Garaje flair

Two of the Bay’s Best Burgers Under $10

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Tacos at Garaje

Burgers come in degrees: layered with expensive accoutrements, whole egg, foie gras, and the like… or simple, without pretense. I crave a burger in all degrees, whether upscale, knife and fork versions, or down and dirty. On the cheap, two burgers incite salivation in memory alone. One is at a brand new SoMa dive that also serves winning tacos, the other is Alameda’s shining jewel of burgerdom.

GARAJE, SoMa (475 Third Street between Bryant and Harrison, 415-644-0838)

Garaje's laid back space

Call me food snob (it’s too late to reverse the palate now) for wanting even my go-to dive to serve quality deliciousness, but brand new Garaje is my kind of dive. Sipping long excellent Old World-style California wine greats on tap in a garage with cheap burgers and tacos? A few visits in and I’m smitten.

Reluctantly I write about Garaje, dreading the day it’s overrun with crowds aware of its utter value. A  haphazard, funky setting initiates its charms. Goodyear and Ducati signs glow across a long, former garage space. Restored mini diner booths in dingy mauve line the center of the room, while vintage fast food boards list offerings. A retro red, 1950’s refrigerator door houses taps: eight beers, three impressive on tap wine options, including Au Bon Climat Chardonnay, and owner Al’s tart, sassy house Sangria Roja.

The best $6 burger in SF

On the taco front, corn and flour tortillas arrive daily from La Palma, the best Mexicatessen in existence. It’s apparent from this detail they mean business. There’s a range of tacos: $5 for two street style tacos of skirt steak asada, mojo chicken, or carnitas ($2 at happy hour) or $4 for one generous fish taco, either grilled tilapia and guacamole or beer-battered tilapia (using sustainable fish). After trying four different tacos, my unexpected favorite is Thai prawn ($5), a corn tortilla piled with plancha-grilled Gulf prawns, cilantro, cabbage. Creamy lime mayo intermingles with salty peanuts in a delight of Thai flavors.

Behold the drive-in cheeseburger ($6), a charbroiled 1/3 lb. certified Angus patty (cooked medium) slathered in cheddar, griddled onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, 1000 Island dressing on an Acme bun.

On tap

Straightforward and humble, the burger is like an elevated In ‘n Out – and just as gratifying. Typically, I don’t repeat dishes at a worthwhile spot until I’ve tried just about everything on a menu. Yet every visit to Garaje, I must reorder this burger. The only slight misstep has been beer battered fish & chips ($11), though still good, served with classic, creamy slaw: the tilapia tasted slightly fishy one visit, though fresher-tasting on tacos. ­­

How they manage to source local ingredients “whenever possible”, fry in rice bran oil, and use quality ingredients like Acme Bread yet keep prices so low, I’m wonder. But I’m grateful. The owner remembered my face from one visit to the next, welcoming me back. Each staff member has been friendly and attentive.

Big score for SoMa.

Garaje's funky, fun space

SCOLARI’S, Alameda (1303 Park St., 510-521-2400)

Scolari's tiny, bright shop

Now an Alameda staple, it is worth detouring for non-Alameda residents to pick up one of the best burgers I’ve ever had at Scolari’s. Drawing me like a beacon as I pass by on the 880 freeway, their $9 cheeseburger elicits sighs of contentment, nearly melting with onions and cheese. Again, direct and unfussy, it’s what a burger should be.

Scolari’s does plenty of things well – from sandwiches to strombolis – in a closet-sized space, using quality ingredients. Even fries ($5) are no afterthought, served with aioli of the week, or available in special form like garlic scampi fries doused in lemon and chilies ($6.50), or Buffalo fries laden with crumbled bleu, shaved carrot, celery ($7).

Scolari's perfect burger

Lahmacun, a Turkish flatbread covered in minced beef, chilies, onions, garlic, paprika

TROYA, Part Deux: Turkish on Fillmore

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Troya's sleek interior

Call it Cal-Med, Mediterranean or Turkish, there’s plenty of the former, less of the latter in the Bay Area. In terms of Turkish eateries, you can count them. For over a decade, A La Turca has been my hole-in-the-wall stop for affordable Turkish eats, including warm, cheesy pides (like the calzones of Turkish food – flatbread stuffed with cheese, veggies or meat). More recently, Machka delighted with elegant yet approachable Turkish cuisine in a lovely Financial District space set to classic, black and white Turkish films. Tuba is a comfy, mid-range Turkish respite in the Mission, while more commonly, neighborhood restaurants like Potrero Hill’s Pera mix Turkish with other Mediterranean cuisines. My favorites for over a decade include hearty wraps at dive-y, classic Truly Mediterranean.

TROYA FILLMORE, Fillmore/Pacific Heights (2125 Fillmore St. between California & Sacramento, 415-563-1000)

Fluffly house bread & baba ghanoush

Since opening over six years ago, I’ve found the Inner Richmond’s Troya a pleasant, if not overly notable, Mediterranean meal. Its newer sibling (opened last Spring), Troya on Fillmore, however, steps it up with a more sophisticated, minimalist interior and equally chic dishes. Exposed brick and clean walls marked with black and white photographs feel more current, albeit not as warm, as the original location.

Roasted cauliflower

Chef Philip Busacco takes on the typical Bay Area mantra of local and organic wherever possible, covering familiar Mediterranean ingredients (sumac, mint, yogurt, lamb, sesame seeds, etc…), while endeavoring to remain true to Turkey, as with lahmacun ($9-11 flatbreads), a traditional Turkish flatbread covered in minced beef, chilies, onions, garlic and paprika. It looks and taste much like lahmacun I’ve downed in Turkish hole-in-the-walls at home and in other cities… but with fresher ingredients and a pile of baby arugula in the middle. Authentic and gratifying.

Troya

A platter of dips – muhammara (hot pepper), haydari (a tangy, herb-accented yogurt) and a well-balanced baba ghanoush, subtle with eggplant smoke ($14 for all three, $5 each) – is almost a required starter. Scoop it up with warm, puffy Turkish bread, slightly crusty on the outside, doughy within, dusted in black and white sesame seeds. Roasted cauliflower ($9) is simple but well-prepared, slightly browned on the edges, accented by spring onions and spices. Offerings of over 15 meze (essentially Middle Eastern tapas) begs a bar seat and a glass of crisp 2009 Amethystos White Drama, a Greek white blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Assytriko grapes ($9.50 a glass).

Lamb kebabs

Kebabs ($11-16) are generous cubes of meat, onions and peppers, in the case of lamb kebab accompanied by a side of green salad and bulgur wheat salad. Though filling, I’d rather make a meal of various meze or order an equally filling lavash wrap ($9, only at lunch/brunch) stuffed with Turkish meatballs and shaved green onion-fennel salad. Lavash is appropriately thin, lightly crispy, warm. The standout lavash wrap is a vegetarian option loaded with sweetly roasted eggplant, almost like caramelized onions, nestled with feta, peppers and pine nuts.

Turkish meatballs wrap

Though I prefer the melting-soft moussaka at Greek newcomer, Orexi, in West Portal, during dinner, Troya’s Turkish dumplings (called manti, reminiscent of Nepalese momo) exhibit that desired tenderness, where minced-beef, paprika butter and dumpling wrapper nearly dissolve, appealingly contrasted by tangy yogurt.

Kunefe

There’s no finer finish than bracing Turkish coffee or soothing peppermint tea. Kunefe ($6.50), my top Middle Eastern dessert, is on the menu: shredded phyllo dough encrusted around a mild fromage blanc cheese, drizzled in honey, surrounded by grapefruit and pistachio. This rather rather bland version made me wish for Jannah’s (in the Western Addition/NoPa) kunefe, which, along with the best kunefe I’ve tried, oozes warm cheese balanced by phyllo crisp and honey sweetness.

Overall, Troya Fillmore appears to be the spiffed up, Pac Heights-ready version of the original, but after a few visits, I find it to be the realized version, peaceful for lunch, with upscale, fresh takes on Turkish cuisine.

Platter of spreads & house bread

Oliveto's brilliant (unusual) fritto misto of scungil (whelk), herring, blood orange, shirako (cod milt/sperm)

REGIONAL JOURNEYS in Spain and Italy

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Gitane's sexy upstairs dining room

Nothing replaces experiencing a place directly, but regional dinners are one way of traveling vicariously. Occasionally, it’s more than a meal, as with a January 23 dinner at Oakland’s Latin American haven, Bocanova, which hosts monthly Rick’s Supper Club highlighting South American cuisine. As we dined on wild shrimp and lobster ceviche in passion fruit sauce or smoky, steamed mussels paired with wines like a balanced Chilean 2011 Cousino Macul “Chard”, dinner sponsor LAN Airlines surprised every dinner attendee with free round trip tickets to fly to any South American destination… a freak out, “Oprah moment”. When we can’t travel, we have restaurateurs and chefs with deep knowledge of a cuisine and country to lead us through territories via food and wine. These two restaurants are committed to uncovering layers of one country, region by region.

OLIVETO, Oakland (5655 College Avenue, 510-547-5356)

Tomato-braised oxtail corzetti

Every year I’d anticipate legendary Whole Hog dinners at Oakland’s temple to regional Italian cuisine, Oliveto, recently celebrating its 25th anniversary. I dropped off after chef of 15 years, Paul Canales, departed, returning this year to the upstairs restaurant vs. downstairs cafe. A little over a year ago, young Chef Jonah Rhodehamel took over. With consummate hosts and proprietors Bob and Maggie Klein thankfully still running the restaurant, Oliveto maintains its purpose as culinary community stalwart akin to Chez Panisse (note their community journal, whole-animal history, food activism), with regional Italian focus and themed dinners.

Frog legs w/ parsley sformatino

Canales (who just opened buzzed-about restaurant/bar/music venue Duende in Oakland) left significant shoes to fill. Rhodehamel honors Oliveto history while unafraid to experiment. Case in point: pastas, which remain the highlight, might be a traditionally-influenced spaghettini neri ($16) of squid ink pasta, shrimp and chili pepper, but he’ll add chocolate to tomato-braised oxtail corzetti ($17), use red winter wheat in penne alla Bolognese ($15), or infuse Floriani Red Flint corn polenta ($15) under duck giblet ragu with intense lavender vanilla notes.

Piedmontese ribeye

As in early days, the menu lists “Tonight’s produce comes from…”, while local touches include olive oil tasting flights (recently Chalk Hill, Regina, McEvoy). It’s easy to fall for an Italian torta ($13) of potato duck hash, Hedgehog mushrooms, poached egg and Marsala crema. Their fritto misto ($13) stands out from what is often merely a pile of fried food. Rhodehamel fries up the unusual: scungil (whelk), herring, blood orange, and shirako (cod milt, ahem, I mean, sperm). The only lackluster (in terms of flavor) starter was tiny pan-fried frog’s legs ($14) with parsley sformatino (like savory panna cotta) – and I’m a frog leg fan.

Spaghettini nero

Though costly, entrees are lessons in execution. Charcoal-grilled meats are impeccable: buttery, crispy pork porterhouse ($30) sits amidst Cannellini beans and braised chard, while rare Piedmontese ribeye ($36) is crispy on the exterior, radiant pink inside, next to creamed spinach and Yukon Gold potatoes. Espresso chocolate stracciatella ice cream ($8) is a lush, caffeine finish, though after trying all recent desserts, I’d also take fluffy ricotta cheesecake ($8) with candied kumquats.

Ricotta cheesecake

Over the years, I’ve actually never eaten in the more casual, affordable downstairs cafe – I’d lean that direction except for the fact that the restaurant consistently garners stronger reviews. Upstairs, big windows, a warm glow, and seamless service evoke special occasion.

Oliveto remains a restaurant great worth crossing the bridge for.

GITANE, Financial District (6 Claude Lane between Bush & Sutter Streets, 415-788-6686)

Crab, cuttlefish, pineapple in sea urchin vinaigrette

Since opening in 2008, Gitane is easily one of our sexiest restaurants. Ducking into an alley, down a couple steps into the lush reds, tapestries, and chandelier glow of a tiny, two level space is seduction from a lover who knows how. Executive Chef Bridget Batson has been here since the beginning. In November, the restaurant shifted directions with the addition her husband, Co-Executive Chef Patrick Kelly (of La Folie and Napa’s Angèle), and Chef de Cuisine David Martinez. The trio also oversees the menu at next door’s more casual, sister restaurant, Claudine.

Gitane cocktails

Staying true to the meaning of gitane – gypsy woman – the new menu wanders gypsy-like through Southern Spain, changing cities (Andalusia, Sevilla, Valencia) every few weeks. In keeping with the celebratory setting, their appropriately deemed “passport” tasting menu is $65 for 5 courses (wine pairings from new Wine Director, Sarah Knoefler, an additional $45), available in the intimate upstairs dining room. The bar and alley/patio seating offers an a la carte menu ($12-36) or bar bites… I’m transported straight back to Spain with boquerones (white anchovies) or black-footed Iberico ham and a glass of herbaceous, strawberry-tinged 2011 Lechuza Garnacha Rosado ($9/26/36; glass, carafe, bottle).

Peeking down at the alley from an upstairs table

Though combining Spanish and Moroccan influence since day one (I’ll miss what was the best lamb tartare in the city), after Bridget and Patrick’s recent travels to Spain, we can now dig deeper into regional Spanish cuisine. The first regional focus was Valencia. The tasting menu began with a salad of baby beets, fuyu persimmon, Marcona almonds, citrus and nasturtium paired with honeysuckle notes of a Musva Moscatel from Valencia. Moving on, Dungeness crab and cuttlefish were touched with sea urchin vinaigrette and pineapple, served alongside an angular 2009 Conereria d’Scala Dei Garnacha Blanc, that popped with the pineapple. A delight of fatty Iberico pork cheeks, Matsutake mushroom and raw Nantucket bay scallops sat in a brilliant golden raisin/saffron/mushroom coulis. Fourth course was pan-roasted duck breast in Tempranillo chili puree accented by Oloroso sherry-compressed pears (yes!) The finish was winning pumpkin creme caramel paired with musky, butterscotch notes of a sweet 2009 Guitierrez de la Vega Moscatel.

Favorite tasting menu dish: Iberico pork cheek w/ raw scallops

An a la carte meal yielded an over-salted but beautifully seared scallop with crispy sweetbreads ($16) in parsnip cream and lobster oil. I preferred crisped, roasted artichokes piled with sunchokes and Manchego cheese ($13), or an entree of rabbit (conejo) two ways ($32): roasted saddle and a dreamy riletta, accompanied by braised snails and caramelized squash, over nettle coulis. Ramon Garcia remains Bar Manager, still serving refreshing cocktails ($12) like an elegantly smoky Chimenea (mezcal, rye, allspice dram, maple syrup, orange bitters), or lively Los Muertos (tequila, sweet vermouth, grapefruit marmalade, lime).

Pumpkin creme caramel

With the volume I eat, I value proportionate servings. Gitane portions are delicate, and as with upscale dining in general, it’s easy to feel as if one is paying more to eat less, even if elevated technique and creativity is the result. Gitane works the lower end of fine dining: pricey but not outrageous. Upscale yet comfortable. Setting alone makes it a real date night, while the low-key bar and patio are still romantic. Regional Spanish wines and cuisine renew my desire to return to Spain where I spent a few weeks a decade ago. In the meantime, we can play gypsy at home.

Tender ribs crusted in 17 spices

SOUTHPAW Brings It Home

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

SOUTHPAW BBQ, Mission (2170 Mission St. between 17th and 18th, 415-934-9300)

Fried oysters & beer

Road tripping through the South for music and BBQ remains one of my most memorable trips ever: driving through four states, studying sauces and smokers, singing along to Loretta and Conway, George and Tammy, Dolly and Porter, Johnny and June, as the countryside passes by. As I’ve bemoaned before, finding authentic ‘que outside of the Deep South is a rarity. Southpaw BBQ opened late 2011 on Mission Street, a BBQ oasis of the gourmet kind, brewing their own beers in a couple in-house tanks. Welcoming staff and flaky catfish impressed me early on, but watery sauces, dry ribs and brisket, deflated BBQ hopes. Fast forward a year.

Smoked pulled goat & fry bread

With new Chef Max Hussey on board, I’m back, working my way through much of the food, cocktails and beer. As a Massachusetts dishwasher/prep cook, Hussey boldly slipped a resume to Emeril Lagasse at a book signing, moving to New Orleans a month later to eventually become Executive Sous Chef of Emeril’s Delmonico. Melding Southern with San Francisco, he’s cooked at 25 Lusk and Epic Roasthouse.

No regrets drinking Mishi's Regret

Under his watch, BBQ staples (pulled pork, brisket, ribs) have all improved. While ribs look dry crusted in 17 spices, they’re tender, aromatic, addictive. Appropriately fatty beef brisket is smoked for 14 hours. If you must do chicken at a BBQ joint, you could do worse than whiskey-brined. Catfish is still strong, lightly pan-fried and available on a sandwich ($9), which begged for a little more remoulade on melting-soft brioche. Newly-added quail explodes with boudin sausage. Each meat and catfish comes as a platter ($14-19) with hushpuppies and choice of two sides. Choosing sides ($5 each or 4 for $14) is a challenge. Cheddar grit cake hides a juicy hamhock, mac ‘n cheese comes alive with red pepper, sweet potatoes are whipped soft with bourbon, sweet chili-braised Southern greens and a new creamed “lollipop” chard kale make eating greens nearly dreamy.

Brewing beers at Southpaw

Creativity shines in starters like smoked pulled goat ($12) with salsa verde and house pickles scooped up by Southern fry bread, or roasted duck breast and goat cheese rosti ($12). Abandon all, however, for Natchez ($12), named after the Mississippi town, sounding a lot like “nachos”. Think warm potato chips falling apart under pulled pork and black eyed peas, drenched in pimento bechamel and hot sauce. Divine bar food.

Hussey also perfects fried oysters. These delicately fried bivavles exude briny freshness unusual for fried oysters. Currently, they’re loaded with bacon and onions on a sandwich ($11). While BBQ sauces like sweet potato remain a bit watery, lacking in flavor punch for me, Memphis smoked sauce is briskly gratifying. But all praise goes to better-than-ever Alabama white sauce: mayo-based, packing pepper and vinegar bite, it makes just about everything sing. I’d rather fill up on savory options than desserts ($8), but banana pudding with house ‘nilla wafers evokes childhood comfort.

A brand new (dreamy) side: bourbon whipped sweet potatoes

Divine bar food: Natchez

Drink is as important as food at Southpaw. Brewer Phil Cutti started homebrewing in 1995 after shopping at SF Brewcraft. Learning from Speakeasy founders Steve and Mike Bruce, homebrewing led to his own gypsy label, Muddy Puddle Brewing. Southpaw’s small program allows him to experiment with a range of beers and collaborate with other brewers.

Catfish sandwich

House brews ($6) are balanced, readily drinkable crowd pleasers. Posey Pale Ale is subtly hoppy, Pisgah Rye Porter is complex without being heavy, and a Smoked Cream Ale is smooth with a smoke-tinged finish. As active members of SF Brewers Guild, which puts on the fantastic SF Beer Week coming up February 8-17th, Southpaw hosts intimate classes and tastings, like a collaboration beer pairing dinner with San Diego’s famed Stone Brewing on Feb. 11, one of the brewers they feature on their hand-selected draft menu ($6-9 a glass).

Pecan Rye Old Fashioned

In addition to beer, founder/manager Edward Calhoun’s American whiskey selection and cocktails make fanatics like me smile. Growing up in his father’s North Carolina bar, Calhoun honed bar chops in three cities that know how to drink well: Savannah, New Orleans, San Francisco. Playful balance exemplifies the cocktails ($9), whether a Rye Old Fashioned sweetened by pecan syrup or Rescue Blues: smoky Scotch and Combier Rouge dancing with cocoa nib syrup. My favorites? Mishi’s Regret No. 2, hot with habanero, smoky with Mezcal, brightened by lemon and cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), or cheekily-named Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari’s character on my beloved Parks & Recreation) where sarsaparilla/root beer notes of Root liquor intermingle with lemon and Shiraz wine.

Banana pudding

Get educated with whiskey flights ($12-16) grouped in themes like Peated American Single Malts (Seascape, Leviathon I, Corsair Triple Smoke) or Bay Area Whiskey (Cyrus Noble, St. George’s Breaking & Entering Bourbon, Moylan’s Rye), or flights featuring a craft distillery like High West (Son of Bourye, Campfire, Double Rye).

Gracious founder/manager Elizabeth Wells, an Alabama native, sets Southpaw’s down home tone. She moves about the restaurant, attending to needs of each table. Staff follows her lead, ready with a smile, a platter of ‘que and a glass of bourbon. Down home, indeed.

Southpaw's inviting dining room & brewery

Muguboka's killer hae-mool (seafood) dolsot (stone pot) bibimbop

Of Banchan, Ramen & Squid Innards

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Delicious banchan spread at Muguboka

Authentic Asian cuisine of every category is one of California and the Bay Area’s strengths, with constant new openings from hole-in-the-walls to hipster hotspots. Busy dining at a slew of Asian newcomers, like the Richmond’s mellow Daigo Sushi, or Szechuan outpost Chili House, these three restaurants stand out for one (or a few) reasons.

MUGUBOKA, Inner Richmond (401 Balboa St. at 5th Ave., 415-668-6007)

An acquired taste at Roku: shio-kara (fermented squid & innards)

Passing Muguboka many a time over the years, I meant to visit but never did until recently. What I found is a humble, all-day respite serving an impressive array of banchan (mini-dishes accompanying a Korean meal), whether kimchi or myeolchi bokkeum (crispy mini-anchovies). Free, generous banchan and bottomless tea make even upper teens-priced entrees a deal. Dining alone, I attempt to finish the banchan… and fail. There’s a plentiful selection of soups and stews featuring tofu or Korean sausage, and dishes like go dung uh gui (broiled salted mackerel), or hae-mool pajeon, those ever-fabulous seafood-green onion Korean pancakes. I finish with a complimentary, cool pour of sujeonggwa, a sweet Korean punch alive with cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns, dried persimmon.

Best dish: Muguboka serves a mean hae-mool (seafood) dolsot (stone pot) bibimbop ($16.95), the scorching stone pot arrives sizzling with rice, egg, squid, shrimp, mussels, veggies and nori on top.

Best suited for: A mellow setting with copious amounts of Korean food. Expect two meals for the price of one.

RAMEN SHOP, Oakland (5812 College Ave. near Birch, 510-788-6370)

Show-stealer: wild nettle fried rice

Open just since the beginning of the year, this is an early word on Oakland (Rockridge, to be exact) hotspot, Ramen Shop, packed since day one with long waits (no reservations). A short, ever-changing menu offers three types of ramen, one dessert and a handful of appetizers so it’s possible to try the entire menu in one visit. Chez Panisse alums, Sam White, Jerry Jaksich and Rayneil De Guzman already have a hit on their hands, if crowds are any indication. Though early Yelp comments are trending towards the frustrated-to-spend-$16-on-a-bowl-of-ramen kind, this is quality ramen… house-made noodles, salt-cured eggs, ultra-fresh ingredients. Meyer lemon infuses shoyu ramen ($15) with bright dimension, while spit-roasted chashu (literally pork roast, often known as char siu) adds heft to particularly flavorful spicy miso ramen ($15).

Spicy miso ramen

But my favorite aspects aren’t ramen. Meyer lemon shows up again in unique kimchi/house pickled Napa cabbage ($5), to winning effect, a spirited contrast to chili. Then, wild nettle fried rice steals the show (see “best dish”). The third best element is liquor. While wine and beer work quite nicely, it’s a rarity (I can’t think of any other local example) to see cocktails with ramen. Straightforward, refreshing mezcal or rye-based punches ($10) make fine ramen companions, as does a classic hi-ball ($12) of Hibiki 12-year Japanese whisky and soda. A nutty-tasting black sesame ice cream sandwich ($5) in brown sugar cookies is the right finish.

Best dish: Easy… wild nettle fried rice ($9) interlaced with Monterey Bay squid and Llano Seco pork is as comforting as it is gourmet.

Best suited for: The joyous convergence of ramen and Japanese whisky – and for those with time on their hands.

ROKU, Castro (1819 Market St. at Octavia Blvd., 415-861-6500)

Roku yakitori

Opened in October by JapaCurry‘s Jay Hamada, Roku sits at busy Market and Octavia. Similarly bustling inside, groups of friends down Japanese beer and fried chicken in the form of karaage ($7) or chicken nan ban ($8), the latter a specialty of Kyushu, Hamada’s hometown island in southern Japan. Under warm wood walls graced with unframed, vintage Japanese posters, I opt for the likes of house-made noodles and mochi bacon yakitori (though I couldn’t help but long for FuseBOX’s supreme bacon-wrapped mochi).

Hotate butter w/ membrane skirt & stomach intact

During opening weeks, I went straight for dishes I’ve never tried, like shio-kara ($4): room temperature, fermented squid swimming in its own innards. Salty and gummy, it is, as the menu states,”an acquired taste.” Likewise, hotate butter ($12) topped with the vivid orange of tobiko/fish roe is unexpected. Scallops are sautéed in butter, but unlike most of our Westernized experiences with the succulent bivalve, the stomach and membrane skirt are left on around the scallop flesh. Call it umami, call it funky, the taste is more accurately both.

Though I find preferred renditions of classic izakaya dishes elsewhere, it’s items like the seafood salad (see “best dish”) or rare dishes for a bold palate that make Roku interesting.

Refreshing seafood salad

Best dish: Surprised to prefer a seafood salad ($13) in an izakaya, this one is laden with red king crab and smoked salmon, tobiko, boiled eggs, yellow bell pepper and tomatoes over romaine, bright in a yuzu wasabi dressing.

Best suited for: The hardcore who want authentic dishes they won’t find on typical menus. Also for groups of friends.

Baker & Banker's divine candied bacon doughnuts oozing with bourbon cheesecake

SWEET TOOTH: A slew of new sweet spots
(and a couple worth revisiting)

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Earthy, savory desserts call out to me. Despite diminishing tolerance for excessive sugar, ice cream/gelato remains my biggest weakness, and I’m as appreciative of baked goods and balanced, unique desserts as I ever was. There are a slew of new and noteworthy Bay Area sweets noteworthy sweets – and a couple older spots worth revisiting.

MISO SESAME RICE CRISPIES and SOME of SF’S BEST ICE CREAM
Delise, 327 Bay St., SF, 415-399-9694

Delise's unique "cupcakes"

Run by husband/wife pastry chef dynamo, Dennis and Eloise Leung (their fine dining background included Bong Su, a restaurant I still miss), Delise is a small cafe near Fisherman’s Wharf. Now three years old, the cozy spot is home to some of the best ice cream in SF (you heard right), cupcakes (thankfully unlike the typical “cupcake”), bars, cookies, bagels from House of Bagels, and sandwiches with unique Asian twists like crab salad in ginger turmeric aioli and kaffir lime dressing. Highlights are many, including a matcha green tea cupcake filled with red beans or a miso sesame rice crispy. I dream of ice cream flavors like Triple Threat, possibly the best pumpkin ice cream I’ve ever tasted with candied pumpkin seed and ale, or divine toasted rice ice cream, which is also served – alongside a few of Delise’s sorbets and ice creams – at Martin Yan’s brand new M.Y. China.

IN LIEU of ICE CREAM, THERE’S FROZEN CUSTARD
Frozen Kuhsterd, 415-371-9050

Look for the Frozen Kuhsterd cart (photo source: http://frozenkuhsterd.com)

Since its debut at the Underground Market in 2011, Frozen Kuhsterd (started by Jason Angeles, now run with Alex Lam and Tim Luym) is a Midwestern favorite with roots in Coney Island. Dense, creamy, soothing, it’s like ice cream made with eggs alongside cream and sugar. Available at a few locations, including from their food truck at SoMa StrEAT Food Park (follow on Twitter @frozenkuhsterd), flavors like Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Cereal Milk) and Thai Iced Tea are already a hit, Peppermint Bark and Eggnog Latte hook me for the holidays, and I’m eager to try the likes of Coffee Mint Mojito. Besides unusual sundae toppings, the custard is served in varying formats and collaborations announced via social media, such as in donut sandwiches with Dynamo Donuts or in French pastry favorite kouign amann from B. Patisserie.

CHOCOLATE LAB
Chocolate Lab,801 22nd St., SF, 415-489-2881

Chocolate Lab's floats

Afternoons at Chocolate Lab, chocolate master Michael Recchiuti’s brand new, all day chocolate cafe in the original Piccino space, feel almost Zen-like. Friendly service in cozy, light-filled environs, sitting at the communal table or at high corner tables with a Bay shrimp tartine sandwich, finished off with an affogato… it’s a happy respite. Opt for a Virgil’s root beer or cream soda float layered with Recchiuti extra bitter chocolate sauce and chocolate malt ice cream, then stop off at the shop next door to purchase some chocolates to take home.

INSTEAD of TWINKIES, TRY TWINKS
Pretty Please Bakeshop, 291 3rd Ave., SF, 415-347-3733

Cupcakes at Pretty Please

The first time I visited Inner Richmond’s new Pretty Please Bakeshop was two days post-opening – before the demise of Twinkies. I knew even then these far superior versions (think Twinkies for the gourmand) would be a hit. Trying to decide between red velvet, banana bread, or pumpkin twinks means I just get one of each. The rest of the offerings please, from cupcakes to a quality Ding Dong – yes, they’ve got that covered, too.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES… Enough Said
Sweet Bar Bakery, 2355 Broadway, Oakland, 510-788-4997

Sweet Bar Bakery

Opened this December in the historic MacFarlanes Candy & Ice Cream space, downtown Oakland gains new Sweet Bar Bakery – the kind of bakery where just about everything ordered tastes as good as it looks. As a peanut butter fanatic, chocolate dipped peanut butter cupcakes ($3.75) are more than enough reason to stop in. Lightly whipped yet intensely peanut-y PB rests inside dark chocolate coating a chocolate cupcake. They do right by all baked goods, from a savory bacon gorgonzola scone ($2.75) to perfect muscovado ginger cookies ($2).

UPSCALE PASTRY DELIGHTS
Baker & Banker, 1701 Octavia St., SF, 415-351-2500

XXX chocolate cake

Dining at Baker & Banker is memorable, from the tranquil space and service to husband/wife chef duo Jeff Banker and Lori Baker’s finely crafted food. A Chef’s Table and tasting menu (at $75 per person) in their active bakery is a key way to sample their range, including Lori’s exquisite desserts, much of which is available at their bakery during the day. Their cult classic XXX chocolate cake is merely a starting point. A restaurant dessert that stays with me? Divine candied bacon doughnuts oozing with bourbon cheesecake filling under maple glaze. Bacon doughnuts may be overdone elsewhere, but there’s none quite like B&B’s.

Charming Chocolatier Blue Parlor on Berkeley's 4th Street

MORE SWEETS

Thai Sundae at Chocolatier Blue Parlor

While we await the menu launch at the new Dandelion Chocolate factory (read more in my recent chocolate article), the beautiful space sells Dandelion’s exquisite bars, and boxes of collaborative chocolates with two other local greats, Feve Artisan Chocolatier and Kika’s Treats.

Chic, peaceful Dolce Amore

Newly opened Dolce Amore is a peaceful rarity on traffic-laden Van Ness, transporting me to Italy. Serving Illy Coffee and Gelato Classico in a sleek, white and black space, they showcases miniature art from international artists in museum-like display, with a warm welcome from staff selling Norman Love and Swiss chocolates, pricey ($12.50-$14) sandwiches on Acme Bread, using Straus milk, and blending up gelato shakes- I like a strange-yet-winning mix of pumpkin and peanut butter.

Peppermint/red velvet whoopie cookies at Sift

Not one to typically be a fan of “free” anything when it comes to food (bring on the fat and flavor!), I’m as surprised as anyone to be recently smitten with pies from a fairly new gluten-free bakery in Humboldt County: Natural Decadence, sold at Whole Foods. Gluten, nut, egg and dairy free, these pies are intense with flavor, particularly a fluffy, decadent pumpkin and blessedly tart lemon sans meringue. Moist crust made of their gluten-free graham crackers seals the deal.

Sift's white chandeliers

Miso sesame rice crispies and sandwich tastes at Delise

Unforgettable summer dish at AQ: lamb heart "pastrami" with zucchini bread

10 Best New Restaurants of 2012

Article and photos by Virginia Miller

2012 gave birth to a number of new openings I hope will be around for years to come. As ever, my goal is to include cheaper spots alongside mid-range or upscale openings, considering range and uniqueness. It being December, we cannot strictly cover the calendar year, so with each choice open at least two months, the opening date range goes back to October 2011 for a full year.

1. AQ, 1085 Mission Street between 6th & 7th, 415-341-9000)

AQ cocktails in seasonally changing glassware, on a seasonally changing bar top

The one California restaurant nominated for Best New Restaurant in the US at this year’s James Beard Awards (the food world’s Oscars), AQ is my top selection for “the whole package”. While I find the food at # 2 and # 3 equally inspiring, AQ combines food from talented young chef Mark Liberman, reinvented in delightfully surprising ways (think flavors of a pastrami sandwich turned on its head as shaved lamb heart “pastrami” with zucchini bread and house Thousand Island dressing), alongside an inventive cocktail list and accomplished bar staff (I’m still dreaming of this summer’s Maeklong Market Cocktail with a base of peanut-infused mekhong, a sugar cane/molasses/rice-based Thai spirit, creamy with coconut milk, lime and kaffir lime leaves). As if this weren’t enough, the wine list shines and decor is the crowning touch in a two level space with sexy downstairs lounge for private parties, plus greenery, glassware and a bar top that changes with the season. When I’m asked (constantly) where to go by locals and visitors, AQ easily fits the bill for delicious, forward-thinking cuisine with warm service, a destination for both food and drink, with thoughtful attention to the environs… the whole package.

2. State Bird Provisions (1529 Fillmore Street, 415-795-1272)

Humble simplicity, fantastic food & concept at State Bird

Since Bon Appetit named State Bird Provisions best new restaurant in America this year, none of us can get a reservation in the small, modest space with pegboard and stone walls, like dining in a funky garage. What makes State Bird so special, besides efficient, engaging service and husband/wife team Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski’s genuine welcome (they often greet diners themselves as they pass by the kitchen in the entrance), is that they’ve created something truly different. Despite being one of the hottest reservations in the country right now, State Bird is ultra-casual, affordable and unique, imaginative plates flowing out dim sum-style on carts and trays, ever playful and satisfying – a prime example of what makes SF’s dining scene so exciting right now.

3. Rich Table (199 Gough Street, 415-355-9085)

Dessert at Rich Table

From another husband/wife duo, Evan and Sarah Rich’s Rich Table could easily be number one for food alongside State Bird and AQ. All three restaurants boast an uncommon vision in their cooking – Rich Table’s is one of an upscale nature in comfort food garb. Presentation can be exquisite, but the dishes gratify and assuage rather than feel fussy. Getting past the (worthy) din about those sardine-laced potato chips to start, pastas are unexpectedly one of the restaurant’s highlights, a duck lasagne layered with braised duck, light béchamel, and tart Santa Rosa plums, easily standing out as one of the best dishes of the year. Though short and sweet, the 4-5 cocktails on offer (now being updated by brand new bar manager Jason “Buffalo” LoGrasso fresh from Cotogna) are clean, simple-yet-vivid stars in their own right.

4. Ice Cream Bar (815 Cole Street, 415-742-4932)

Soda fountain delights at Ice Cream Bar

More a neighborhood diner and soda fountain, Ice Cream Bar deserves accolades for bringing us the kind of soda fountain menu unmatched in the country yet sure to be copied. Recipes and practices date back to the 1800′s with modern sensibility, showcased in drinks like the Bonne Vie No. 2, a citrus-garden delight of basil leaves, basil ice cream, and pink grapefruit, its sour-fresh qualities glorified with citric acid. There’s boozy fountain drinks (like a perfect Angostura Phosphate), ice cream (their tart cherry remains my favorite), and darn good sandwiches (egg salad and tuna) on house brioche, with the soda fountain manned by gifted, friendly soda jerks who live and breathe the history of the craft.

5. Pläj Scandinavian Restaurant and Bar (333 Fulton Street, 415-294-8925)

Checks arrive in a Norwegian translation book at Plaj

With the food world in Scandinavian mode the last few years (the cuisine to take over where the El Bulli world of Spain ruled for so long), it’s a shame we haven’t had much Scandinavian food to speak of here, particularly of the nouveau wave à la Fäviken or Noma. Pläj (pronounced “play”) is gourmet-traditional Scandinavian fare with modern sensibilities from chef/owner Roberth Sundell, a Stockholm native. In the mellow Inn at the Opera, it’s respite of a dinner with sincere service, shining particularly bright with seafood in the menu’s Fjord section. Herring trios, Swedish meatballs, Norwegian salmon belly gravlax and rounds of aquavit… I’ve been waiting for this one and hope it opens the door for more.

6. Craftsman and Wolves (746 Valencia Street, 415-913-7713)

Craftsman & Wolves' artful desserts

Don’t just call it a bakery. Craftsman & Wolves is a heightened sort of cafe where baked goods move boundaries and desserts are works of art. William Werner’s artistic eats, alongside sandwiches and salads, Sightglass Coffee, Naivetea, and dreamy drinking caramel made with salted butter, ensure this is an extraordinary addition to the SF food scene, standing apart from other cafes. Skylights, brick and clean lines make for a modern cafe setting, while items like the Rebel Within, an herb, cheese, sausage-studded muffin with a sous vide egg hidden inside, are already cult classics.

7 & 8. TIE: Saru Sushi (3856 24th Street, 415-440-4510) and Elephant Sushi (1916 Hyde Street, 415-440-1905)

Boom Box roll at Elephant Sushi

This sushi duo isn’t perfect, nor will either be the best sushi meal of your life. But in their infancy, they both represent the ideal neighborhood sushi outposts: friendly, laid back, almost hip, with spanking fresh fish and consistently interesting maki, nigiri, sashimi, tasting spoons (at Saru), and sizzling mango seabass (at Elephant). With a glass of sake, try firm-yet-silky squid in yuzu juice at Saru or bananas draped beautifully over Elephant’s Boom Box roll with scallop, avocado, and cucumber. Those lucky souls who live near either restaurant have themselves exemplary neighborhood sushi bars in which to unwind.

9. Mission Bowling Club (3176 17th Street, 415-863-2695)

The view from Mission Bowling's second floor dining area

Mission Bowling Club (MBC) is significant because never up till now has a bowling alley served food this good. Hipster, even upscale for a bowling alley, the open, industrial space, large front patio, and downstairs/upstairs dining room (the latter oversees the action) is a striking setting for Anthony Myint’s (of Mission Chinese Food and Mission St. Food, no less) beloved Mission Burger, a rich, granulated patty, lathered in caper aioli. Entrees like blackened salmon on a potato latke marked by salmon roe, cucumber and horseradish are listed alongside a juicy sausage corn dog dipped in habanero crema. Bowling never tasted this sublime.

10. FuseBOX (2311A Magnolia, Oakland, 510-444-3100)

FuseBOX's sunny courtyard

Despite being open only three days a week for lunch with just-added Saturday night dinner service (reserve ahead!), FuseBOX is my favorite East Bay opening this year because of its unique approach to Asian cuisine. Such limited hours in a remote West Oakland block makes it a meal you have to work to get to, but the fusion of Korean and izakaya-style Japanese from Sunhui and Ellen Sebastian Chang is a welcoming, tiny haven (with large front patio) for creative Asian fare often in bite-size format allowing ample tasting. There’s rotating robata bites or kimchee from bok choy to kale, interesting panchan/banchan (mini-dishes often accompanying a Korean meal), hamachi tartare topped with lime caviar, Tokyo po boys, and an unforgettable bacon mochi. And who else offers kimchee and coffee service with Korean beignets?

Beer & gourmet dishes at St. Vincent

HONORABLE MENTION goes to Gioia Pizzeria (2240 Polk, 415-359-0971, www.gioiapizzeria.com) for bringing Berkeley’s best NY pizza to SF; CatHead’s BBQ (1665 Folsom, 415-861-4242, www.catsheadbbq.com) for some of the better BBQ in our city (“real deal” Southern BBQ being difficult to come by outside of the South); Abbott’s Cellar (742 Valencia, 415-626-8700, www.abbotscellar.com) for one of the best beer menus anywhere and elevated food to accompany it in a sleek-rustic dining room; Orexi (243 West Portal, 415-664-6739, www.orexisf.com) for daring to bring satisfying Greek food to our Greek-deficient dining scene; St. Vincent (1270 Valencia, 415-285-1200, www.stvincentsf.com) for a wine and beer geek’s dream menu partnered with forward-thinking interpretations of regional American dishes; Machka (584 Washington, 415-391-8228, www.machkasf.com) for a chic take on Turkish food.

Winning Dungeness crab sandwich with Southern touches at Georges

SEA CHANGE

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Two unrelated seafood restaurants have quietly undergone chef and menu changes in the last year. Less than impressed with both when they debuted, they’ve taken a turn for the better. There’s a low-key Mission seafood outpost with a vegan emphasis, Weird Fish, now Dante’s Weird Fish, and a Financial District restaurant catering to the FiDi set, Georges, with upscale-casual seafood.

WEIRD FISH, Mission (2193 Mission St. near 18th St., 415-863-4744)

Cozy Weird Fish

Tiny Weird Fish has been around a few years, pleasing vegans and hipsters alike with grilled fish alongside seitan tacos. Owner Tim Holt left in 2011 to focus on Roshambo Farms in Healdsburg, which still supplies the restaurant with much of its produce. Holt opened Weird Fish with Peter Hood, who is back as owner alongside Ryan Simas, returning to roots of fish and vegan options, infused with new life. Simas knows seafood as chef de cuisine at Farallon, where he’s worked for nine years, now simultaneously co-owner at Dante’s and its neighbor, The Perch, eventually supposed to open next door.

Dante’s all day hours and a playful, affordable menu (discounted during lunch hours) are its selling points. Portions are small but it’s rare to see fish entrees under $10 – think of it as piecing together a meal, while dishes like fish and chips are filling on their own.

Affordable, well-prepared grilled fish

I can’t say the hit-and-miss aspects of the former Weird Fish has entirely changed changed, but I notice greater consistency and higher “high points” than before. “Pete’s famous clam chowder” ($4.75 cup, $6.75 bowl) is one surprise. Unlike the bland tortilla soup, their creamy chowder is flavor-rich with spanking fresh clams. Fish and chips ($11 for two pieces, $14 for three) features fresh fish of the day, flaky and light in Speakeasy’s Big Daddy IPA beer batter. A mix of sweet potato and regular potato fries falls flat, but fried fish dissolves comfortingly.

Waco taco

A vegetarian Waco Taco ($5) is one of their best bites. Though I’m a fish taco fanatic, a tilapia fish taco tasted over-salted and lifeless under mango salsa compared to the lively Waco Taco packed with mashed yams, spinach, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and guacamole. Fried calamari ($9.50) is perked up by fried lemon and sage leaves, dipped in lemon aioli and oh! chipotle sauce. Among fish entrees, I’ve fared best with Dijon-almond encrusted rainbow trout ($9.50) alongside buttery mashed yams ($4.75) laced with coconut milk and curry.

Dante’s casual, rock-and-roll (sometimes blaring a bit loud in the small space) attitude is a bright spot on Mission Street, uncommon if not “weird”, amidst a sea of taquerias and 99 cent stores. In its Dante’s incarnation since March, Weird Fish captures the quirk of former days with greater focus on the food.

GEORGES, Financial District (415 Sansome St. between Sacramento & Commercial, 415-956-6900)

Georges entrance

Admittedly, when Georges took over the Financial District’s classic London Wine Bar in 2010 (which lacked an impressive wine list but boasted dated charm), completely revamping the space from dim, old school to white and airy, I dined during opening weeks, immediately turned off by overcooked fish at high prices. I didn’t return until a couple months ago, hearing good things about Chef Michael Bilger who came on in early 2011 from Wayfare Tavern, and now defunct Moose’s and Vivande Porta Via. Bilger’s skill with seafood is a marked improvement since my 2010 visit. Serving sustainably-sourced seafood per Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch standards, Georges’ focuses on sustainability in numerous aspects like crushing raw bar shells into fertilizer for their farmers -  local, of course.

Fish & chips

Being in the FiDi, lunch is a bustling, convivial time to dine. As with lobster rolls, a Dungeness crab roll is expensive ($21), but it’s a beauty. White, lush crab is packed between bread with basil, piquillo pepper, and pleasing Southern touches of fried green tomatoes and remoulade accompanied by housemade BBQ potato chips. A silky crudo ($15) of albacore tuna cleans the palate alongside a crisp white wine. Six cuts of tuna rest on hearts of palm, reasonably doused in garum (a fermented fish sauce I’m seeing on many menus lately), McEvoy Ranch olive oil, and vivid Meyer lemon. Mussels and frites ($16 for mussels, $20 with fries) comfort on a chilly day, particularly with beer. Bilger steams plump mussels in Ommegang Witte beer, the broth exhibiting notes of fall from Rubinstar apples, savory with smoked bacon and leeks.

Albacore tuna crudo

One seafood misstep on a follow-up visit was an overcooked, dry albacore tuna confit in bucatini pasta, tossed with zucchini, Calabrian chilis, Castelvetrano olives and pleasant dose of bread crumbs ($16 lunch/$19 dinner). An affogato, a robust shot of espresso drowning lush vanilla gelato, the glass covered with a waffle cone crisp, is an ideal finish and caffeine boost before returning to work.

Georges is pricey but not out of line with the FiDi or the quality of ingredients. It’s not the same restaurant I dined at when it opened… and for this the entire staff deserves kudos.

Sorting through cacao beans at Dandelion

SEARCHING for CHOCOLATE

Clearly we can’t get enough chocolate. As chocolatiers continue to proliferate around the country, we are blessed with an endless wealth of fine chocolate to choose from. Tirelessly sampling chocolates from every possible corner of the world, including every city and country I travel in, there are standouts from numerous angles, some perfecting a certain truffle, others a pure bean-to-bar process. Join me on a local and international journey through just a few of the best.

SF CHOCOLATE SOURCES

Dandelion Chocolate's new shop on Valencia Street

- With their new Victorian-era Mercantile on Haight Street and a brand new, second shop just opened up in North Beach, Buyer’s Best Friend is among the best gourmet food selections in the city on many levels. When it comes to chocolate, they often have samples of rarely seen, small chocolatiers from around the globe, many of which they are the sole source. Start asking questions and you’ll discover a whole world of chocolates you never new existed.
- Eccentric and delightful, Noe Valley’s Chocolate Covered has long been the chocolate shop of SF, with rare and varied selection. I lived directly across the street from it for six years – a dangerous proximity.
- Tiny but well-curated, Russian Hill’s shiny Candy Store has long been a source for rare and old fashioned chocolates and candies.

CHOCOLATE BOOK
One of the world’s great modern day chocolatiers from London, Paul A. Young (see International section) wrote Adventures with Chocolate, a visually striking book first exploring chocolate making details from combining beans for best flavor profiles to making the perfect ganache. Primarily, it is a cookbook utilizing chocolate in recipes from boozy drinks or teas to savory dishes and desserts.

Local

Many local greats are made here in the city, like SF classic Recchiuti, single-minded treasures like Hooker’s Sweet Treats, playful Poco Dolce and forward-thinking TCHO. Here are a few more:

BEST BEAN-TO-BAR: Dandelion Chocolates

Wrapping bars at Dandelion

There’s chocolate and then there’s bean-to-bar. Whereas most chocolatiers start with already fermented cacao beans (yes, cacao beans go through fermentation), a few oversee the entire process, from sourcing to processing. Dandelion Chocolates was launched right here in SF by chocolate lovers who experimented with bean-to-bar as a hobby, which then turned into a business. Purity of the cacao is their passion so they make chocolate with merely the bean and sugar, no cocoa butter. Tasting their bars side-by-side is like sampling wines or coffee, nuances and terroir apparent in each. There’s lush, malty notes of Rio Caribe, Venezuela (my favorite bar), bright citrus-strawberry expression of the Ambanja, Madagascar bar, and earthy, tannic notes from Elvesia, Dominican Republic. Dandelion is easily already one of the superior chocolates around.

Visiting their Dogpatch factory last month, I witnessed the entire process from roasting, cracking, sorting, winnowing, and grinding, to conching, tempering, molding and packaging, happening in one small space. Dandelion is moving to their new Mission location on Valencia (though also keeping their Dogpatch space), which is factory, tasting room, shop and cafe all in one. Opening this month, it’s sure to be a hit. It’s inspiring to see passion lead to success… and we all reap the benefits.

BEST TRUFFLES: Feve

Working my way through a box of chocolates from the now closed Shokolaat in Palo Alto

Many artisan chocolatiers boast a couple of exceptional truffles, but none I’ve tried have the volume of Feve Artisan Chocolatier, formerly Au Coeur Des Chocolats (found in shops like Bi-Rite or on their website). Owners Shawn and Kathryn Williams have traveled Europe extensively, visiting many of the world’s best chocolate makers. Besides artful, elegant precision in presentation, Shawn’s truffles succeed first and foremost in flavor.

Expecting a burst of curry or lemongrass or the like, the intended flavor of many expensive truffles (at the standard $1.50-$3 a piece) is often barely discernible, instead of refined yet prominent and lively. Typically, I’ll find one or two standouts in a line of truffles, but with Feve, I struggle to name a favorite. There’s cherry vanilla (dark chocolate and lemon ganache layered with cherry vanilla gelee), cardamom punchy with Scotch, sesame vanilla crispy with praline, dreamy banana caramel, pistachio rosemary caramel with pistachio praline, and vivid passion fruit or yuzu… each exquisitely lush.

ASSORTED TOP TRUFFLES and BARS

Chocolatier Blue's welcoming 4th Street shop in Berkeley

- Chocolatier Blue’s Berkeley shops serve fresh, creative truffles like Ants on a Log filled with celery seed, peanut butter and currant, a tart caramel apple, or peanut brittle crunch with caramelized banana and creamy peanut butter.
- Saratoga Chocolates‘ Caramel Cin, a heart-shaped treat of dark chocolate oozing decadent cinnamon caramel.
- Sixth Course Artisan Confections‘ aromatic caramels, like rosemary or sage and brown butter.
- Wine Country Chocolates‘ Elvis truffle of peanut butter and banana ganache rules, while the cinnamon and clover honey oozes honey goodness. www.winecountrychocolates.com
- Maison Bouche, Oakland’s elegant, French-spirited bars, a standout being salty Fleur de Sel using Brittany salt.

US

- Alma Chocolates in Portland makes an insanely good Thai peanut butter cup with ginger, Thai chiles, lime, even red volcanic sea salt, sometimes available at Portland chocolate haven, Cacao.
- Antidote is a quality, raw, NY-based bean-to-bar line made in Ecuador with dark chocolate bars in flavors like banana cayenne, lavender red salt, and almond fennel. Expect subtlety and a earth-like taste in each. At Buyer’s Best Friend.

Chocolat Moderne's bistro bars (photo source: chocolatmoderne.com)

- Chocolat Modern is a longtime New York favorite of square “bistro bars”, dark and filled with the likes of bananas and Cognac, pumpkin praline, apricot and Bas Armagnac, zesty grapefruit. There’s a rotating selection available at The Candy Store.
- The best local chocolates I’ve had from Los Angeles, Compartes creates dark chocolate truffles and bars, including the apricot & shichimi 7-spice chocolate bar ($8), and truffle highlights: Smoked Salt, Peanut Butter, Pink Peppercorn & Raspberry.
- Fine & Raw is a Brooklyn-based, raw chocolatier with high dark chocolate content and cacao butter, managing to maintain creamy texture and flavor. Their most interesting bars are cacao & coconut or lucuma & vanilla. At Buyer’s Best Friend.
- Though I fear the healthy, superfood label when it comes to pleasures like chocolate, Boise, Idaho-based Good Cacao creates lemon ginger immunity and coconut omega-3 bars that taste like a tropical vacation. At Buyer’s Best Friend.
- MarieBelle’s elegant banana chocolate (65%) bar shines from this New York favorite with a Soho tea salon and cacao bar.

International

- Dublin’s Cocoa Atelier makes the best chocolate I had in Ireland, a chic outpost of drinking chocolate and elegant truffles using local specialties, like pot still Irish whiskey.

Paul Young's "Adventures With Chocolate" book

- Coco Chocolate is my Edinburgh favorite, a darling shop focusing on handmade bars, like rose and black pepper, pink peppercorn and nutmeg, and a tropical-inflected lime and coconut, invigorating with dark chocolate.
- Kopali Organics is packaged as vegan health food from passionate founders living off-the-grid in Costa Rica. Their fair trade dark chocolate covered banana bites taste like vivid, fresh banana chocolate instead of dried, chocolate-covered fruits. At Buyer’s Best Friend.
- If in Bordeaux, don’t miss charming La Maison Darricau. The romantic shop sells chocolate and creative truffles made fresh daily, like wine-filled Médoc, basil, Szechuan pepper, curry date, and an excellent blend of prune, almond paste, Armagnac.
- Among the best chocolates I’ve had in the world is Paul A. Young, with three London shops – the supreme example of what fresh truffles and exotic bars should be. Go funky with Marmite truffles, or herbaceous peppermint leaf. Whatever you do, when in London, don’t miss it.
- In London’s Borough Market, Rabot Estate is a rustic-hip shop with staff pouring cups of free dark hot chocolate and bars like chili with a lush Santa Lucia-grown dark chocolate.

Truffles at Paul Young's Islington, London shop

Kobe beef for shabu-shabu at Shabuway in the Inner Richmond

Three Affordable JAPANESE Meals

Article and photos by Virginia Miller

Japanese woods and individual grills at the new Camp BBQ

The nuances and clean lines of Japanese cuisine have long intrigued. I grew up during East Coast days with my lifelong best friend, who is half Japanese, discovering authentic cuisine in her home and around New York City, fondly recalling the first time I had sushi, okonomiyaki and sake, shabu-shabu in Manhattan.

SF boasts one of few Japantowns in the US – the oldest and largest Japantown in the country – and a dense Japanese community, so restaurant and market options are vibrant. Sushi is one of my greatest cravings, and the izakaya-Japanese pub/bar food wave seems to re-hit SF every few years with a slew of openings. Outside of these two dominant categories, we’re blessed with Kappou Gomi’s memorable small plates (buttered scallops, tempura crusted in macadamia, almonds and other nuts), Kare-Ken and Muracci’s Japanese curry, intimate Minako for organic, unusual dishes, Macha Cafe and YakiniQ Cafe for matcha tea, sweet potato coffee, and Japanese-influenced treats, Kitchen Kura for an okonomiyaki menu, Delica for Japanese deli goods, the list goes on. These three younger Japanese restaurants offer comforting food at a reasonable cost.

CAMP BBQ, Inner Richmond (4014 Geary Blvd. between 4th & 5th Ave., 415-387-1378)

Pork, ready for grilling

Opening this summer, Camp BBQ is Japanese grilling taking its cues from Korean BBQ. The long space is lined in rustic Japanese woods, roomy tables surrounding individual grills. Like Korean BBQ, mini-bowls of dipping sauces (like a house miso) arrive, then platters of vegetables, such as a “rainbow mix” ($6) of carrots, bok choy, onions and garlic cloves wrapped in foil, ready for the grill. Scallops soak in garlic butter ($7), tender and buttery in foil.

Pork cheek & corn on the cob to grill

When it comes to meats, there’s many options, sliced thin, generally tender – only the pork cheek, though juicy, was a little tough to bite. Kobe-style Kalbi chuck short rib ($13 for 3.5 oz.) and ox tongue ($8) are two worthy beef options, though I find the cheaper, savory qualities of spicy pork ($4) and pork cheek ($5) even more appealing. Portions are small enough to mix-and-match while sipping sake, Japanese beer, even pineapple or watermelon slushies. Moving away from the grill, cheese pockets ($5), essentially wontons supposedly filled with cream cheese and shrimp, are disappointingly empty. The setting is mellow with families and friends grilling and singing along (in the case of the kids during my last visit) to somehow appropriate dance pop tunes as backdrop.

SHABUWAY, Inner Richmond (5120 Geary Blvd. between 15th & 16th Ave., 415-668-6080)

Shabuway's delicious takoyaki

Hot pot stylings of shabu-shabu are the basis for Shabuway, the first SF location of a local Bay Area chain that began in 2004 in San Mateo, growing to locations in Mountain View, San Jose, Union City, Santa Clara. Eiichi Mochizuki launched Shabuway using meats from animals fed on all vegetarian diets: Angus Prime, American kobe, Niman Ranch lamb, Kurobuta Berkshire pork. The result translates into a fresher than average shabu experience. In keeping with the meaning of shabu-shabu (“swish-swish”), one selects thinly-sliced meat of choice, chooses spicy miso or seaweed broths, then swishes raw meats in boiling broth until done. Vegetables (like cabbage, carrots, enoki mushrooms) and mini-bowls of soy and crave-inducing gomadare (an almost creamy sesame sauce) arrive, filled up when running low, with add-ons like udon or ramen noodles a mere $1-$1.75. When finished cooking meats and veggies, flavor-rich broth is poured over rice, eaten soup-like as a finish.

Choosing both styles of broth: spicy miso and seaweed

There is little besides shabu-shabu on the menu, an appreciated focus, but a special I’d recommend if you see it is takoyaki ($4.50), octopus dumpling balls topped in benito flakes, essentially okonomyiaki (the fantastic Japanese  “pancake”) in bread-y ball form, dotted with customary mayo and savory-sweet okonomiyaki sauce.

KIRIMACHI RAMEN, North Beach (450 Broadway St. between Kearny & Rowland, 415-335-5865)

'50's diner chairs at Kirimachi

Ramen is akin to pho in Vietnamese food or other filling soups in Asian cuisine. Maybe it was the month I spent in Vietnam eating far less than fresh pho (think greasy broth and unidentifiable meat) at locals only pho bars around the country, or most likely it’s my craving for bold, pronounced flavors that have made me not so much averse to basic broth soups as just bored by them.

Sapporo-style miso ramen

Typically, I prefer udon or soba noodles when it comes to Japanese soups for more texture and emphasis on the noodles. I may never be obsessed with ramen, pho or the like but Kirimachi Ramen, a months’ old spot tucked away in North Beach with 1950′s diner chairs and laid back vibe, does well by the genre. All bowls are hefty at$10, with veggie, pork or chicken as a base. They told me they haven’t found a reliable organic pork source yet but use Marin Sun Farms chicken, focusing on fresh ingredients. I took to Sapporo-style miso ramen with chopped pork, Chinese chives, bean sprouts, corn, with additional toppings ($1) including kikurage mushroom, fish cake and soft-boiled egg.