Top Tastes is my usual run-down of tastes over the past two weeks. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned.

Finally got to try all of Kung Fu Taco Truck’s tacos (duck, chicken, pork and beef) – tasty, if not my favorite Korean tacos (Seoul on Wheels‘ and Golden Gate Perk’s spicy pork are my tops). With siblings & friends in town, I’ve mostly been revisiting classics (and cheap eats) lately: Rosamunde & Toronado, Velvet Cantina, Ti Couz, Thai House Express on Larkin, Uncle Vito’s Pizza, Dosa on Fillmore, Poleng Lounge, Chutney, Za Pizza.

SAVORY – MEAT

•  Mission St. Food launched Mission Burger ($8), for sale in Duc Loi Supermarket every day but Thursday. It’s messy, on a grilled Acme bun, slathered in grilled onions… and damn good.

• La Briciola’s Bucatini all’ amatriciana ($9 at lunch) with sauteed bacon, onions and slightly spicy tomato sauce, is a dreamy pasta. Al dente, chewy house-made noodles, a hint of spice… a truly great dish.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

•  Deep Sushi, in my Noe ‘hood, has morphed into Deep, currently in soft-opening phase with two nightly seatings. A few of Deep Sushi’s best maki stay on the menu plus a whole new selection of yakitori, robata and noodle dishes. Thankfully, there’s still the Sunflower Roll ($11), but also spicy King Crab Croquettes (basically legs in the shell, $9). Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio ($9) is fresh but would be better as sashimi than with micro-green salad atop (wasabi caviar is a nice touch, however). Soba Noodles with Duck ($11) are comforting, but not a stand-out. My top initial taste had to be their Okonomiyaki ($11). I can’t often find these “pancakes”, one of my favorite Japanese dishes, and this is a worthy one, packed with bay scallops, shrimp and smoked bacon.

•  The Fat Lady is Oakland old-school in the most pleasing of ways. Dark wood, Tiffany lamps, the spirit of the ’70′s (when the restaurant opened) and the turn-of-the-century (decor-style) co-mingling. The menu is similarly dated, but actually quite tasty, especially at brunch. I miss blintzes from my NY days, something rare in SF. Fat Lady serves slightly crispy Blintzes ($9) filled with warm, sweet ricotta, covered in strawberries.

•  I like the slick whites and browns of pricey La Folie Lounge, plus the chance for a quiet cocktail and bite or two before an evening out. I think I’ll just keep popping those Truffle Gougeres ($6) – about eight of them in a cup – warm, flaky, oozing with fontina cheese and aromatic truffles.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

•  It’s a joy to return to Zare at Fly Trap, a restaurant whose staff and warm glow always make me feel welcome, wanted. The menu can be a little uneven, though never “off” in my experience, but some dishes stand out more than others. I had a happy fling with Smoked Trout ($11) over cucumber cut like linguine, with trout roe and dill creme fraiche. It works with Minted Memory ($10), a refreshingly light take on a Pimm’s Cup, with Bombay Gin, Pimm’s No. 1, malted vinegar syrup and lemon.

•  Beretta normally serves their Baccala ($7 ) with grilled polenta, but recently I enjoyed the flaky, baked salt cod with giant, plump white beans and tomatoes. A worthy version.

SWEET

•  Lois the Pie Queen is definitely queen of pies… a classic soul food diner, this place wraps around you like a warm blanket, easing any troubles with a hearty plate of food and the sweet staff calling you “baby” or “honey”. You want it all, but what you really need is the pie. Most slices are around $4 and Sweet Potato Pie lives up to better versions. But the Lemon Icebox Pie blew me away with such a puckering tart in creamy folds of pie. I am haunted by that extra slice in my fridge right now…

•  Vice Chocolates is an Oakland-based chocolatier using Venezuelan chocolate in their truffles and bars. I bought Vice at Oakland’s Temescal Farmers Market, partial to a Lady Lavender truffle ($2) with dark chocolate, lavender, vanilla beans, and the Fig + Anise Dark Chocolate Bar ($4).

•  Working your way through all flavors of Gobba Gobba Hey’s “gobs” (two cake-like cookies with cream in the middle – a Pennsylvania specialty; see last issue’s Top Tastes), I warn you, can become habit-forming.  Will it be Black Cherry with Lime Buttercream, Apricot Almond, Strawberry Basil, Blackberry Lemon-Thyme? I’ll take all, thanks. Subtle, moist, delicious. You can even order a box delivered to your office (get your co-workers hooked!) Follow Gobba Gobba Hey on Twitter for where to get ‘yer gobs.

This issue’s Top Tastes in DRINK

Scott Baird's Gulf Stream Express

COCKTAILS

•  At 7×7′s Mixology Madness final competition for Best Neighborhood Bartender on 9/8 at RN74, Scott Baird of 15 Romolo, created the drink of the night, Gulf Stream Express… and rightly won. Though required to use sponsor, Skyy Vodka (their Infusions Pineapple, in this case), Scott wisely added Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon and a splash of Racer 5 IPA, then layered this nuanced drink with lemon, egg white, caramelized pineapple syrup, dash of Fee Bros. whiskey barrel-aged bitters, cayenne, topped with fresh grated cinnamon and a sprinkling of Peychaud’s.

•  It’s a happy night at 15 Romolo when Chartreuse Karaoke Gong Show is in effect (with a free shot of Chartreuse to start)… but when Scott Beattie guests bartends, it’s even better. Highlighting the aforementioned Chartreuse, his Chartreuse Swizzle was topped with a bruleed (torched on top) pineapple; his version of The Last Word is the best I’ve tasted, the chartreuse, maraschino and gin accented with a candied lemon slice.

•  La Folie Lounge does a nice twist on a champagne cocktail by mixing champagne with Jameson Irish Whiskey, fresh muddled nectarine and lemon in the Midleton ($10). It’s a tribute to the last days of Summer.

SAKE

• Joy of Sake on September 10 at Yoshi’s SF, was an over-crowded, fight-for-a-bite-of-food event. Too bad as many of those gorgeous sakes were left without lines while the hungry crowd tried not to drink on an empty stomach. More for me, I guess. I could only get so far in the list of 100 strong. Out of the 30 or so sakes I sampled, an immediate stand-out was a smooth Daiginjo B sake from Kyoto, brewed by Masuda Tokubee Shoten: Tsuki no Katsura “Heiankyo Munouyaku Iwaimai”.

CIDER

• Two Rivers Cider is a Sactown-based cider company, selling ciders from bars throughout Nor Cal. I enjoyed their tart, dry Pomegranate Cider ($4.50; $3.50  during happy hour) on draft at Toronado, but you can also order at Alembic and 21st Amendment.

TEA

• Either the Green Tea Matcha Shake or Island Spice Chai ($3 each) at Poleng Lounge during its new lunch/take-out hours (not particularly memorable though cheap noodle & rice lunches) are colorful, flavor-packed iced alternatives to anything Starbucks does up the block.

In Conversation with Chef Melissa Axelrod

Melissa Axelrod, of Melissa Claire’s Kitchen, a chef with a background at none other than Delfina and Fringale, now works with other chefs and beer and wine experts to create a series of meals rich in range and taste.

I took in a night in Melissa Claire’s Kitchen at cozy Velo Rouge Cafe on August 27th, a stunning Indian Summer evening with white clouds dotting a moonlit sky. The four-course menu ($45 per person) redolent with freshness, each plate substantial and well-paced so I somehow did not leave stuffed.

Melissa filled the menu with “late summer goodness”, starting off with a Caponata (eggplant, tomato, pine nuts) with fresh mozzarella and a grilled crostini, followed by a buttery Frisee Salad with ripe peaches, toasted almonds, and a tarragon creme fraiche dressing. Between the Renaissance Man and myself, I tried both entrees: a grilled/seared local Albacore Tuna, a generous piece of fish surrounded by butter beans, haricots verts and an Early Girl confit of tomato, basil, pesto. This would have been good enough, but she won me completely with her hand-made Potato Gnocchi with charred Brentwood corn, cherry tomatoes, corn butter broth and Parmigiano. For a gnocchi fanatic like myself (and I’ve had some of my finest in Italy), this was one of the best gnocchis I’ve ever had. Dessert was no afterthought: Gravenstein Apple Galette with cinnamon ice cream and salted caramel sauce, sweet with a welcome dose of salt.

Now that your mouth is watering, there are plenty of opportunities to indulge in such a meal yourself.

As I sat and talked with Melissa, it was exciting to hear the projects and partnerships she has in the works. Teaming up with Toronado, namely her fiancee, Christian Spybrook,  they’ve created some intriguing beer dinners, usually around six courses at $95, with her own charcuterie and pates part of the feast (the last dinner offered tastes of no less than 13 local beers!) October 25th is their next Octoberfest-themed dinner (watch her website for details), but one where local Rieslings and German-style wines are paired (by wine consultant, Robert Joyce) with dinner, rather than beers.

With chef, Liz Bills of California Table, there’s a series of meals, usually around four courses (plus passed plates) for $55, held at Mercedes Hair of the Dog.  With communal seating, two long tables are set-up, and wine pairings commence, their last Tomato Dinner Feast paired with a fabulous selection of local Roses, again selected by Robert Joyce. Watch Melissa and Liz’ websites for dates and tickets through Brown Paper.

Melissa’s hands-on and seasonal, local approach is the “real deal” – she’s so involved in each course and the farm produce she lovingly selects, having wisely partnered with other food and drink experts to maximize the experience and camraderie. When Melissa says she “doesn’t want [her dinners] to be fussy”, she ensures they aren’t. Rather, it’s a fresh explosion of local foods with the welcoming spirit of dining in a friends’ home.

I lustily ate my way through Chicago half of the last two weeks yet still have a slew of new Bay Area openings and dishes I must share with you. Chicago adventures are forthcoming – only a series will contain it all.

Top Tastes reflects the best new places, dishes, drinks and bites from my culinary explorations since the last issue.  Imbiber highlights my Top Tastes in drink: cocktails, spirits, wine, coffee.  Happenings hits Eat Real Fest in Oakland.

Have five food/drink/travel-loving friends sign up for The Perfect Spot newsletter, and I’ll create “Perfect Meal” recommendations 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.

I’d love your feedback on any spots visited from my site. As your personal concierge who tells it to you like a good friend would, I create personalized itineraries: trips, meals, explorations (check out “Services“).

Let me guide you to the perfect spot!

Virginia

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

Top Tastes is my usual run-down of tastes over the past two weeks. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned.

SAVORY – MEAT

• Berkeley’s Brazil Cafe feels like vacation… hit the original, street-side stand (they now have an indoor restaurant down the street), draped in palm leaves, with umbrella-covered tables, faded posters of Rio, a surfboard menu, and friendly owner, Pedro Robin, who seems like he lives a perpetual vacation. A Mango or Avocado Smoothie washes down the insanely tasty (fast becoming legendary around Berkeley) Tri-Tip Sandwich ($7.99), doused in addictive cilantro garlic sauce. Tender, juicy tri-tip is loaded with pineapple, jalapeno, green olive, tomato, onion, lettuce – a small bit of each for overall balance. Really, perfection in a sandwich. I’m salivating just thinking about it.

• Though I think $15 is an insane amount to pay for a sandwich of this size and from a lunch window next to Enrico’s in North Beach, Naked Lunch (skilled Chef Ian Begg, of now-closed Cafe Majestic) serves some truly gourmet sandwiches at a worthy $8-9… until you get to the mother lode: the $15 Foie Gras Torchon & Duck Prosciutto Sandwich with Heirloom tomato, butter lettuce, white truffle oil. You might still be hungry afterwards, but it’s well worth trying – a luscious, luxurious, if spendy, sandwich.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

•  It was with humor and reverence that I entered Doc’s Clock blissfully greasy bar on a Sunday, ordered a peppery Bloody Mary ($8) with a tender piece of tri-tip and two stalks of asparagus (all of which bartender, Ryan, grills himself some Sundays), placed it on my Michael Jackson (Jackson 5 days) placemat and opened up a Bible to the Three Papayas menu inside. Three Papayas is chef Ta-Wei Lin, who just launched Vietnamese brunch every Sunday afternoon from 12-4pm at Doc’s. Portions are huge and all $8 (about 5 of them). Chef Lin garnishes plates with seasonal, delicious fruits like figs, passion fruit and, of course, papayas. Lin’s creative plates are fun enough to look at, but even more fun to eat. I dig the Vietnamese Crepe (vegetarian or with pork & shrimp), Papaya Salad, and for cardamom and daal (lentil) lovers, I recommend the unusual Bunny Chao, a hefty, hollowed-out loaf of bread (with filling piled neatly on the side) overflowing with green lentils, veggies and cardamom-pods. Amen and hallelujah!

•  Probably my favorite dishes (at least of the few I was able to try due to 30 minute+ lines) at the madly-packed SF Street Food Festival were Aziza’s.  Their “Bite”, a Squid Salad ($3) with maras pepper, preserved lemon, cabbage, mint and cilantro, was explosively bright, and their “Forks & Fingers” main dish, a Moroccan “Taco” ($8), was a thick, grilled flatbread drizzled with harissa, filled with yogurt and veggies – or lamb, if you so desired. Yum.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

•  The trek down to Mountain View provides something we don’t see a lot of in SF, despite our excellent Tenderloin ‘curry houses’: upscale, creative Indian food with cocktails (yes, Amber attempts this). New Sakoon is sleekly designed, with upstairs lounge and striking fiber-optic light fixtures oozing a magical glow. I’m partial to the Kerela Fish Curry ($18), a finely cooked sea bass with shrimp and scallops joining in, covered in creamy coconut curry sauce. It partners well with The Mistress of Spice cocktail ($8): Cuervo Traditional tequila, Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb, 5-spiced mango nectar, lemon, salt rim. I couldn’t get enough of their Naan – especially Rosemary Pesto.

•  Since it opened, I’ve had a problem with the overpricing at Nettie’s Crab Shack, much as I adore the bright, New England-meets-California decor. In a recent re-visit, I found a more affordable way to eat here than $17 Fish & Chips or $36 Lobster Rolls (ouch! Even in NYC, mid-20′s is the highest I paid for the best I’ve ever had at Pearl’s Oyster Bar). I started with Blueberry Skillet Cornbread in maple syrup ($5 for two big pieces), four juicy Gulf Prawns on a skewer ($10), a lovely Halibut Fish Taco ($5) and a perfectly grilled Sardine ($4). Four items for the cost of one of the main dish highlights. The outdoor grill gets going at noon and with a $7 Boston Swizzle (bourbon & lemon in a frosty, julep-like cup), it’s a pleasant lunch.

•  Jai Yun is a Chinatown classic known for its multi-course, Chinese feasts - starting at $55 a person. Those dinners add up but a cheaper alternative is try it at lunch on a weekday where a mere $18 gets you five starter tastes (pickled vegetables, ginger and other delights) and 6 dishes, many of which are served as part of the dinners. I’m such a fan of being able to taste many things, rather than being limited to one or two, and this lunch delivered. My favorite was an Octopus Salad, punchy with chilis and a flavorful broth.

SWEET

•  I recommend brand new Starbelly (from owners of wildly successful Beretta), because new opening kinks and all, it’s already an ideal urban comfort food spot with fine beers on tap, gracious service and reasonably-priced gourmet goods (hello, Corn with mascarpone & garlic!) A first go-round at Starbelly led me to a finale that topped it all: Warm Strawberry & Fig Crumble ($7) with my beloved Humprhy Slocombe’s balsamic-caramel ice cream. 

•  Summer (and ANY time) is the right time for ice cream and Tara’s is a happy addition to the Bay Area, established in Sante Fe but moved to Berkeley last year. Thankfully, there’s an SF option now as well as the Berkeley shop – you can get Tara’s at the daily Island Earth Farmer’s Market inside the Metreon. Not only are Tara’s ice creams unique, full of flavor and organic, but the staff have excellent pairing suggestions – flavors you might think wouldn’t go together, end up making wonderful partners. Why not try Basil and Banana?  Sweet Corn and Sage? Black Sesame stands strong alone. Ask them.

•  Not being a cream puff lover, it says a lot when one wins me over… I tried a few at new Pacific Puffs, but my ‘hats off’ to the Classic ($3.25), oozing vanilla custard, crowned with chocolate. From the owners’ long-held family recipe, it does them proud.