Fireside table

DOLLIE MARIE’S

1602 South El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA  94402
650-638-9238
www.dolliemaries.com

I can never get enough of that unique-to-the-US cuisine: Southern cooking. Enter Dollie Marie’s, delightful, boisterous Chef Gator’s latest, whose restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of eating at through the years (and sadly saw close), from Noe Valley’s Alcatraces to Gator’s in downtown San Mateo. When you add in white suit jackets and a whisper of fine dining elegance at reasonable prix fixe prices ($38 for three courses or $49 for four – your choice of dishes), I’m lured in.

Then there’s an amuse bouche (crawfish bisque, thank you very much!), a palate cleanser (orange mint sorbet), homemade candies, and courses cooked with love and finesse, all in a gorgeous cottage, fireside glowing, each room lined with photos of Chef Gator’s family through the generations (including his mother, the restaurant’s namesake). It’s the complete package and I’m won over.

I’m already thinking about when I can next make it to this new gem in the Bay Area dining scene, tucked away off El Camino Real in a non-descript part of San Mateo. For less than the cost of many mid-range San Francisco restaurants, it’s a Southern feast to linger over.

There’s the finest Frog Legs I’ve ever eaten, gently fried and juicy with flavorful black-eyed pea gravy and cheesy dirty rice loaded with bacon and green onion. 

Rich, luscious Alligator & Caramelized Onion Gratin is baked under a puff pastry shell with fontina cheese. There’s also classic Turtle Soup, giant and delicious Oysters pan-fried in cornmeal with a fabulous remoulade, a fine Shrimp & Grits with plump Gulf shrimp, and desserts like Gator’s Bananas Foster or a comforting Sweet Potato & Apple Cobbler with cinnamon ice cream.

A Blackened Catfish entree is quite tasty and flaky, but I never quite go for the heavy pepper inflections of this type of dish. This version is handled deftly (joyously resting on a bed of crawfish risotto), but I still could do with less pepper. Due to the lack of availability of proper rabbit when I was there, the rabbit entree wasn’t on the menu (I appreciate them holding out for a better meat) but it sounds amazing: Braised Rabbit with Jack Daniels maple syrup gravy. Next time.

The flavors of the South that I crave  are here, done with a gourmet touch and the kind of quality ingredients we’re used to in the Bay Area. I certainly love Oakland’s Pican (despite a rather sterile, corporate-looking dining room) and SF’s gorgeous, jazz haven, 1300 on Fillmore… both are pricey, Southern-influenced menus with a CA touch and I’m so glad they’re here.

Though Gator has that Cali touch as an Oakland native, his family’s Southern roots show in a more traditional but fresh menu I enjoyed the likes of in Charleston and New Orleans. This one feels like the real deal and worlds removed from the bustling spirit of Pican and 1300 on Fillmore. You get more for your money here: a delicious multi-course meal, warm and inviting, with fine dining hints.

The intimacy and quiet of the cottage is like dining in a friend’s Southern home, complete with charm and comfort. The wine list is so-so and service sweet, attentive and still working itself out. Gator is ever jovial and welcoming, and his wife, Mary Ann, makes sure you’re taken care of. All in all, I’m thrilled to see this unique addition to the Bay Area dining scene. You’re transported to the elegant South… where it feels like a special occasion, even if it’s not.

CHICAGO, Part Two

“Chicago sounds rough to the maker of verse. One comfort we have – Cincinnati sounds worse.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1880

Back to Chicago, where my husband once lived for a Summer (part one here). The city remains much as I remember it: gritty, even at it’s “prettiest”, middle America in a big city/New York reminiscent package. It doesn’t woo me like San Francisco or New Orleans, nor secure my eternal loyalty as NYC does, but it’s the only real city in the middle, as far as I’m concerned. Here I eat hearty and well, surrounded by locals who are welcoming, rough around the edges, good-hearted. Neighborhood by neighborhood, in a multi-part series, we’ll cover some of my haunts during a recent stay.

WEST LOOP

Near where I stayed in South Loop, this area is rife with Chi-town hot spots, including the swarmed duo of Avec and Blackbird next door to each other.

•   Sepia is what I call the whole package, in a chic, gorgeous 1890’s print shop, retaining cameras and brick walls from those days, with stunning sepia-toned photography on their website, walls, coasters. The whole package is proven by cocktails alone, keeping up with better bars in this town. Sitting in the bar with appetizers and cocktails is a fine way to spend an evening. Maybe you want a New World Old-Fashioned ($11): roasted squash infused 1792 bourbon, ancho-spiced maple syrup, smoked cocoa tincture, muddled orange and brandied cherries? I know I did. Under shimmery chandeliers in the artistic, loft-like space, each course tastes better than the last, from Duck Confit mini-Flatbread ($6) with fig-black pepper jam, to a hefty Bourbon Pork Porterhouse ($26) with cherries & grits.

•   Avec – It’s been so over-hyped, I was skeptical. Nevermind that I had to go at 4:30pm to avoid the screaming, sardine-packed din and eternal waits witnessed the first night I peeked in. The slick wood box of a space is merely a backdrop for what is known to be ultra-fresh, seasonal food of high quality… kinda like many Bay Area restaurants. I found each dish I tried tasty and lovingly plated (in a reasonable $9-21 range), though not unlike what is highly common where I live. There were a couple missteps: a bright Panzanella (bread) Salad with dried cherries, grilled Vidalia onions, fennel, mustard greens, was missing even a drop of the feta it was purported to have. A picturesque La Quercia Prosciutto plate ($20.5) was loaded with impeccable ricotta and greens, but peaches were actually hard. Hard as a rock. I did not expect this kind of misstep in a place Zagat rates a 27 for food, but maybe I’m spoiled by quality of ingredients in Northern California. Still, this was in late Summer so there’s no excuse for that in a place of this caliber. Only Coffee-braised Pork Ribs ($12) with a bright slaw were addictive and seamless. At least on this visit, it all bordered on greatness but didn’t quite achieve it.

•   Blackbird – A sister restaurant to Avec (and it’s next door neighbor), this sleek, nearly all-white space could be sterile if it weren’t for thoughtfully placed floral arrangements and gracious staff. I wish I ate a meal here but there wasn’t time. It’s still worth mentioning for its high reputation in Chi-town and as sitting at the bar for drinks was worthwhile. Their cocktails change seasonally ($12 each), and if not the best I’ve tasted, a creative freshness leads the way. Examples from their current menu: December Morn with Hendricks Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, Cherry Brandy, Lime, Egg White.

•   Bombon Cafe – A playful bakery with pastries, tacos and tortas, I went out of my way to stop in  for their wide range of Mexican cakes and sweets. They’re known for 3 Leches Cake (Tres Leches, more accurately, but, hey – that’s what they call it!) I tasted a number of these moist and delightful mini-cakes. Traditional and Egg Nog were tops, but Pina Colada and Mexican Caramel are fun.

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE

•   Lovely: A Bakeshop is truly that… lovely. A darling, open space, filled with modern art in a homespun, thrift store, country-kitchen spirit, it’s a happy place to sip, what else? Chicago’s own Intelligentsia coffee over a book with delectable baked goods.  Their housemade fruit jams (I like Peach Rhubarb) are worth taking home.

THE LOOP

Despite throngs of tourists and massive chain stores, there’s an elegance to the Magnificent Mile. Stopping for local Vosges Truffles is a Chicago treat: Absinthe & Black Pearl (ginger/wasabi/sesame) truffles rock. I remember old days in this area when I’d dine at classic red sauce Italian, Rosebud. This time, I finally made it to Frontera Grill. I actually had my reservation at Topolobampo, where I certainly preferred to go. But, going alone for this meal, I ended up making friends with others waiting in line who invited me to join them. I didn’t realize till after I sat down that it was Frontera, not Topolobampo as they both have the same host desk, just different sides of the restaurant.

Yes, Rick Bayless won Top Chef Masters last year and seems like a sweetheart. I’ve always gleaned from his passion for Mexican food, watching him create lovingly prepared dishes on TV. Maybe I joined in too late in the game, but I found everything from a margarita (I paid more for better tequila) to the appetizer platter to steak tacos, not as good as I expected. All fine, but not memorable. I’ve grown up with such amazing Mexican food in California and this meal did not stand out.

I couldn’t help but feel it bordered on mediocre.  Oddly enough, the highlight was a perfectly grilled, sweet, crisp corn on the cob (Elote) with the traditional mayo and chili elements done tastefully and with a light hand. It was a small side note yet the one part I’d crave again. But… I’ve also had lovely Elote here at home and the meal overall felt like a cranked up chain restaurant with better ingredients. Maybe I should have gone to Topolobampo.

Top Tastes is my usual run-down of favorites. 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

• My birthday dinner this year was a GOOD one: I finally made it to Daniel Patterson’s Coi. I could not possibly choose one top course, so a few may have to be named. Understated and muted as the dining room is, service is impeccable, Patterson himself delivers some of the courses, and gently hip sounds of Radiohead and Zero 7 set the backdrop for a blissful, hours-long meal. The Renaissance Man and I ate our 11 courses ($125 per person) over about three hours, savoring the range, creativity and precision of each dish. Sizes only appear small – at about the 8th course, I was getting full. I have to say it: their famed Slow Cooked Egg, served with crisp chicken skin and broth, Swiss chard, farro, is all it’s cracked up to be (oh, I loathe puns and here I am succumbing!) Texture, flavor, perfection.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

• Bar Crudo has long been a seafood, and certainly crudo, favorite of mine since its original FiDi location, now in roomier (though missing some of the charm) Divisadero digs. There’s little I’ve ever had here I don’t just love, from the creamy dream of a chowder to crudo perfection. A Crudo Sampler ($12/23) is a great way to try a few, while a recent addition of Rhode Island Fluke ($12 for 4 pieces), with a kick of jalapeno, coconut milk, citrus, basil, mint, is topped with none other than chicharrones.  Could it get any better?

• Another Coi highlight was grilled Monterey Bay Abalone. Tender, it rocked the a la plancha treatment, accented with Meyer lemon, shellfish vinaigrette, and puntarelle (in the chicory family). A truly approachable abalone dish.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

• Coi, take three: creativity flavor combo points for Sunchoke-Buttermilk Soup… the buttermilk broth poured tableside over a gelatin-like sunchoke disc. The kicker comes in unexpected additions of Asian pear, cocoa nibs and mint.

• Potrero Hill’s new Mediterranean (in long-timer Eliza’s space), Pera, is working out new opening kinks but gracious service isn’t one of them. They’re hospitable, willing to chat and explain dishes (from Turkey, Greece and beyond). Meze (small plates) give me a chance to try more. I like the fresh meat of Cannellini beans in Fasolaki ($7 at lunch) contrasted with bright lemon vinegar, tomatoes, red onion, olive oil and scallions, topped with a boiled egg.

• By no means the best pizza in town, Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant’s Point Reyes Blue Pizza ($16/$21) with mozzarella, Pt. Reyes fabulous blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, oven roasted tomatoes and basil, still hit the spot on a recent brunch. Sunday nights it’s all-you-can-eat pizzas for $12.95 per person, which is the real deal.

• Bernal Heights’ new East-meets-West bakery, Sandbox, is mostly French pastries mixed with Asian baked goods. Pastry chef, Mutsumi Takehara, comes from a high pedigree: La Farine and Chez Panisse (the West) and Slanted Door (and the East). A welcome little addition to the ‘hood, in my initial visit I was impressed with a Sticky Bun ($2.25) – truly perfecting the ’sticky’ – and a Negi-Miso Challah ($2.25), a savory roll laced with miso and scallions.

SWEET

• Oakland’s Lush Gelato rolls out holiday and seasonal flavors with a lovely (and boozy) egg nog, a meaty-fresh pumpkin and a fine cinnamon. I still gravitate towards their year-round classics like fresh mint chip, tasting like a creamy mint herb garden.

• Back to Coi once more for dessert: though there were two dessert courses, both delicious, my favorite was Steamed Kabocha Squash Cake, a little moist cake reminiscent of a fine gingerbread or pumpkin bread, but more airy, with accents of apple, pomegranate and genius addition of garam masala spices.

The majesty of Yosemite in Winter

YOSEMITE’S BRACEBRIDGE DINNER

9005 Ahwahnee Drive
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
801-559-4884
www.yosemitepark.com/bracebridge

Driving through snow-laced Yosemite Valley in Winter… there’s a quiet that is richly restorative. The sound of dripping icicles and waterfalls in the distance create a gentle hum as the backdrop to what is nothing short of Ansel Adams’ photos come alive.

A little fog in the valley creates a mysterious aura over every peak and pine. I’m immediately swept into the magic. There are no words for the beauty of Yosemite graced with snow. I’d venture to say, if you have not seen it in Winter, you haven’t fully seen it. Having previously been here in the dead-stop traffic, 100 degree heat, body-to-body nightmare of Summer, I felt as if I was seeing it for the first time this December.

In this cradle of beauty, comes a weekend of enchantment at The Ahawhnee, Yosemite’s one “luxury” hotel since 1927. The rooms are comfy and well-kept, if not necessarily outfitted with the latest, the heat cranks high and views from some rooms are stunning. The hotel’s Great Lounge is as killer as I remember, with giant fireplaces blazing, high ceilinged-chandeliers, couches, nooks, grand pianos and the Native American décor common throughout the hotel. I could happily be ensconced by the fireplace with a good book my entire stay.

The centerpiece of this trip was to attend Yosemite’s Bracebridge Dinner, a tradition since 1927, with Ansel Adams himself an early orchestrator of its music, costumes and format. At the helm is Andrea Fulton, who has been in the program since she was five years old, when her father was running it. Meeting Andrea in her hotel room was fascinating – she’s 65 with an overabundant amount of energy and wicked sense of humor. It’s inspiring (and exhausting) to see all she does for Bracebridge: directing, starring, choosing fabrics for their lush costumes, masterminding countless aspects of the production.

What is Bracebridge? You can read the history on their site, but I’d sum it up as a Medieval feast at Lord Bracebridge’s manor (very loosely based on Washington Irving’s, “A Christmas at Bracebridge Hall”), complete with concert, revelry and seven-course dinner. The price tag appears insanely high: $399 per person, or included in overall hotel packages if you stay at the Ahwahnee.

At this point in my life, going as press was the way I was able to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience smack in the center of one our great national parks, putting me fully in the Christmas spirit. It’s the kind of thing you’d save up for or splurge on. The event continues to sell out, night after night. Years ago, there was a lottery to even have the chance to buy tickets until more performances were added – now there are even Christmas Eve and Day performances.

For me, the event is perfected in two areas: the setting and the music. The natural setting outdoors is enough, but the stunning Ahwahnee lounge and dining room make it other-worldly. We began with skilled pianists in the lounge at both grand pianos playing Christmas carols (I particularly enjoyed their rendition of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” prior to that hour). Song books scattered around for us to use, we all sang while sipping champagne in our evening gowns and tuxes. At 6pm, trumpeters entered, stood in front of the fireplace and heralded us to dinner with a blast.

Red carpet lined the middle of the dining room, wreaths hung on the windows, a grand head table sat under stained glass, and a radiant glow bathed the room. After a starter relish plate  and our first glass of wine (alas, wine is not included in the price so you have to order glasses or bottles separately when you pick up dinner tickets), the room hushed and in the darkness were voices singing “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”. The chorus of actors and singers entered slowly down the red carpet, uttering that memorable lyric.

As key members of the cast are opera singers (many from SF Opera), their vocal precision and perfection melded into a glorious, sometimes chill-inducing choir. As a life-long music lover from a musical family (and a humble singer myself), I was impressed by the  musical selection, certainly much of it in the Olde English tradition (“The Coventry Carol”, “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella”, et. al.) There were a few originals, like the Disney-ish, “Be Our Guest”-reminiscent song about the food, sung by Andrea Fulton’s housekeeper character and the French chef. And there were classics like a duet of “O Holy Night” (Cantique de Noel) that induced tears around me.

The theatrics of the “play” aspect are somewhat grandiose and over-the-top, more proclamation than natural verse. With the Renaissance Man’s theater background and my love for great theater, it’s certainly not our preferred style. But it seems appropriate to the format – more family-oriented, not so much a play, rather a simulated historical dinner concert.

The seven-course meal is well-paced and quite tasty considering my lowered expectations from prior meals at the Ahwahnee. Certainly it’s not the caliber of meals I’m used to in the city, but it surprised me as better than expected and a seamless part of the event. In keeping with the original themes since the 1920’s of having courses like “Boar’s Head and Baron of Beef” and “Peacock Pie”, there was Angus Beef Tenderloin for the former and Moulard Duck Breast for the latter, though I couldn’t help but wish we’d actually dined on Boar’s Head and Peacock! Toasting Wassail (to a catchy song of the same name) over a dessert of Brandy-Apricot Pudding, was a festive ending – and a fine wassail, I might add, having grown up with it every Christmas.

Though it may be outside of many of our budgets, if you save up for this rare event, you will not soon forget the glow of the evening, one that lingers as the last strains of singing are uttered, entirely fitting for the setting:

“Now the joyful bells are ringing.
All ye mountains praise the Lord!
Lift your hearts like birds awinging,
All ye mountains praise the Lord!
Now our fes’tal season bringing
Kinsman all to bide and board.
Sets our cheery voices singing,
All ye mountains praise the Lord!”