throwaway menu items but as our waiter explained, theirs features some of Hergatt’s most popular dishes. The Renaissance Man and I ordered one prix fixe plus a la carte dishes for a fine cross section of dishes also on the dinner menu (note: prices reflect lunch menu costs). For lunch, it’s a Zen-like atmosphere with Asian-influenced decor, white linens and refined service, while convivial diners and staff glow in the expansive room.

With wine, lunch ended up being around $100 for two, but would have cost double at dinner. A deal for fine dining in NY. Wines reflected a welcome range of locals, like an ‘07 Rkatsiteli from Dr. Konstantin Frank in Finger Lakes, NY ($11 a glass), or far-reaching, like a Spanish ‘09 Albarino, Lagar de Costa from Rias Baixas ($14).

For my Prix Fixe ($30), I ordered a delicate Chilled Lobster Bisque with peach and basil, succulent Seared Soft Shell Crab with cilantro and Florence fennel, and for dessert, Banana Millefeuille, elegantly bright with passion fruit, lime mousse, coconut milk ice cream. Each dish flowed into the next with grace.

Possibly my favorite dish was Florida Frog Legs ($22) with spring garlic puree and silky onion espuma under a pasta blanket… a confident, unusual presentation, tender and full of flavor. I also loved Thai basil froth and basil seeds dotting the artful Japanese Escolar dish ($30) with Hon Shemiji (edible mushrooms).

I’m not sure I would have been happy paying dinner prices, but for lunch, Sho Shaun Hergatt is an unpretentious fine dining addition to Manhattan.

THE CHANG FACTOR

Momofuku Ssam, East Village – Who continues to remain hotter than hot in NY? David Chang, that’s who. I started to pray I wouldn’t hear any more about him as the constant Momofuku raves were getting tiresome all the way from this coast. Sure, I always meant to go to one of his restaurants, and even after his ignorant but truly no-big-deal SF comment and his fun and funky cookbook, I was going more because I finally should rather than because I was excited to.

I decided on Ssam as his mid-range venture between fine dining and noodle bar, but also one with consistently high accolades. I can’t say I was blown away. But I had a festive meal with The Renaissance Man and my dear NY cousin, one where tripe and pork belly happily played prominent.

We started off right with the Bloody Mary special, given a unique slant with kimchi. Hell, yes. We had to chow down on those now ubiquitous Steamed Pork Belly Buns ($9) which were certainly good, but I’ve had versions at least as good elsewhere, though granted, they were copying his. Kudos to Chang for taking pork buns the gourmet pork belly route. Spicy Honeycomb Tripe ($13) may not be the best tripe dish I’ve tasted (Oakland’s Oliveto is in the running for that one), but it was palatable for those who fear the stomach lining, with ginger, scallion, celery, pickled tomatoes.

There’s nice platters of country hams, Corned Beef Terrine and the like, but my top dish may have been chewy, dense cubes of Spicy Rice Cakes ($18), accented by pork sausage, Chinese broccoli and crispy shallots. The dish managed just the right balance of heat in it’s red, chili-soaked rice bites, but it is, first and foremost, Asian comfort food.

Dessert was a refreshing, tart Grapefruit Cream Pie. It’s one fault was being a little too frozen, but the taste profile was just what you wanted to end this sort of meal with.

Momofuku Ssam is worth a visit, even if I couldn’t see putting it on my favorites list.

Momofuku Milk Bar, East Village – Next door to Ssam is Milk Bar, a charming little storefront serving flavored milks, pastries, cookies and ice cream. While none of it is the best I’ve ever had, it’s a playful shop (with a Midtown location as well) offering fun soft serve flavors ($4.15) like Carrot Cake or Cereal Milk, or Compost Cookies ($1.85) loaded with pretzels, coffee, potato chips, chocolate chips, butterscotch and oats. Or how about a Kimchi & Blue Cheese Croissant ($6)? They also serve Stumptown coffee so you can’t steer too wrong.

M.F.K. FISHER Among the Pots & Pans
- Joan Reardon

Like any self-respecting food lover (and writer),  I’m well aware that, hands down, M.F.K. Fisher (Mary Frances) is our greatest food writer and I’ve been pursuing the pleasurable endeavor of working my way through her entire catalog over the years.

As with my literature preferences, I find myself more often drawn to the classics, or, in this case, first flush of food writers who set the tone mid-20th century, like A.J. Liebling (read “Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris“) and Angelo Pellegrini (read “The Unprejudiced Palate”), though none have the impact on me that Fisher does.

She writes of food, travel, life but most importantly, she writes… drawing you in, enveloping you first and foremost with her person, heart, and poetic style.

There have been numerous books written about her over the years but one that landed on my desk was a 2008 UC Press edition of M.F.K. Fisher among the Pots & Pans by Joan Reardon.

The book is a straightforward biography summarizing key points in Mary Frances’ (I love that Reardon refers to her by the name she preferred to be called) life and complicated relationships, but through the intriguing slant of the many homes she lived in, particularly the kitchens she cooked in, from California to France.

Irish illustrator, Avram Dumitrescu, paints warm vignettes of her kitchens, imparting a friendly glow to the book, and complimenting photos of Mary Frances. Whether it be the cover illustration of her kitchen in Hemet, CA, or those in her St. Helena and Glen Ellen homes, one gets a glimpse into Mary Frances, the cook, though she was first and foremost a writer.

As her birthday just came and went on July 3rd (she would have been 102), it’s as good a time as any to read and reflect on one of our most gifted writers, who also happened to love food.

MISSION BEACH CAFE

198 Guerrero Street (at 14th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-861-0198
www.missionbeachcafesf.com

We need to be reminded, in the constant hype over new openings, to return to what is and has remained great through the years. Mission Beach Cafe, aka MBC, a welcoming corner restaurant many go to for brunch or incredible baked goods and Blue Bottle coffee in the morning, has maintained a rare level of quality through a handful of chef changes.

I am amazed at how delicious dinners here remain: from chef Thomas Martinez (see my 2009 review) to heartwarming Pot Pie Tuesdays. For about six months, they’ve had a new chef, Trevor Ogden, who most recently worked at Umami, at the now defunct Frisson and with Stephanie Izzard in Chicago. Though young, like former Chef Martinez, there’s inventive maturity in Ogden’s cooking.

A recent visit yielded literally one pleasurable dish after the other:

- MBC has thankfully kept their killer Flatbread of the Day ($14) on the menu. Ogden prepared ours with a goat gouda infused with hops (yes, you heard right), layered with crisp corn, caramelized ramps, chicken and two pepper purees (red pepper and padron).

- One of the stand-outs in a stand-out meal, is Tea-smoked Albacore Tuna ($14) topped with quail eggs, caviar, chili creme fraiche and dotted with crispy lemon-saffron risotto. A visual work of art and a lightly seductive pleasure to the palate.

- Mixed Baby Lettuces ($10) are shaped into bowl cupping mounds of avocado, red spring onions, toybox tomatoes, herbed tofu and walnuts in a creamy cabernet vinaigrette.

- I’m so not a vegetarian, but one of two vegetarian entrees was a favorite of mine: Smoked/Grilled Hodo Tofu ($17) is in good company with zucchini, toybox summer squash, eggplant, grilled corn and forbidden black rice. A little sweet comes in the form of strawberries and strawberry rhubarb glaze.

- Organic Pork Tenderloin ($23) is comforting with roasted German butterball potatoes, cipollini onions, baby carrots and sugar snap peas. But when it’s cooked in rosemary brown butter and drizzled with white peach pork jus, it’s downright luxurious.

- Pan-seared Branzino ($25) arrives stacked over shaved fennel, summer squash and pea tendrils. The fish is delicate but the skin adds crisp and saltiness. Most addictive is the Vidalia onion/Yukon gold soubise and tomato-lemon verbena broth accenting the dish.

- Those Truffle Fries resting under shaved Parmesan ($5) are as fabulous as they ever were.

- Alan Carter holds the crown of pastry chef extraordinaire and his pies ($6.50-7 a slice) are still mama’s home cooking and a long-awaited holiday rolled into one. It’s like coming home to his Banana Butterscotch Cream or Chocolate Pecan Pies, but I was especially entranced with my beloved rhubarb (thank you, Summer!) in his Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.

I am happy to (continue) to say, do not forget to return to Mission Beach Cafe.

MARIN COUNTY

BRICK & BOTTLE
55 Tamal Vista Boulevard
Corte Madera, CA 94925
415-924-3366
www.brickandbottle.com

I’ve followed chef Scott Howard’s various restaurants over the years, from his stint in San Francisco at self-named Scott Howard restaurant, to Five in Berkeley. He recently returned to his home county where he started it all (at Fork) with Brick & Bottle.

It’s essentially in a shopping mall in Corte Madera (in the former Izzy’s space), and, yes, it has that suburban- chain feel about the long, spacious, though muted, restaurant.

You could get side-tracked in the bar on the way to a table, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Ron Harmer, with a background in spirits and wine, has created a menu of 20 plus cocktail classics ($9 each) with a couple new creations thrown in. I haven’t seen a classic cocktail list this extensive in Marin until now. There’s a number of my favorites present, like a Ward Eight, Vieux Carre and Sazerac, but there’s also a Tequila Sour with egg white, a smooth La Selle (rum, Benedictine, cane syrup and bitters), and a lovely Bourbon Old-Fashioned with bitters, cane syrup, orange and a cherry cured in sugar and Kirsch.

My top two: Amelia, their take on a classic Aviation, with gin, lemon, cointreau, maraschino and a dash of absinthe. Spirituous and strong, this could be a classic. The other is Halekulani, a frothy bright rum drink with lime, grapefruit, maraschino. Tastes like the islands without being faultily sweet. Harmer is schooling Marin on classic cocktails… and they’d do well to drink up.

The wine list is extensive and California-focused, covering a broad range of smaller wineries across the state, with a few wines on tap. There’s a handful of beers on tap as well and a sizable spirits collection.

Ok, you say… but what about the food? My initial visit opening month yielded the salty/sweet comfort of Duck Confit Pizza ($12) with caramelized onions and fontina cheese. Have seen it before, but can’t go wrong with that combo. Frog Hollow Organic Yellow Peaches Salad ($8) is simple, letting the peaches take center stage over arugula with a bit of avocado and light rice wine vinaigrette.

I’ve long been a fan of La Quercia ham, which you can eat at places from Contigo in Noe Valley to Roberta’s in Brooklyn. Brick & Bottle serves it with organic nectarines ($12), wild arugula and Parmesan. Summer bounty such as this shows up all over the menu.

Honestly, my two top dishes were mains ($10-27), both of the hearty, fatty kind. They won on all points, turning what was a good meal up until that point into a crave-worthy one.

Though eager to try the Pimento Cheeseburger ($10), I’m glad I chose Grilled Gruyere & Braised Short Ribs Sandwich ($11). A melting, oozing grilled cheese sandwich it was, loaded with beefy short ribs, elevated when dipped in a tiny bowl of tomato soup or lush horseradish cream sauce.

But the crowned ‘dish of the night’ wasn’t even on the menu.  One of the daily specials which should be a permanent fixture, was BBQ Pork Ribs with jalapeno slaw, pimento cheese spread and flaky Cheddar Chive Biscuits.

House BBQ sauce hit the right notes of heat and subtle smoke, pork was tender and hearty, while biscuits melded with the cheese spread into something like your Southern Grandma’s cooking (you know, the one you wish you had?) That same spirit lives on in a family recipe of Rum Cake with rum raisin ice cream, pecans and caramel drizzle.

I envisioned a decent meal from Howard, but I didn’t expect the level of Southern-tinged comfort that came through in the entrees, taking me on a momentary jaunt back to the South. It’s American cooking, certainly with California freshness, not limited to any one region, but it has a surprising bit of Southern soul.

For Marin, this is an elevated comfort food and drink destination and one locals would do well to put on their regular rotation.