“It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them – the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas.” - Fyodor Dostoevsky

I’m proud of the innovation and spirit in the Bay Area. As I visit old and new favorite distilleries like St. George and Old World Spirits, sample a preview dinner of Daniel Patterson’s upcoming Plum, and celebrate the release of the first fair trade spirits, FAIR, it’s clear that it’s a vibrant time in the world of food and drink.

Top Tastes highlights major new openings like Benu from French Laundry chef, the exciting Sons & Daughters, street cart food, okonomiyaki and a tea house. Imbiber raves about cocktails from Healdsburg to the East Bay, with sips at Ministry of Rum 2010 and through Heaven Hill’s catalog.

Around the Bay goes for East Bay fine dining at the constantly hyped Commis, then down home Jamaican cooking at Sweet Fingers.

Wandering Traveler returns to New Orleans for the best sno-balls, po boys, cocktails, coffee and meals from my July visit. On the Town is my photo recap of one our greatest local food & drink events, SF Chefs.

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:
Studying Drink – 3 books to have on your shelf
Wine Country’s new hotspots
The Scene at SF Chefs
Two delicious street food events

**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

BENU, SoMa – Let’s get this out of the way now: yes, Benu is a noteworthy new fine dining destination from former French Laundry executive chef, Corey Lee. And, yes, it will take you weeks, if not months, to get a reservation, though it just opened (I made my reservation a month before it opened or I’d never have gotten in).

Let’s say you forgo the $160 tasting menu required for the whole table, which is way too much  for a non-special occasion, and opt for a la carte? The bill still came to $300 for two with four courses and two glasses of wine each, and though Benu is ‘the whole package’, I couldn’t help but recall recent visits to Commonwealth and Sons & Daughters, assuredly less refined experiences in terms of atmosphere and service, but when it comes to food, have a similar ethos, abandon and presentation… for less than half the price. I’m just saying.

For those able to drop this kind of cash, it’s a welcome addition to our fine dining scene The dining room is understated, a total transformation from the former Hawthorne Lane/Two space. You won’t recognize it.

Lighting and minimal artwork in the intimate side dining room create a clean, minimalist feel. But the space feels museum-like and sterile if it weren’t for truly gracious service. I went merely one week into opening and they already had service down like a well-orchestrated concert… other than system billing issues that caused a 15 minute delay in getting my bill.

The staff made it all right with their unobtrusive attentiveness and warm smiles. Two somms recommend wine pairings: Head Sommelier, Yoon Ha, and Sommelier, Michael Ireland.

The meal begins with the gratis bits: Buckwheat Lavash with nori, a crunchy, paper-thin flatbread, delicately hot with chili. Then a lovely amuse bouche: Spherification of Tomato with cucumber and Summer blossoms in a dashi broth. The tomato sphere explodes, while the skin of the sphere dissolves, allowing the full flavor of the tomato to coat the mouth.

As is all too often the case, first courses stole the show. Paired with the sweet dill and mustard notes of a 1996 C.H. Berres Spatlese Riesling from Mosel ($11 a glass), I was immediately wowed by Snapping Turtle Veloute ($16), a lush broth with bits of turtle meat poured over Langoustine (small lobster) and vegetable matignon. This dish was the young, vibrant girl of the menu: intelligent and full of promise, playful and enticing.

Veal Sweetbread Grenobloise ($14) with cauliflower, parsley, lemon and caper was none too shabby. Though I prefer the turtle dish, this is an impeccable sweetbread creation. Add in a glass of 2008 Depaquit Chablis ($11) and I moved on to pastas. Egg Tagliatelle ($16) with chicken liver, chanterelles, tomato, chive blossoms, is perfectly-executed pasta ribbons… but somehow the overall dish bored me a little. Thankfully, my thrills came in the other top dish of the meal (along with the turtle): decadent, lush Carnaroli Risotto ($22) with sea urchin, corn, lovage and black truffle.

Big Fin Squid ($26) with summer squash came off a bit bland but for squid ink pain de mie, a soft bread dark with squid ink that soaked up olive oil – a unique play on texture and color.

Sea Scallops ($22) are a lovely rendition, if not above other equal or superior versions of this type of dish. Certainly cabbage, white miso, turnip, fatty bacon and green apple make happy scallop partners.

Berkshire Pork Loin ($28) with smoked belly, black soy beans, sauteed lettuce and clam sauce is, once again, not an uncommon dish, though the clam sauce was ridiculously addictive. I wished for more of it with the dry but tasty pork loin – and the presentation was a step above the usual. Dry-aged “Pre-sale” Lamb Rack ($30) with garlic sausage, potatoes, lemon peel and coastal succulents is a well-crafted lamb dish.

The biggest “wow” post-Risotto came with a subtly intriguing dessert of Blackberries ($12) accented by Douglas fir meringue on top of a candy cap mushroom sable giving a little crunch to the softness of natural cream and blackberry sorbet.

SONS & DAUGHTERS, Downtown/Union Square – Sons & Daughters is exciting like eVe in Berkeley or Commonwealth in the Mission are exciting: young, visionary chefs creating fine dining worthy dishes with molecular touches… at insanely reasonable prices. In the case of Sons & Daughters, it’s a $48, four course prix fixe (four wines added for $36). A la carte dishes range from $9-24. It almost seems a given I would return to a place like this long before I’d return to Benu (above) due to quality-to-price ratio alone. I actually prefer the intimate chic of Sons & Daughters‘ black and white, chandelier glow, feeling like a European bistro with a romantic, youthful edge.

So many highlights… can we say, nearly all dishes? Kumamoto Oysters ($9 for 3, $16 for 6, $22 for 9) topped with a tinge of fresh horseradish and yuzu in celery juice are a briny, delightful intro. Herb Salad ($11) is a surprise of garden joys and delicate curds and whey over quinoa. Eucalyptus takes it to regions salads don’t always go… it feels like diving nose first into a vibrant, exotic garden.

Salmon Tartare ($12) doesn’t rest in its usual fatigued territory. This one offers the crunch of potato chip with miso, chevril, juniper berry and runny quail egg. Sweetbreads ($18) please, as they usually do for me, but this version, again, ventures away from typical by adding fresh Dungeness crab, garbanzo beans, baby greens and a Djion mustard foam into the mix.

A brilliant dish, my top one of the meal, is Seared Foie Gras ($24) with a glass of tart yogurt and Concord grape granite. Silky (foie) pairs with silky (yogurt), while the granite casts a bright, refreshing zing over the rich dish.

Squab Breast ($22) comes appropriately medium rare with a confit leg, chickpeas and potatoes. Buffalo Loin ($22) is equally well-prepared, accented by barely and onion, with a dollop of herb puree.

One dessert is essentially a glass of Melons with Watermelon Sorbet ($7), ratcheted up a notch with basil seeds on top. My ecstasy dessert moment came with Chocolate Truffle Cake ($7), however. Oozing warm, reminiscent of molten lava cake, the earthiness of truffle with chocolate sent me to bed with delicious dreams. But add in fresh spearmint ice cream and crumbled pistachios and it’s all over. Consider me a fan, Sons & Daughters.

Young Wine Director, Carlin Karr, offered welcome pairings, particularly the honeyed spice of a 2005 Chateau Haut Peyraguey Premier Cru Sauternes with Foie Gras, 2009 Domaine du Salvard Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire with the Herb Salad, and 2008 Green & Red Chiles Canyon Zinfandel with the Squab.

JARDINIERE, Civic Center – Sitting at Jardiniere’s bar for a last ‘hurrah’ from bartender extraordinaire, Brian MacGregor, before he heads off to Delfina’s soon-to-open venture, Locanda, I ate what could be just another (lovely, no doubt) Heirloom Tomato Salad ($16). The addition of Padron peppers changed the whole tone of the salad. Salty Castelvetrano olives, piquant peppers and sweet, luscious tomatoes melded beautifully over arugula, while croutons added crunch. I could eat this one often.

MID-RANGE RESTAURANTS

DARTEALING LOUNGE, SoMa – Dartealing Lounge is my new go-to tea shop. It’s a darling, restful respite, well-spaced out (unlike, let’s say, crowded Lovejoy’s) and the food is actually quite good.

On a non-descript SoMa block, you go out of your way to be rewarded with  delicate tea sets, comfy chairs and flavorful sandwiches (I particularly like Chicken Curry). They do scones and Devonshire cream well, too – another important tea factor. There’s a range of tea services with food and bottomless pots (from $15-25), but everything is a la carte as well, making this an ideal lunch stop. I was won in by its charms immediately and feel already, even though merely open a few months, it could be the best smaller tea house in SF.

ROCKETFISH, Potrero Hill – You’ve heard me mention Rocketfish before, a regular lunch stop near my office at the Guardian.  My recent dinner visit yielded the surprise of creativity outside of the usual fish and sushi offerings from their gifted chef, Kenichi Kawashima. He serves some fine tempura or delicately fried calamari (with Fresno chilies), but if you ask for what’s in season, you might get Japanese and lemon cucumbers wrapped around red miso quinoa.

On the specials’ board, Pig Ears ($4) sauteed with garlic and lime, are a savory treat, sure to convert those afraid to eat an ear. They’re also on the regular menu with a radish and cucumber salad.

Unexpectedly, a stand-out dish is Farmers Tomato Salad ($7): heirloom tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, which is ever one of the purest and best combos possible, but not something you’d look for at a Japanese restaurant. Here it takes on a whole new dimension with caramelized fennel, honey balsamic and ume salt. I truly love this dish.

I was surprised at cocktail quality: The 88 ($8) is the right balance of herbal, refreshing and spirituous with gin, maraschino, lemon, grapefruit and thyme… and is refreshing with fish and tempura.

CHEAP EATS

51st STATE, SoMa street cart - 51st State’s concept is a fun one, especially for a street cart: feature different American regional dishes in approachable, street food form. Maybe it’s Brunswick Stew ($8) from Virginia/Georgia? Or Wild Long Grain Rice & Potato Pancake ($7) with sauteed mushrooms from the Pacific Northwest.

You know I went straight for the South: Cornmeal-dusted Quail ($9) with jalapeno cheddar grits and spiced maple syrup to dip the quail in. Add in a side dish of Texas Caviar ($3 – black-eyed peas to you) with sweet bell peppers, tomato and cilantro, and you have a gourmet spread. I’ve eaten from many a street cart and the food at this one is superior to many, particularly the excellent quail. Not to mention they park in a cul de sac near the Embarcadero with radiant Bay Bridge views making this taste journey round the country a quintessential San Francisco experience.

KITCHEN KURA, Inner Sunset – Kitchen Kura may not be the best Japanese food around but it is a delightful haven of peace and quiet on Irving with KDFC tuned in for classical music in a tiny, homey space.

With self-proclaimed “homemade Japanese food”, the draw for me is an Okonomiyaki menu, those Japanese “pancakes” I am crazy about but don’t see often enough. Though I’ve had better versions from places like Namu, I like that Kitchen Kura offers seven different versions that come out piping out in a cast iron skillet, such as the Osaka ($7.99) with octopus, red ginger and green onion.

COCKTAILS

SPOONBAR, Healdsburg - I wrote last issue about Spoonbar in Sonoma County. It’s up to you get out there… and fast… for some of the best cocktails in all of the Bay Area (no surprise) from Mr. Scott Beattie.

Ask for the full cocktail menu beyond the one you get when first seated. It’s a glory of new creations, featuring edible flowers and the herbal, produce-driven beauties Beattie has perfected since Cyrus days. There’s the added bonus of classics done with a Beattie sensibility. I get giddy at the site of three versions each of Old-Fashioneds, Negronis, Manhattans and Sazeracs, the holy foursome of cocktails.

I chose the Tempus Fugit Negroni ($8.50). How could I not? Made with Ransom’s impeccable Old Tom Gin, Dolin Rouge Vermouth, orange zest and Tempus Fugit‘s brilliant Gran Classico Bitter, it’s a musky, full revelation.

On the classics front, Beattie’s Dark ‘n Stormy trumps all others. There’s an Appleton Reserve version for $7.50 (or pitcher for five at $37.50). I had the Ron Zacapa Solera 23 (a rum I’ve long been a fan of) version for $9/$45. With fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters, Beattie adds drops of essential ginger oil for a pure, full taste. Locally grown sunflower leaves are a vivid garnish.

Going the creative Beattie route is equally thrilling. John Chapman ($10.5) is a taste of fall. When you mix St. George Whiskey and Pear Eau de Vie with lemon, apple, ginger and a Thai coconut foam, you get magic. Ditto, on the other side of the spectrum, with the Summery  Siddartha ($9.5). This one utilizes Hangar One Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka with Beefeater Gin, St. Germain Elderflower, lemon, Thai coconut milk and lemon verbena. It’s silky, seductively bright and garden fresh.

Trust a drink from Beattie and try the spectrum. I am plotting a return…

BAR AGRICOLE, SoMa - I’ve been asked about my take on the new and long awaited hotspot from Thad Vogler. Though I tried three cocktails and bites at a pre-opening event for Bar Agricole, I did not walk away with enough of a stand-out yet to give you a proper report, though I’m sure one will be forthcoming.

I will say the space is strikingly unique, welcome in our city of understated dining rooms. It’s forward-thinking and fresh, from the photography behind the bar, to radiant light fixtures, to the awesome front garden and patio.

15 ROMOLO, North Beach - I’m always happy here… you hear me say it enough. The 15 Romolo guys do it again with two divergent cocktails. One is Spaghetti Western ($9), it’s cool name belying the crazy candy taste that happens when rye and Campari meld with sweet tomatoes (love the plump tomato garnish), lemon and a Pilsner float. The other, the spirituous bitter of Lo Scandinavo ($11) with North Shore aquavit, Gran Classico, Carpano Antica… a Scandinavian approach to a Negroni.

TAMARINDO ANTJOERIA’s MIEL BAR and REVIVAL BAR & KITCHEN, Oakland and Berkeley - And in the East Bay, Tamarindo Antojeria opened a tequila bar, Miel, in half of their restaurant, a chic, shining temple of all things tequila. Besides a fine selection of tequilas by the pour, cocktails like the Mezcalito ($12) highlight Del Maguey’s Creme de Mezcal with a little fresh orange and volcanic salt rim. They do a nice job on their margaritas and Paloma, too.

Revival Bar & Kitchen is a welcome cocktail stop in downtown Berkeley, even if the menu (food and drink) is similar to many you’ve seen in SF in recent years. They do classics, like Death in the Afternoon, Bourbon Crusta and Jalisco Sour, but also whip up specials of their bartender’s doing, fresh with the likes of lavender, lemon and egg white.

REZA ESMAILI’S ROSEBUD, served at SF CHEFS’ SPICE PARTY

This is a layered, aromatic aperitivo created by Reza for SF Chefs and one of my favorite drinks of the week. He was gracious enough to share the recipe…

Rosebud
1oz vodka
.5oz Hendrick’s gin
1oz Lillet Blanc
.5oz Aperol
3 drops rosewater
1 “Russia Rose” or mini, dry rose used for asian teas

-stir ingredients for approx 10 seconds
-strain into two sherry or port glasses
-garnish with rose
serves two

SPIRITS

MINISTRY OF RUM – Another year of Ministry of Rum, a fine rum tasting event put on by rum expert (and a downright great guy), Ed Hamilton (read about last year’s here).

Many of last year’s same vendors were there at Waterfront Hotel/Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Jack London Square. Bartending greats shook cocktails as we sipped through various rums.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva stands out with a caramelized, spiced nose and buttery spice and tobacco flavors. Cruzan’s smooth Single Barrel Rum is an easy after-dinner sip: a light but mature, pleasing rum at the right price (retails from $27-35 online).

Despite the greater aged 8 and 12 year El Dorado rums, I prefer the 5 year cask-aged version. It’s medium-bodied, lively and redolent of the tropics with toasted coconut and fruit notes.

Each time I’ve tasted them, I enjoy honey and dark chocolates notes in Santa Teresa 1796, aged in Solera oak barrels, and Flor de Cana’s rich, charred oak and dark caramel-tinged Centenario 18 year.

Black Tot Rum was the big hoopla of the afternoon, a 40-year rum doled out in dropper-sized tastes. From the little I could gather, it was nuanced though hardly revelatory, especially compared to whiskies of similar age. Though I find some younger rums more exciting, Black Tot was nonetheless an excellent slice of history and a worthy sip.

When it comes to rum, I can’t help but return to Zacapa rums as favorites, both the Centenario and the XO.

Here’s to next year, and thanks, Ed, for ever furthering our knowledge and showing us the scope of rum.

HEAVEN HILL – Heaven Hill has an enviable line-up including some of my favorite bourbons in existence. I jumped at a chance to stop in at 83 Proof on my way to judging a whisky contest to sip one of my top bourbons (another being Pappy Van Winkle 20 and 23 year): Parker’s Heritage.

I fell in love after first trying their anniversary edition at Whiskyfest. Tasting Parker’s 27 year again is fabulous every time. Sip their Golden Anniversary edition and you’ve died and gone to bourbon heaven.

I adore rye, and Rittenhouse 25-year Rye is surely a fine one, but I’m not sure I gained much more from the added years. When it comes to aged rye, my love still lies with Van Winkle Family Reserve 13-yr Rye, which is, tragically, very hard to come by.

ST. GEORGE’s AGUA LIBRE - Don’t even get me started on how much I love St. George Spirits. I’ve been a fan for years, from my rush to purchase their incomparable Absinthe Verte upon release, to the loss of my last bottle of Agua Azul Reposado until they make a tequila again in the future, I’ve been proud to have them in the Bay Area. Tours, release parties, any event at the distillery is memorable.

I won’t go into the joys and secrets of a private tour from distiller Dave Smith last week, replete with tastes, whiffs and ecstasies from bottles, test tubes and barrels of unreleased products. Experimentation is alive and well at St. George/Hangar One and it thrills me to witness it.

In the meantime, there’s two brand new releases to enjoy. The first US rum agricole grown from US sugarcane, Agua Libre comes in two forms: dark, aged rum and white, unaged, both grassy and smooth. Also, the second batch of Firelit Coffee Liqueur was just released with dark chocolate notes from the Blue Bottle beans.

COMMIS, Oakland – Commis is Oakland’s shining star of culinary excellence and experimentation since James Syhabout put it on the map with multiple awards as Best New Chef in Food & Wine magazine, among countless other accolades since it opened in Summer 2009. There isn’t much new I could add to the din, other than to share dinner highlights on my last visit.

The three course prix fixe, at $59 per person, seems like a good deal for fine dining-quality food, with a very reasonable wine pairing of four wines for $29, but the bill adds up quickly. The understated, compact dining room runs like a tight ship in the hands of skilled staff. Certainly food is the star, as it should be, but I sometimes wish higher prices secured a memorable or at least spacious, comfortable surroundings (Commis is tiny, packed, minimalist) alongside excellent food.

All that aside, the pinnacle of the meal was actually the amuse bouche: a delicate Farm Egg over Medjool dates with malt and onion cream. This malty, creamy mini-dish (more than just a bite) was savory with a whisper of sweet. Downright perfection. Paired with a Brut French Sidre, it’s enough to convert one to Syhabout’s cooking immediately.

First course included New Alliums (in the onion family). This dish highlighted the succulence of onions, both melt-in-your-mouth fried and fresh onions, with slices of albacore tuna. The dish reached perfection with warm white bean mousse and seawater with espelette pepper. Zucchini Tartare was artistically rolled up with Shasta porcinis, sweet basil puree and smoked country ham emulsion. Paired with a stand-out 2009 Slovenian Verus Furmint Stajerska, the wine’s floral, crisp notes brought out the Summer freshness in both dishes.

Mains consisted of Roasted Sonoma County Duck accented by caramelized fennel bulghur, peach, green peppercorn, and Slow-cooked Heritage Duroc Pork melded with cauliflower, toasted cranberry beans, sea lettuce and lemon pork jus. Though both dishes were expertly executed and in every respect very good, neither held the excitement or promise of the first two and the amuse.

A welcome palate cleanser of Blueberry Soda with rose geranium was tart and refreshing… another highlight in a meal that seemed perfected in its accents and surprises more so than in the main dishes.

Dessert unexpectedly raised the bar again, first with a rose-hued, nearly violet Patrick Bottex NV Vin de Bugey-Cerdon sparkling rose. It’s lightly sweet, tart, gentle effervescence shone alongside “Things We Lost In the Fire” Chocolate Brioche. Though the combo of strawberries and chocolate is ho-hum, these strawberries are roasted in rescoldo/mesquite embers. It’s accented by mint, salt, chartreuse chantilly and burnt vanilla ice cream. A dream dessert for me of salt, earth and sweetness. How could the bright, fresh but comparatively bland Chilled Cream of White Peach with caneberries, sorbet and lemon verbena snow keep up? The brioche stole the final scene.

SWEET FINGERS, San Leandro – I’ve been attempting a trek out to San Leandro for a couple years to try Sweet Fingers, a Jamaican restaurant with the spirit of a Caribbean dive bar.

Without much in the way of authentic Jamaican food around, it’s exciting to find a place run by Jamaicans, especially one that serves what are rarities here but national dishes in Jamaica, like Saltfish and Ackee (also at Hibiscus in Oakland), and excellent drinks like tart Sorrel Juice ($5) or an intense House Ginger Beer ($4)… next time I want to order “Ja Clive” ($10) a cocktail of overproof rum, sorrel juice, ginger beer, lime.

Chef Clive himself is a friendly, engaging guy with a history in NY and the West Coast, and passion for cooking his native country’s foods. Jamaican flags, bright reds, yellows and greens, and plenty of Bob Marley imagery and music, make the otherwise dingy place festive.

No particular dish stood out in a culinary sense but it all made for an engaging Jamaican feast as a whole, with ideal sizing options so you can try more. They weren’t making Saltfish & Ackee this visit, but next time I’ll call ahead and order. I sopped up everything with bland Cornbread ($2) and a plain but  surprisingly tasty Fried Dumpling ($2), just right dipped in Curry Goat sauce ($10 half order, $16 full order). The goat was fatty and messy, but rich with flavor. Jerk Chicken ($6/$10/$16) is a signature dish and a fine version. Spanish Town Scotch Bonnet Shrimp ($10/$16) exhibit heat from Scotch Bonnet peppers, smoothed out with coconut milk and veggies.

“Every little thing is gonna be alright,” or at least so it feels here as you settle into the chilled out, Jamaican vibe, sipping soothing Sorrel Juice to cool of the hot sauce heat.

NEW ORLEANS

It’s New Orleans’ time… again.  I’ve written on the Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, CBD, on French Quarter food, more Quarter eats and drink and the Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods.

Here’s more from my July visit to Nola in the Uptown/Garden District and Bywater, plus coffee and breakfast stops.

Uptown/Garden District

HANSEN’S SNO BLIZ - In early 2009, I wrote about my favorite Nola food book, Gumbo Tales. I was moved (to tears) by the chapter on Hansen’s, the legendary sno-ball (not snow cone!) shop on Tchoupitoulas Street, and the hardships and joys of the family behind it. Closed in my prior November visit, this July it was top priority – and absolutely crucial in the heat.

With my divergent desires for a cream syrup but also spearmint on my ice, the sweetheart of a woman behind the counter said Cream of Almond and Spearmint was actually one of her favorite combos. She was right – I could not believe the rich, brightness of flavor and fine, feathery texture of the ice they are famous for from their family-made machines.

Hansen’s sno-ball perfection was accentuated by my stop an hour later at SnoWizard, another Nola long-timer since 1937. The flavors I tried here were syrupy sweet, fake, basically the bright-colored junk food syrups you’d expect, though flavor concepts were fun (Cajun Red Hot!)  And the texture of the ice wasn’t comparable.

Hansen’s is king, their staff exude heart and it did my heart good watching entire families sit on the sidewalk eating sno-balls.

LA PETITE GROCERY - Let’s just say La Petite Grocery was the best overall meal I had this visit to New Orleans. I’d put it up there in my top Nola meals alongside August, Jacques Imo’s, Dick & Jenny’s, Commander’s Palace. The space is simultaneously sophisticated chic and Southern hospitality. Beers range from Alsace to Tibet. Cocktails are solid, from an Americano Classico ($8) with Cocchi Americano, moscato dolce, muddle orange, mint and a Luxardo cherry, to a bright Bee’s Knees ($10): Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, lavender blossom clover honey, lemon.

And, oh, the food. I let out a moan of delight more than once during this meal. Certainly for Lobster Beignets ($9), warm, with lobster falling out of a fried casing. French remoulade and cabbage slaw accented this buttery delight. But how could I not equally swoon over Abita Root Beer-braised Beef Short Rib ($11)? Tender beef, potato croquettes and house pickles all won me, but it was the sweet, nuanced sauce on smoky meat that ushered the dish into another realm.

Fried Boudin ($6) was peppy with red onion marmalade, whole grain mustard and pickled jalapenos. Pan-seared Rabbit ($19) was a solid, savory dish of tender rabbit with wilted spinach and spaetzle in a lemon caper brown butter. Entrees particularly shined in these two superb dishes: Braised Pork Cheeks ($15) over Louisiana popcorn rice, grilled corn and roasted peppers, and ever-a-favorite Southern dish of mine, Shrimp & Grits ($14), swimming in jus, shiitake mushrooms, divine, smoky bacon and thyme.

DOMILISE’S - It doesn’t get much crustier: mom, grandma and son frying oysters and catfish, while loading up sandwiches, ignoring a ringing phone, and trying to avoid the incessant line of customers until they absolutely have to take their order or payment.

Only grandpa, serving me an ice cold root beer at the bar, seemed to have a little joy, and even then, reservedly so. I fell in love with Domilise’s, a Nola po boy institution for decades. The bread is far from artisan, oysters and shrimp are  greasy and plump. The po boys are best loaded not only with the usual hot sauce, but with horseradish and tartar sauce. Roast Beef Po Boys are as popular as the Oyster Po Boys. Half sizes are still large and range from $9-12.50 (oysters being the most expensive at $12.50), while full-sized sandwiches run $11-16.

This is a classic I am glad to say I finally visited on a non-descript, residential block Uptown… a true peek at the unique character of old school, New Orleans cheap eats.

CURE - Cure opened since my last visit to Nola so when I was here for Tales, it was a priority to visit what is one of the few “new wave” cocktail bars in a city that more often keeps it old school. As it isn’t a common style of bar in Nola, I appreciate it, but compared to bars of this type across the country, it did not overly impress. The patio is a nice break from loud music in the echoing, chic interior. But in July, the heat is so oppressive, even late at night on the patio, a drink barely refreshed.

The drinks are solid, like Re-Bootsy Collins ($9), an El Jimador Blanco refresher with house-made rhubarb & lime cordial, topped with soda water. Celery Stalker ($10) is bright with Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin, lime, house celery bitters, and cucumber, topped with Prosecco. There are also spirituous, bitter treats like Cease & Desist ($9) with Rittenhouse bonded Rye, Carpano Punt e Mes, Fernet Branca and orange peel.

COMMANDER’S PALACE - Commander’s Palace is the Queen of New Orleans’ jazz brunches (Arnaud’s is another quintessential Nola brunch). Commander’s main dining room, highlighted with tacky balloons, is more circa 1980′s elegance than Arnaud’s lovely, turn-of-the-century, garden-style dining room, but the legend, history and importance of Commander’s in Nola history cannot be overstated. Not to mention the food is excellent. All reasons alone you must visit at least once.

Similar to other hours-long jazz brunches around the city, you will pay $30-40 per person without drinks, and will be serenaded by roving jazz trio as you dine. Also similar to others, my beloved, only-in-Nola brunch drinks are available, some off-menu. Just ask for a Bourbon (or Brandy) Milk Punch for creamy, boozy breakfast decadence. Or a tableside coffee/brandy Cafe Brulot, flaming orange rind and all. I’m still waiting to see this presented properly in the Bay Area.

While the band wooed with my request for Lazy River, I filled up on Gumbo YaYa,  Shrimp & Tasso Henican (wild Louisiana white shrimp stuffed with spicy Cajun ham, Crystal hot sauce beurre blanc, pickled okra and five pepper jelly) and Eggs Acadian: duck, andouille and sweet potato hash cakes with two poached eggs over bacon, smothered in red beans and spicy Creole mustard hollandaise. Who could miss their famed Creole Bread Pudding Souffle? Don’t, if you haven’t had it. It’s bread pudding souffle-style: light, airy, doused with whiskey cream sauce tableside.

May the decadent Nola jazz brunch tradition never die.

Bywater

BACCHANAL – Nevermind that after hanging out with aperitifs and wine, then waiting in a 30 minute line for BBQ (which smelled amazing), I neared the stand only to find they’d sold out of literally everything. And this was all before 9pm. That was a brutal blow, but otherwise, Bacchanal is a special, Nola-style wine bar.

With a big backyard that feels like a friend’s summer BBQ garden party, live Dixieland jazz and blues (with gospel and lounge thrown in for good measure) set the tone for a magical evening. I like this more remote, laid-back neighborhood and find Bacchanal a summer idyll with a cheese platter and bottle of Cocchi Americano. No wonder it’s the ‘last hurrah’ hang-out for bartenders and spirits folk at the end of Tales.

Breakfast & Coffee

SURREY’s JUICE BAR, Lower Garden District -  Surrey’s would be at home in Berkeley. Eclectic garage sale decor and a hippie vibe confirm Berkeley-like status with juices and wheatgrass shots. On a blazing hot, Louisiana summer day, nothing tasted better than a fresh juice of carrot, orange and celery. You can pop in for juice or stay for breakfasts of Brat N’ Eggs, Costa Rican scramble with black beans, Tofu Breakfast Platter or Bananas Foster French Toast.

LA BOULANGERIE, Uptown/Garden District – A locals favorite and one I hit during each visit to Nola, La Boulangerie is vaguely Tartine-reminiscent though far from that exuberantly amazing. Still, baguettes, breads and pastries are of high quality, baked fresh daily, and I couldn’t go wrong with a breakfast of their Peach Danish ($2.20) or Apple Cinnamon Scone ($1.90).

FUEL COFFEE HOUSE, Uptown/Garden District – I stumbled upon Fuel when riding a bike out along Magazine Street. The front garden and porch invited me in, the clientele on a weekday seemed predominantly college students from nearby Tulane or Loyola, and coffee was surprisingly strong and smooth. When I saw the sign next door (photo below, left) on the wall of neighboring (and fabulously dive-y) Le Bon Temps Roule, it put a big smile on my face: a black baby with headphones for Brown Sugar Records (which is not in the building, by the way), that reads: “Our Business is Pleasing You.”

PJ’s COFFEE – Yes, PJ’s is a chain, with 15 Nola shops alone, but the location inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel saved my life numerous days during Tales when I’d order their damn good Iced Coffee or a Cappuccino before a morning seminar down the hall after only 3 hours sleep.

I can’t help but laugh at the obvious Nola boozy factor: if you so desire, bottles of liquor hang upside down, dripping straight into your coffee. Add Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Baileys or the like, to your cup first thing in the morning.

SF CHEFS  8/10-15

SF CHEFS, a week-long celebration of all things food and drink in SF, ushered in it’s second year last week. It was as full, fun and delectable as the first year. From industry seminars like the intriguing Tales from the Still, which kicked off the week, to the Grand Tasting tent in Union Square, there was never a dull moment… nor a hungry one. Food from some our best chefs and drinks from some our best bartenders flowed freely at the Spice Party or Friday’s Hog in the Fog festivities. Here are merely a few photo highlights:

8/12 Spice Party at the Westin

8/13 Hog in the Fog in Union Sq.

Duggan McDonnell (of Cantina, Encanto Pisco) "will work for pisco" (www.sfbg.com/2010/07/ 14/appetite-campo-de-encanto-sf-gets-its-own-pisco)

8/14 Grand Tasting in Union Square

8/14 Top Chef Happy Hour