“Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In fullgrown thickness every May.
Last year is dead, they seem to say
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.”
- “The Trees”, Philip Larkin

What’s another issue of The Perfect Spot doing in my inbox so soon, you might be thinking? Well, as I briefly mentioned in my last issue, I’m experimenting taking the few articles I write a month and splitting it between the 1st and 15th of the month. It enables me to be more current since I have so much news to share with you by a month’s time, and maybe slightly shorter (i.e. more readable?) rather than one long newsletter. I’m trying this out so, as always, very much value your feedback!

It’s been a couple weeks full of Top Tastes, favorite new dishes, drinks and bites from my culinary explorations. Good Evening Thursdays upstairs at Bruno’s just began and are indeed good… in Happenings. Imbiber pays tribute to the USBG SF and National Bartenders’ competitions on 5/12. In The Established, join me for dinner at Mission Beach Cafe.

Have five food/drink/travel-loving friends sign up for The Perfect Spot newsletter, and I’ll give you “The Perfect Meal” recommendations for a meal based on your request (e.g. exploring a new neighborhood, date night, eating Vietnamese, German, etc…) In Wandering Traveler, I regularly cover places all over the world, so let foodie-travel-adventurer friends beyond the Bay Area know, too.

I’d love your feedback on any spots visited from my site. As your Bay Area concierge, I create personalized itineraries for you or your friends: trips, meals, explorations (check out “Services“).

Let me guide you to the perfect spot!

Virginia

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

- Check out my weekly San Francisco Bay Guardian online column, Appetite, by subscribing by RSS feed on the Arts & Culture blog (type in “appetite” in the search field to get the latest), or bookmark the Food & Dining page.

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

(Upon discovering champagne): “Come quickly! For I am drinking in the stars.”- Dom Perignon

Let’s go ahead and give the whole spread at Pican’s Kentucky Derby Party in Oakland a nod. Hard-pressed to pick from the all-you-can-eat (and drink – Mint Juleps) menu: it might be Louisiana Crawfish Toasts, signature Buttermilk Fried Chicken (in wing form), super-smoky Ham Biscuits with an addictive chowchow (pickled veggie relish with a hint-of-mustard), or was it boozy rich Bourbon Chocolate Balls? Don’t make me choose.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

• Vegan Pumpkin Bolani with Lentil Curry from East & West Gourmet Afghan Food’s table at Thursday’s Farmers Market at Crocker Galleria. Comforting goodness.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

• Divine Sauteed Maine Sea Scallops ($29) with Rancho Gordo beans, swiss chard and Meyer lemon, at chic wine and dining haven, RN74. But let’s just say there’s way more where that came from! More on Michael Mina’s latest soon…

SAVORY – MEAT

• A tasty as hell Al Pastor Taco ($1.50) from El Cachanilla’s straight-outta-Mexico window. Flecked with bits of pineapple, I added beans and scorching salsa to the pork – a heavenly bite for Mexican-food lovers like moi.

• It’s so trendy, I hate to add to the din but the Korean taco craze that has taken over LA (thanks, Kogi), is slowly working its way through SF. John’s unassuming little FiDi deli is the last place you’d expect to find the unusual, but head there on your lunch break for Korean tacos or burritos loaded with kimchi, your choice of bulgogi beef, bbq chicken, pork or tofu, plus lettuce, cilantro, cheese, onions and his mom’s secret Korean sauce.

• When I heard Walzwerk owners were opening a German haufbrau-style, (soon-to-be) all-day eatery, Schmidt’s Deli, I was delighted as there just ain’t enough German food around. After a couple visits since soft-opening on May 6, I’m drawn in by the sparse, clean room, friendly German staff, German groceries (slated to grow), and impeccably fresh, but still keeping the ‘heart’ in hearty,  fare. It’s ALL good: Veal Schnitzel with sour cream & dill, juicy Wild Boar Sausage, apple-fragrant sauerkraut, and a killer Cheese Spaetzle (read more in my Guardian “Appetite” column).

• Martins West, in Redwood City’s historic Alhambra building Wyatt Earp himself once frequented, the long, brick, wood space nods to the Old West in decorative touches (old photographs, candle chandeliers), while modeling itself on Martins Pub in Edinburgh, Scotland. Initial tastes proved strong, especially Black (blood) Pudding ($12), Pheasant & Leek Banger ($9), and a Devonshire Cream Tartlet. But perhaps my favorite: a breaded, fried Scottish Egg ($4) with sausage. Yes!

• Friday lunches at Bix evoke that 1930’s elegance I adore so: sweeping deco staircase, grand piano, salads tossed and martinis shaken tableside. The hand-cut Steak Tartare ($13.95) is mixed tableside with shallots, capers, parsley & mustard, to striking effect, and their classic Chicken Hash a la Bix, part of the $19.95, two-course lunch special, is heartily delicious.

SWEET

• Humphry Slocumbe could easily be in my “Top Tastes” every month. As its been awhile since I mentioned them, thought I’d give a nod to some recent flavors that have been rocking my world, like Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip (tart/sweet with choco shavings) or smoky Scotch Rye (as in rye seeds) made with 10-year Laphroaig scotch? Hold me back.

• Sutro’s at the Cliff House is definitely improved with George Morrone at the helm. Can’t help but feel a tinge of corporate chain in the decor, but service is attentively sharp without being invasive, food consistently strong and the view… well, glorious. Dessert was a perfect finish: tart Frozen Lemon Souffle ($9) dotted with lemon zest, served with blueberries, aged balsamic, lemon curd, citrus shortbread and a hint of black pepper.

DRINK

• Fly Bar, formerly Brick, is THE new happy hour deal. Went opening night (May 1) with a group and had a blast. Pizzas half price for only $4.50? And they’re good, too, from Jimmy the Greek to Southwestern to Carmel Blue (gorgonzola, mozzarella, caramelized onions, white garlic sauce). Playful cocktails are $5 (still a deal at full price: $7-8), my fave being a root beer with benefits: Island Root Beer (New Orleans’ Abita root beer, rum and house-made ginger syrup).

• Enjoyed a strong,  smooth Burnt Fig Sazerac (rye, muddled burnt figs, agave nectar, orange bitters, absinthe rinse) and a balanced Cactus Flower (Cazadores Reposado, elderflower liqueur, lavender-infused simple syrup, Creme de Cassis, lime) at 83 Proof in FiDi (did not enjoy the screaming din of happy hour crowds, however, so must go on weekends or late). The staff know cocktails.

• In honor of SF Cocktail Week, a special menu at Bourbon & Branch included the Indian flavors of  Ian Scalzo’s‘ frothy Elephant Eyebrows ($12): gin, garam masala, honey syrup, fresh lime, nutmeg.

• Two beauties at Clock Bar to celebrate SF Cocktail Week: an 1862 recipe, the balanced Japanese Cocktail ($13) from Bon Vivant’s Companion (Hennessy cognac, housemade agave orgeat, Angostura bitters on the rocks), and bar manager, Marco Dionysos‘, refreshing, nuanced Periodista ($14), inspired by the classic Journalist: Partida Anejo, Amaro Nonino, orchard apricot, fresh lemon, egg white, habanero tincture, with drops of Angostura.

GOOD EVENING THURSDAYS
Bruno’s
2389 Mission Street at 20th Street
415-643-5200
Reservations: goodeveningthursday@gmail.com

I couldn’t let much time go by without telling you about Good Evening Thursdays. Similar to a Mission St. Food scenario, this is a skilled team from various restaurant backgrounds creating a weekly changing menu in a unique space… but unlike other experimental meal “events”, this one has Rat Pack-chic with a touch of sassy sex appeal (read on!)

The short-but-sweet menu on debut night satisfied: Filet Mignon with bone marrow ($22), Oysters Rockefeller ($12), Chop Salad ($9), Burger & Fries ($15), even Prime Rib for two ($40), are served in Bruno’s intriguing upstairs room. If I had to name a stand-out, it probably was the tender, bleeding-rare filet with fine pairing of bone marrow and glazed carrots.

On their debut night, May 7th (reservations-only, thankfully, so no waits), I walked up the leopard-carpeted stairs for my 8:30 reservation (8pm until 2am – we’re big city folk now!) into a room that evoked Betty Page sexy and the spirit of a Parisian, speakeasy club.

A cheesy, creepy cat hangs over the proceedings, near a little bar, while “Pussycat” illumines the wall in giant ’60’s lettering, a little Bardot/Gainsbourg, a little Austin Powers. Despite campy touches, the intimate space, with corner nooks, maintains its class. That is, until you get to the gold pole in the middle of the room. I don’t want to make any assumptions about its purpose, but let’s just say if you sip too many martinis or want to show off for your date, it could be a little too tempting to make use of it.

With a delightful team of waiters in vintage suits, the ’60’s French aspect marries Sinatra/Martin/Davis/Bishop/Lawrence attitude.  I felt like I could be in a Vegas mobsters’ club or private restaurant in old New York with the other ’swells’, sipping martinis and slurping oysters. A perfect excuse to dress up and put on your best heels (any excuse is a good one for me!)

Though I’d miss the exclusive fun upstairs, I look forward next time to staying downstairs in the bar where those sans reservation also get a Thursday night-only menu with options like Let’s Be Frank Hot Dogs on an Acme Bun ($9) with choice of beef chili & onions or kimchi relish & bacon mayo. If hot dogs aren’t your scene, how about Marin Sun Farms Pork Bahn Mi ($9) or Mary’s Chicken Wings ($9) with Blood Orange and chili sauce? You can stick with Kennebec Fries ($6) or Pork Rilettes ($7), too. It’s glorified bar food, to be sure.

It can’t be a secret for long, but being there on debut night, it sure felt like one. Albeit, the kind of “secret” where Alice Waters is at the table next to you (shhhh, you didn’t hear that from me…)

Chefs and partners include Chris Kronner of Serpentine and Slow Club, and Sam White of Chez Panisse and Open Restaurant, plus Christa Manolo of Beretta making cocktails. This crew is onto something unique, memorable and altogether one-of-a-kind. Good Evening Thursdays, indeed.

SF Cocktail Week has already been a whirlwind of fun and a showcase of the incredible talents and tastes of our cocktail city. And it isn’t over yet! See you at Jardinere’s closing party on Monday…

Here’s my mini-tribute to the San Francisco regional and the US national United States Bartenders’ Guild competitions held all day on Tuesday, May 12, at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room. Congrats to the winners and kudos to all competitors – we surely have some fine talent behind the bar in our city and country.

San Francisco Regional awards went to:
1st Place – Ronaldo Colli’s (from Americano) “Kama Sutra”
2nd Place - Jimmy Patrick’s (from Lion and Compass) “Rita Milano”
3rd Place – Marc Goldfine’s (from 83 Proof) “The Starry Night”
Best Technical Performance – Ronaldo Colli

National awards went to:
1st Place – Armando Rosario, Las Vegas “Real Dill”
2nd Place - DJ Love, Chicago “Aztec Gold”
3rd Place – Ricky Gomez, New Orleans “The Real Pepper Daisy”
Best Technical Performance – Ronaldo Colli, San Francisco “Kama Sutra”

Mission Beach Cafe
198 Guerrero Street (at 14th)
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-861-0198
www.missionbeachcafesf.com

I’ve long loved Mission Beach Cafe for Blue Bottle Coffee (perfect cappuccinos and espressos), some of SF’s best pastries and a rockin’ brunch. With Thomas Martinez back, now as Executive Chef (age 22 and already this good? Watch out!), the dinner menu is also a journey worth taking.

If Grilled Flabtreads of the day ($11) all pack the flavor-punch of this one, you’re in for a thrill: Mt. Tam Triple Cheese, arugula, Bahri dates, caramelized pepper bacon, drizzled in balsamic vinegar. They had me at “tripel”.

Avocado Mango Salad ($9) kicks into gear with barrel-aged feta and mango vinaigrette. Another ideal mix? Arugula Strawberry Salad ($9) with shaved fennel and candied “quinoa balsamic cracker”. Order a glass or bottle of the 2007 Voss Sauvignon Blanc ($11/42) and your starters will be brightened by its crisp, grapefruit notes.

Entrees are generous, well-cooked and quite tasty from famed Pot Pies ($18 – come Tuesdays to try all varieties: I’ll take rabbit, thank you), to a beautiful Confit Duck Leg ($21) over fava beans and beets. A medium rare Prather Ranch Beach Burger ($13.50) is lightly blackened (outside), pink (inside), with aged gouda, caramelized onion and mushrooms gushing forth from under the bun. One of the better burgers I’ve had in awhile. Paired with Kennebec fries in truffle oil and shaved Parmesan, it shoots into the stratosphere. You could add bacon or avocado ($2) but that would just be gluttonous.

Desserts, from Pastry Chef par excellence, Alan Carter, are one great pie, cookie or cake after another. You can’t really go too wrong. I crave the tartness of Lemon Velvet Cream Pie or crazy-good Banana Butterscotch Cream Pie (both $6.50).

From a choice of five or so dessert wines and ports, Arrested Zinfandel ‘06 Port from Napa ($12), is robust with a hint of sweet (and a whiff of butterscotch!) Quady Essentia’s ‘06 Orange Muscat ($8) from Madera is bright, apricot-orange, and a sexy finish to a meal. But my top choice is probably Truchard’s ‘05 Late Harvest Botrytis (that’s “noble rot” to you). A viscous acidity reveals hints of pear, peach, honey. Gorgeous.

**All photos in this article by Rick Camargo: www.rickycphotography.com**

“When it comes to food, sounds, too, can be aphrodisiac… the hissing sound of an onion browning in oil, the syncopated rhythm of a knife mincing vegetables, the burble of the boiling pot into which unfortunate shellfish will fall in an instant, the crrrack of of nuts being shelled, the patient song of the mortar grinding seeds; the liquid notes of wine being decanted into goblets, the chink of silver, crystal and china on the table, the melodious murmur of after-dinner conversation, the satisfied sighs and the nearly imperceptible guttering of candles lighting the dining room…” – “Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses”, Isabel Allende

April has been an amazing month and there is much to share… I may send out another newsletter in two weeks because I can’t contain it all in this one!

Have five food/drink/travel-loving friends sign up for The Perfect Spot newsletter, and I’ll give you free “The Perfect Meal” recommendations for a meal based on your request (e.g. exploring a new neighborhood, date night, eating Vietnamese, German, etc…) In Wandering Traveler, I regularly cover places all over, so let foodie-travel-adventurer friends beyond the Bay Area know, too.

Every month, I share Top Tastes, favorite new dishes, drinks and bites from my culinary explorations. Take a look at Oakland’s Marzano in Around the Bay. Favorite events I hit this month, in Happenings, include Meatpaper’s Pig Party and Ministry of Rum. And… back in Los Angeles again for Wandering Traveler.

I’d love your feedback on any spots visited from my site. As your Bay Area concierge, I create personalized itineraries for you or your friends: trips, meals, explorations (check out “Services“).

Let me guide you to the perfect spot!

Virginia

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

- Check out my weekly San Francisco Bay Guardian online column, Appetite, by subscribing by RSS feed on the Arts & Culture blog (type in “appetite” in the search field to get the latest post), or bookmark the Food & Dining page.

Eating is highly subjective, and the man who accepts say-so in youth will wind up in bad and overtouted restaurants in middle age, ordering what the maitre d’hotel suggests.”- A.J. Liebling, “Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris”, 1962

I can barely keep up with all the amazing tastes this month. So, narrowing it down…

BREAKFAST

• Nothing like Chicken & Waffles (in maple syrup) on a chilly day. Hit the HP (Hunter’s Point, that is) for Auntie April’s $5 killer waffles with juicy fried chicken. Fills the void when I’m missing Roscoe’s.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

• Sweet Corn Tamales with a cup of excellent Champurrado (Mexican drink, traditionally served with churros, made of hominy flour base, water, chocolate, milk, cinnamon, anise… reminiscent of chai) from the Mission’s La Espiga de Oro

• Love Pizza Nostra’s beautifully creamy Burrata with fava beans and wheat toast.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

• Charleston She Crab Soup ($10) is served at new upscale Southern, Pican in Oakland. Since Charleston, I haven’t even seen She-Crab soup on a menu: a creamy, rich bisque with sherry, topped here with fresh Louisiana Blue crabmeat. Traditionally the soup is enhanced by crab roe, which I believe is the case here, though didn’t see any – maybe mixed in? Either way, it’s good.

• Bushi Tei Bistro, a casual offshoot of what’s long been my favorite upscale Japanese-with-French-cooking-ethos, Bushi-Tei, is a welcome all-day spot for sushi, udon and Japanese curry, inside Japantown Mall, but… it doesn’t begin to compare to the original. Starters are generally better than entrees, but a couple pieces of sushi were slightly rubbery (not ok!) I was, however, pleased to eat a Crab Salad ($9.95) inspired by Bushi-Tei’s brilliant Lobster Salad, replacing lobster with crab, tossed with smoky bacon and papaya, in a salad of Chrysanthemum leaves. Hopefully, BT’s bistro catches up.

• Overall freshness is the name of the game at brand new Otoro, a Japanese sushi joint that just opened this week in Hayes Valley (yes, they do have a lot of good sushi in HV!) Everything from spicy scallop handrolls, to cooked butterfish, to signature Otoro Roll, are made with ultra-fresh fish and generously portioned. The space is tiny, chic… a welcome lunchtime respite.

SAVORY – MEAT

• Kitchenette does it again! At the Dogpatch garage for another weekday lunch, I, once again, licked my fingers clean of Berkshire Pork Korean Tacos ($8) marinated in hot bean & sweet rice, with napa cabbage & apple salad and spring onion-cilantro salsa. Run, don’t walk, if you see it there again!

• Oh, Ryan Farr… if your Chicharrones weren’t addictive enough, I had to try your gourmet Corn Dogs straight out of the oven, dipped in mustard sauce at Meatpaper Magazine’s Pig Party at Camino. Damn!

• Pal’s Takeaway, inside dodgy Tony’s Market on 24th Street, has kick-ass sandwiches on ACME bread, like a Bahn Mi of pink/brown beef with jalapeno, cilantro and carrot.

• Celadon in downtown Napa is romantic, leisurely, with fine service. Starters rule: a Beef Satay ($12) cooked in yellow curry with cucumber, green papaya, pickled ginger, peanut sauce, transported me straight to Thailand. The tender meat was cooked just like I had it in my months there, not like most Thai places in the US. But equally as fabulous was crispy Soy-braised Pork Belly ($13; I know, I can’t get enough of the belly) with tons of watermelon cubes, radishes, mint and Thai basil.

SWEET

• Jardinere’s Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding with candied kumquat ice cream ($10) is hot, chocolately goodness punctuated with the candied tart bite of kumquat, served in a little cast-iron dish. Luxurious.

• Anthony’s Cookies in the Mission ($5 for a half dozen) taste like Mom’s homemade. They’re ALL good but I think I’d choose Cookies & Cream if you forced me.

DRINK

• 15 Romolo (15 Romolo Place, San Francisco, 94133, 415-398-1359) is back… and then some. With new managing partners, Scott Baird and Aaron Smith, joining owners, Greg Lindgren and Jon Gasparini, revamped Romolo still has the intrigue of alley access in the heart of North Beach, a well-chosen jukebox selection, and a hint of the Old West from handlebar-mustachioed bartenders, to a dim, woody bar. Cocktails hold rank with SF’s greats, including a Pimm’s Cup even better than at Napoleon House in New Orleans (though who can beat their 18th century ambiance?) I was crazy about maybe the lightest, freshest take on absinthe yet: L’arc de Triomphe, with Kubler Absinthe, Egg White, Orange, Lemon and Orange Bitter Syrup. With the care I see going into drinks from each talented bartender, to some of the most creatively playful bar bites around (addictive Jambalini: Italian arancini-style jambalaya balls with Creole aioli; $4 for five), I think we have a new classic on our hands.

• Adesso (4395 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, 94611, 510-601-0305) has pretty much the best happy hour ever… not only because cocktails are of artisan quality, like the Billionaire ($9) with Bakers’ 107 Bourbon Whiskey, Grenadine, Absinthe Bitters, Lemon, or seasonal, mercifully not-too-sweet Fragola Coppa ($8): Pimm’s No. 1, Cointreau, Limonata, with muddled strawberries, cucumber and mint; but because their FREE happy hour food is not just any free food: pork ragu arancini, salumi from their extensive selection, paninis, crostinis. It’s good stuff – all for the price of a drink.

• Passion fruit aroma burst from a glass of Terra Mia Sauvignon Blanc at Liberty Cafe… passion fruit on the tongue, too, with a nice, mineral finish.

• At Sidebar in Oakland, I appreciate the cocktail menu from none other than Jonny Raglin of Absinthe as consultant. Two versions of classic cocktails is a unique/cool concept: “Classicist” or “Locavore”, the latter being versions made with Bay Area liquors. My initial favorite was the hard to define, cinnamonny-cherry refresher, Zamboanga ‘Zenie’ ($10), a 1946 recipe from Charles H. Baker’s Gentleman’s Companion. The “locavore” is made with St. George Chardonnay Brandy, Acqua Perfecta Kirsch, pineapple gum, lime, bitters.

• At Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge, I always have a good time. My latest F.I. fling? The Nui Nui ($8) is a Don the Beachcomber classic with fresh citrus, housemade allspice liqueur and cinnamon syrup. I get the fresh breezes of Summer and the spiced comfort of Winter, all in one drink.