“Discover in all things that which shines and is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in whatever heart it may have been driven into secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror of the world… Be the inferior of no man, nor of any man be the superior… In the time of your life, live – so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.” - William Saroyan, “The Time of Your Life”

Fresh citrus behind the bar at Smuggler's Cove (see "Imbiber")

I’m in Yosemite right now at the Ahwahnee Hotel and Bracebridge Dinner, taking in the truly overwhelming majesty of the park in Winter and coziness of fireside at the hotel. The year nears it’s end and it has been a full one, not without its struggles, but ever rich in its joys and discoveries. Thanks for sharing this year’s taste and travel adventures with me. So much more to come… and I always love to hear of your finds, too.

Top Tastes, reflects the best new places  and dishes from my recent culinary explorations, while Imbiber captures my top tastes in drink, this particular issue covering brand new rum/Tiki bar, Smuggler’s Cove.

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Virginia

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- Here’s my weekly San Francisco Bay Guardian online column, Appetite, (subscribe by RSS feed on the Arts & Culture blog – type “appetite” in Search field- or bookmark the Food & Dining page).

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

Custom-made punch bowls

With more than 200 premium rums and a gorgeous 80+ cocktail menu that actually made me a little giddy to read through, drink is the real star here and Cate does not disappoint with his expertly-chosen selection. I’m eager to try many of these cocktails, my preview night favorites being a WWII classic, “Three Dots and a Dash“, a spiced refresher of aged Martinique rhum, private reserve rum, lime, orange, honey, falernum, allspice, bitters; and… “The Chadburn“, a complex mix of private reserve rum, tawny port, pear liqueur and a dash of chocolate mole bitters.  A fascinating  Calibogus, made with Zirbenz Stone Pine liqueur, spruce tincture, molasses, seltzer, Private Reserve rum, tastes almost like it would be in the root beer family – a bright, unique soda. Or just go for a rum flight (I like $16 Refinement flight) and taste the variety and complexity of rum.

Three Dots & a Dash Cocktail

The menu is intriguingly grouped in sections like “Classic Libations of Prohibition Era Havana“, “Exotic Rum Cocktails from Legendary Tiki Bars“, even “Exotic Cocktails without (Gasp!) Rum“. There’s going to be a “Rumbustion Society“, a rum school, if you will, where working your way through a 20-chapter study on the many styles and complexities of rum (punch card included), initiates you as a “disciple” with access to rare tastings from their vault. You can attempt to try all 80 cocktails on the menu to become a “Voyager” (tempting!), with its own privileges. Bountiful possibilities for interaction and tasting adventures.

Thankfully, music is also an ideal fit (something I always pay attention to). It’s certainly the kind of soundtrack where I might hear my Exotica favorites like Yma Sumac or Martin Denny. As I took a restroom break, “Bali Ha’i” serenaded me and I knew… I’ll gladly escape to the Cove over and over again.

– From my 12/7/09 SF Guardian Appetite column: http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/pixel_vision/2009/12/appetite_smugglers_cove_shangh.html

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.

Charming new Pinkie's Bakery (serving Blue Bottle Coffee & boxed lunches) in Potrero (http://pinkiesbakerysf.com)

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

Thai Snapper at Mission Beach Cafe

• I’ve long been a fan of Mission Beach Cafe’s Pot Pie Tuesdays (rabbit pot pie, look out!) Since they’ve recently resumed, it’s a good a time as any to say the Seafood Pot Pie ($26) is killer. Yes, pricey, but rich and filled with, as the Renaissance Man said, no throw-away seafood: fresh chunks of lobster, crab and shrimp fill the flaky shell, with wok-fried sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes and julienned leeks on the side.

Entrees are equally fine, like a brilliant Pan-seared Thai Snapper ($24) with crispy edges and purest white, flaky body. If it wasn’t already a perfectly seared fish, accents send it over the top: caramelized pears, grilled red endive, baby leeks, and best of all, a cardamom-chestnut soubise. Mission Beach is easily one of the better neighborhood dinner spots around, with service and setting emitting as warm a glow as the food. It’s amazing their dinners stay ever-so-slightly under-the-radar. More for you, then… go!

Mussels and Clam Chowder by the fire at Mayes Oyster House

• Though my opening week visit highlighted a few service kinks to work out, Mayes Oyster House remains a stirking space, even in its latest incarnation: pressed tin ceilings, leather booths and animal print armchairs by the fireplace intimate its 1867 glory days as a seafood house, now serving the likes of Hamachi Tartare ($9) and Kamikaze Oyster Shooters (2 for $5). Despite a decent Seafood Louie ($13) with crab, prawns and Canadian lobster, and ok bowl of P.E.I. mussels & clams ($11) with addictive garlic cheese bread ($3), my hands down favorite was creamy, clam-laden New England Clam Chowder ($7) with crispy sourdough croutons. I’d go back for a bowl of that by the fire.

SAVORY – MEAT

Lamb Shank at Luce's Frescobaldi Dinner

• Let’s throw in the entire Inspirations of Tuscany meal at Luce on 11/11 as a “Top Taste”. Not only was there a special 6-course menu (plus amuse bouche & palate cleansers – loved Sorrel Snow, a wheatgrass-like sorbet!) from SF’s charming Chef Dominique Crenn, who cooked with adorable Donatella Zampoli, exec chef of Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi wine estates in Tuscany.  They alternated cooking each course, with dishes like Eggplant Timbale, Parmesan Risotto with duck breast, Tuscan-style Lamb Shank. The chefs chatted with us, joking about historic competitiveness between France and Italy,  while exhibiting nothing but camaraderie. With the amount of food we feasted on, $75 could actually be called a deal. And then there were Frescobaldi wine pairings… (see Imbiber).

SWEET

Brenda's Pumpkin Pancakes

• Brenda’s, how I adore you! Though I miss the quiet of the first year Brenda’s opened, long waits are worth it for the best New Orleans food in SF (and my favorite Shrimp & Grits dish ever, even of all the ones I’ve had in the South!) I love most every dish here over the years, but this week’s special of giant Pumpkin Pancakes ($9.50) crusted with gingersnap pecan streusel plus a side of vanilla cream cheese, was woefully delicious.

Wexler's Choco Chili Fudge Pie

• Working my way through Wexler’s desserts has been a pleasurable experience (see July Top Tastes). A recent visit yielded more, though I felt Sugar Pie Pumpkin Pie ($6) needed more of the barely-there Mexican Hot Chocolate Sauce as an accent. My favorite new dessert is Chocolate-Chili Fudge Pie ($6) with merely a whiff of chili, enough to add intrigue, and the salty joy of pretzels and toffee crumbled underneath.