Staying Satiated in Portland:
From Coffee to Bakeries

Visiting over 50 places in one week, I may have just gotten started in Portland, but I certainly made a dent. So much so that I’ll need to break this into a 4-5 part series. Here’s my restaurant list – now I cover Portland’s famous food carts, ice cream, coffee (all important), chocolate, farmers markets, bakeries and other memorable snacks.

Soaking wet from rain half the week (no, it’s not just a mist), I biked to neighborhoods East, West, South and North with my usual (if cold and grumpy) tenacity to dig in and really taste the soul and breadth of a place rather than its tourist veneer. Join me as I eat my way through the rainy town up north.

FORKTOWN FOOD TOURS

Forktown Food Tours are led in either the Alphabet District (Fridays 2-5pm) or North Portland (Mississippi Ave., Saturdays 2-5pm), worth $65 for three hours of tasting and exploring, meeting with owners and tastemakers behind each location. Starting at Besaw’s, an adorable, historic restaurant since 1903, I took a tour led by Forktown’s lovely founder through the Alphabet District, which I had explored a few days before on my own. Impressed with the range and quality of stops, from a distillery and bakery to ice cream and restaurants, the tours give you a real peek behind the food and drink businesses in the area.

FOOD CARTS

In one week, you can merely scratch the surface of Portland food carts (often permanent carts vs. roving food trucks), a vibrant scene allowed to thrive due to looser city legislation and costs than we face in SF. There are numerous food cart “pods” throughout Portland – I visited the main ones downtown and the playful D Street Noshery across the street from Pok Pok on the East side of town. I sampled through about eight food carts on a couple different days, some delightful, others just ok, but taking in the scene in general is all kinds of fun (makes me grateful SF just launched the beer-friendly, permanent food truck “pod”, SoMa StrEat Food Park).

Of Portland carts tried, EuroTrash was a standout, not just because of its bright, neon colors, but for good times with mostly fried seafood, like fantastic Squid Fana, a curried squid sandwich on toasted french baguette layered under spicy curry slaw, or fun, fried anchovies – order the heads separately. Chorizo and chips (house fried potato chips) doused in grilled chorizo, cilantro, giardiniera, and a curry aioli, are likewise memorable. Another cart winner? Addy’s Sandwich Bar serves fresh baguettes wrapped in paper, a worthwhile special-0f-the-day being a sandwich laden with pickled herring and avocado.

PSU FARMERS MARKET

The lush, shaded grounds of Portland State University’s campus in downtown Portland make a welcome setting for a bustling Saturday farmers market. The PSU market is an ideal way to sample a range of Portland bakeries (like Lauretta Jean’s Pies and Pearl Bakery, below), charcuterie (like Olympic Provisions), etc… all in one location, particularly if you have limited time in town. Seely Family Farm’s peppermint patties – made with natural Oregon peppermint – were a standout snack, but, of course, I am crazy about intense, fresh peppermint.

Portland obsession, Pine State Biscuits, however, were a disappointment. With the longest, slowest line by far at the market, I waited 30 minutes for a biscuit sandwich,

grateful to scratch one of many breakfast go-tos off my list here. Chicken and biscuits are appealingly fried before you, while the restaurant’s classics are all here, including the beloved Reggie ($7): fried chicken, bacon, cheese, topped with gravy. I’m used to such lines at home for street food, etc…, and am a biscuit and Southern food fanatic, so it was rough to find the biscuit bland, not even close to the top 25 I’ve had, much less a “best”, and similarly so with the fried chicken. Oddly enough, the cheese is a bewildering grocery store-style slice thrown in the sandwich, every element but the gravy a letdown.

Ice Cream

SALT & STRAW

Worth crossing town for, Salt & Straw is truly exciting ice cream. With two locations (the first opened last Summer), I visited the brand new Alphabet District cafe, a white, airy space winning me over with common flavors done their way, like ubiquitous salted caramel which I first saw as an ice cream at SF’s Bi-Rite years ago before witnessing it pop up all over the country. Here it manifests a local slant using salt selected by Portlandian Mark Bitterman, author of the book, Salted.

Rather than one of the more unusual flavors (and I sampled over 20 here), I was surprised my favorite was Arbequina olive oil. I’ve had olive oil ice creams for years, but this one was uniquely vivid and creamy, standing out above combos like Apricot Sweet Heat with Bridgeport Beer and candied scotch bonnet peppers.

Banana walnut was evocative of childhood, while honey lavender is very different from Bi-Rite‘s more elegant, subtle honey lavender, which they were making many years before. Salt & Straw’s beauty is purple, floral, even soapy, but not overwhelmingly so. A rather genius combo is their fresh mint ice cream laced with candied lemon peel – my other favorite.

Salt & Straw was just launching a much buzzed about round of custom ice creams in collaboration with individual restaurants, from Pok Pok to Aviary. For example, at new restaurant hotspot Ox, they’re utilizing the chef’s flavor profiles, making a foie with veal stock and s’mores ice cream. I’m in! I love everything about this place, from friendly staff to not-too-sweet flavored coffees, using Stumptown beans.

MIO GELATO

With only a handful of flavors at the Pearl District location (right by Powell’s Books), Mio Gelato is traditional Italian gelato in basic pistachio, lemon, mascarpone, and the like. But this creamy goodness is reminiscent of real, Italian gelato – a welcome treat when in the area.

BITES

LITTLE BIG BURGER

Little Big Burger is a local mini-chain doing your basic burger, cheeseburger and veggie burger, all small, all under $3.75. I’d heard the Pearl District location was the best so that’s the one I tried. Friendly servers and the right price made it an ideal snack, though the clientele was mostly teenagers and there was a minuscule smattering of cheese on one side of the cheeseburger. Though decent, I couldn’t help but recall similarly simple – but far superior - burgers at Super Duper in SF or Burger Joint and Shake Shack in NYC.

RED STAR TAVERN

Inside funky, chic Hotel Monaco‘s Red Star Tavern, an unexpected delight arrived during a special media tasting: marshmallows encased in coffee crumbles and chocolate truffles rolled in tobacco. Served with a cocktail of 10 year tawny port, Bulleit bourbon, maple syrup and Angostura syrup, it was an earthy-sweet joy of a dessert. P.S. Hotel Monaco boasts a truly unique happy hour with wine, Voodoo Doughnut, balloon animals, and other quirky treats.

KENNY & ZUKE’S

While some locals tell me Kenny & Zuke’s isn’t quite as consistent as it used to be, I found this funky, fun Jewish deli ferments some damn fine pickles (in cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, etc…) and makes a mean Reuben ($13.45) with their own rye bread and house-smoked pastrami or corned beef in a coriander crust, cured seven days, smoked ten hours, then steamed for three. I prefer ultra-smoky pastrami on the satisfying Reuben (and you know I’m picky about my Reubens from coast to coast), especially paired with dry-hopped Oakshire Watershed Brewing IPA from Eugene on draft.

Bakeries

LAURETTA JEAN’S

With a shop for pick-up downtown and a weekly stand at the aforementioned PSU Farmers Market, Lauretta Jean’s bakes some blissful, all-American pies, lattice-topped and all. Rhubarb is a joy, while tart cherry is the ultimate: tart, juicy, flaky, nurturing. Their quiches are likewise strong – maybe the best breakfast item at the farmers market, like a fresh quiche of snap peas and fromage blanc.

KEN’S ARTISAN BAKERY

My top Portland bakery, after visiting Pearl Bakery, Two Tarts and PIX (all winners – Portland does it right on the bakery front), is Ken’s Artisan Bakery on the Northwest side. Properly done croissants (ham, thyme & Gruyere croissant!) and morning buns made me feel like I was back home, but with local touches like Oregon berries in a sweet pastry. Order a cup of Stumptown coffee to go with.

VOODOO DOUGHNUT

This is only listed because I’ve been asked by many what I thought of the famed, quirky doughnut legend of Portland? Yes, we’ve seen the maple bacon combo a thousand times now, and at Voodoo Doughnut, where they’ve been doing it for years, that bacon-y essence shines. But sampling through five of their doughnuts, including the bacon maple bar, I must admit I did not like one of them. I respect the kitschy playfulness… but each was sickly sweet, old school sugary, leaving me to scratch my head, just as I have for over a decade re: NYC’s Magnolia Bakery with those legendary cupcakes that taste like someone baked a mound of powdered sugar. It’s all too one-note for me – particularly when there are far more balanced, gourmet donuts (and cupcakes) out there. Realizing we’re talking about two different styles of donut-making, places like Bob’s in SF typify to me what classic, old school donuts should be.

Coffee

Obviously, coffee is as quintessential to Portland as constant drizzle. In visiting numerous roasters and local shops, I enjoyed plenty of fine coffee. Disappointed in the subtle, so-as-to-be-somewhat-tasteless coffee (not to mention cold, hipster attitude) at Heart in Northeast Portland, I enjoyed (but wasn’t raving about) Cafe Velo. Yes, I made the required Stumptown stop, though I’ve been drinking Stumptown for years, from NY to the West Coast. Below are my four standout coffee cafes:

STERLING COFFEE ROASTERS

Sterling Coffee Roasters is an utterly charming, old world-style coffee window in the Alphabet District, soon to move into a new, equally tiny space around the corner. As a sister outpost to Coffeehouse Northwest, the two smiling gentleman at Sterling are dressed like trendy, pre-Prohibition mixologists in vests, as classy as the beautiful wallpaper lining the closet-sized coffee haven.

Both baristas were knowledgeable and passionate about coffee, preparing each cup with precision. They serve one guest roaster – on my visit it was Backporch Blend from Bend, OR, boasting almond butter notes. They also feature two additional, changing beans, typically one from South America, one from Africa, which they roast themselves – I enjoyed the Rosario from El Salvador with apricot & toffee notes.

They’re meticulous, even blessedly geeky about the details, like partly using organic milk for more grassy tones in their cappuccinos or not steaming milk past 130 degrees. One of their special treats is a European-style drinking chocolate (not as thick as ones I’d drink in Italy, but appropriately rich) using Michel Cluizel‘s Bolivian chocolate  – which they describe as adding “barnyardy” notes – with a pinch of Portuguese sea salt on top.

COAVA COFFEE

Coava Coffee’s expansive, artistic space houses woodwork, mural artists and all their in-house roasting. It’s such a cool space, most importantly serving impeccable coffee, that I trekked out to it twice when in the Industrial District.

They source, roast and brew single origin coffees from hand-selected farmers. It’s a special place and one of my top two (alongside Sterling) for coffee in Portland.

COURIER COFFEE ROASTERS

Sitting in the window at stark but friendly Courier Coffee Roasters with bike messengers, couriers and Portland hipsters is a happy way to while away time working on your laptop, reading or watching the world go by. Especially with cool tunes on the record player, accommodating baristas, and impeccable coffee, like a bracing cold brew served in a mason jar.

BARISTA COFFEE

With two locations (I visited the Pearl District locale), Barista is not a roaster themselves, rather it’s a small shop properly preparing some of the best beans on the West Coast, like SF’s Sightglass, alongside local Portland roasters. Bonus points for the historic, roughly one hundred year old brick building and wood deck from which to sip your chosen coffee.

Chocolate

CACAO

With two locations (the main cafe in the Pearl District and one “jewel box-sized” outpost in the Heathman Hotel), Cacao is a chocolate haven of assorted chocolatiers and truffles from Portland and beyond, including Alma Chocolates (below), not to mention drinking chocolates, comforting on a wet, Portland day. I happily spent over an hour in this peaceful chocoholic respite.

ALMA CHOCOLATES

Alma Chocolates is among my favorite little discoveries in Portland, particularly the Thai peanut butter cup. Genius, is what it is. Ginger, Thai chiles, lime, even red volcanic sea salt, elevate this peanut butter cup (also sometimes found at the aforementioned Cacao). While in Alma’s cafe, you might as well order drinking chocolates (go for shaken and iced on those rare, warm Portland days), or keep it hot with the Caramelita, essentially a 4 oz. shot of decadent  habanero caramel, chocolate, milk and heavy cream (moans of pleasure). 

The Latest in LA FOOD

Spending nearly half my life in Southern California, I continue to explore LA’s best foods, often miles – and hours – apart. My latest return, staying in a modern, neutrel-toned suite with retro spirit at the new, peaceful respite of Hotel Wilshire, yielded more edible hits (and a miss).

Last issue I explored more LA cocktail havens. This issue it’s all about food, from brand new spots to a few classics.

BACO MERCAT, Downtown LA

Of my recent LA travels, Baco Mercat was one of the more gratifying (and fun) meals. In a historic building downtown, Baco exists in a narrow space with high, airy ceilings. The casual restaurant feels almost cafe-like with a bar and unique menu concept. A “baco” is essentially a sandwich of pita bread (chewy inside, crispy outside) overflowing with fillings like oxtail hash or beef tongue schnitzel.

My server pointed me to “The Original“: pork belly and beef carnitas in an almond-chile-garlic-based salbitxada sauce (a Catalan recipe). The meat is tender, as one would expect, and the sauce nutty and spicy. Only an excess of greens throws of the sandwich.

I was surprised to prefer the vegetarian offering, “The Fava Fritter“, lined with falafel, feta cheese and poblano peppers, in a Spanish, tomato and bread-based salmorejo cream. Baco also offers a few coca (flatbreads), and plenty of mini sides and salads, like a spicy green papaya, cabbage, lime salad ($6).

Other highlights? Banana cream cannoli (desserts $7 each) enlivened by cardamom and butterscotch. Playful cocktails like gin-pop! made of their house Baco soda pop, gin, bitters, ginger. Sweet and sour house sodas like black mint (I wish the celery soda tasted more of celery). They also serve the already popular new Handsome Coffee (and sell their beans), started by three former Intelligentsia guys.

FUNDAMENTAL LA, Westwood

New Fundamental LA (opened last summer) easily vies for LA’s best sandwiches. In a spare space lined with communal tables., everyone orders the early crowd favorite: a chicken torta ($9) laced with tomatillo salsa, cotija cheese, crema, pickled jalapenos and guacamole.

But I fell in love with their take on one of the best sandwiches in existence, the Cubano. Their Cuban torta ($11) is pig happiness with pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and further decadence with a fried egg and pickled jalapenos. Soft yet crispy bolillo bread makes it, each part of the sandwich in perfect harmony.

Sandwiches rotate with further joys like meatloaf on brioche ($11) layered with celery root puree, pickled cabbage, and, to seal the deal, fried brussels sprouts. For dinner they offer a variety of small and large plates in addition to sandwiches.

Warm potato salad is one of the better I’ve had lately ($4). Yes, its warm, accented by hickory smoked bacon, eggs, creme fraiche, excellent with chunky blue cheese.

Though they offer fun beers, like The Alchemist/Ninkasi/Stone More Brown Than Black IPA, Fundamental’s must-order drink is their Vanilla Cream Soda ($3). Dreamy and creamy, it is easily the best cream soda I’ve had.

PICCA, West Los Angeles

LA has a winner in Picca, a new-ish Peruvian restaurant. It is, hands down, the best Peruvian I’ve had in LA, and that includes Mo-Chica. Last issue, I wrote about LA cocktails, some of the most fun being at Picca, from a menu by Julian Cox.

One of my favorite Peruvian dishes, causas (basically a soft potato mound garnished with ingredients), come in a variety of renditions. They arrive small, looking every bit like maki (sushi rolls). I was taken with a spicy yellowtail causa ($7) dotted with spicy mayo, green onions and wasabi tobiko, as well as a shrimp causa ($6) with pickled cucumbers and yuzu kosho guacamole. Then there’s skewers (anticucho) such as juicy, grilled scallops ($9) given a kick from aji amarillio aioli and wasabi peas, or anticucho corazon ($8), tender beef hearts in creamy rocoto pepper walnut sauce.

Tiraditos are another favorite of mine, essentially sashimi-like platters of fresh, raw fish in South American sauces. Picca’s thinly-sliced seabass tiradito ($13) is simple and pure: pristine fish doused in soy, lemon and sesame oil with a dollop of sweet potato puree.

My top entree was not one I expected to fall in love with: Locro de Quinoa ($13), described as quinoa pumpkin stew. It’s far better than it sounds. Parmesan cheese, crispy tomato (yes, crispy), fresh corn, and a fried egg crown this bowl of comfort. Finishing one, I immediately craved another.

SOTTO, West Los Angeles

Last issue, I wrote about the delightful Kate Grutman and her cocktails at Sotto. Thankfully, Sotto’s food is no slouch and rounds out the experience. Of course, we’ve seen dozens of these Neapolitan pizza, gourmet Italian venues line the streets of San Francisco in past years. Sotto is not exactly revolutionary, but there aren’t (yet) many like it in LA with a couple exceptional bites worth noting.

A hefty chunk of rustic house wheat bread is the sort of bread I’m used to at home and can be ordered with olive oil or burratta cheese, but I recommend fatty, satisfying lardo pestato ($7) slathered on a slice. They do a fine Neapolitan pizza but not the best, and certainly no Pizzeria Mozza if you’re talking LA pizza.

What I found more exciting was their pasta. Sure I’ve had squid ink pasta many a time, but their squid ink fusilli lunghi ($16) is chewy, dark noodles enlivened with pistachios, mint and bottaraga (Italian salted, cured fish roe) – a brighter, more vibrant version than typical one-note squid ink pasta dishes.

I’ve heard complaints about distracted service – the place is continuously mobbed (I was pleased to find my nearby dining companion to be actress Maya Rudolph). But sitting at the bar I was well-taken care of. It’s the best perch from which to sip rare Italian amari and savor Italian pork meatballs.

MEZZE, Mid-City West

Mezze‘s open, airy dining room with a pristine, white kitchen within view welcomes immediately. Under a glass-ceiling, an olive tree stands in the center, evoking a Mediterranean garden patio. Drinks include a handful of cocktails, well-selected wines and beers, including a few limited edition bottles from the OC’s Bruery, and a robustly red house cherry coke ($6).

Chef Micah Wexler was just nominated for a James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year. He works deftly with Mediterranean food keeping it light, flavorful and gourmet without being fussy. An array of colorful beets ($12) is playfully contrasted by crunchy, fried chickpeas, while dollops of sheep’s milk yogurt add creamy sensuality. An exemplary beet dish.

An Arabian classic shakshouka ($13) is a heartwarming bowl of eggs, onions, tomatoes, and in this case, sweetbreads, with yogurt and pita to scoop up the stew-like dish. Egyptian Rebel fries ($13) are crowd pleasing, reminiscent of Canadian poutine, the fries covered in heirloom beans, beef brisket, Syrian cheese. Wood-fired Merguez flatbread ($14) is crispy thin dotted with fontina cheese and tomato jam, gently spicy with aleppo pepper.

Wexler indeed shows “rising star” promise, and I would gladly return for more.

SON OF A GUN, Mid-City West

Son of a Gun was a royal letdown. I should have known. The can-do-no-wrong chef duo of Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo already won LA over with their uber-popular Animal restaurant, which I found overhyped when dining there at the beginning of 2010. I should have learned my lesson, but staying at Hotel Wilshire merely a mile away, the New England-influenced seafood menu and charming fishing decor propelled me there regardless of my hesitations.

After braving the annoying no reservations policy and an early line pre-opening to then sit at a noisy communal table, unable to hear my friends, I found my server knew nothing about their cocktails ($8-12). It should have been a warning to stick with wine from their celebrated menu and sommelier. But cocktails looked good, running the standard classics from a Boulevardier to an Aviation. But execution was flat, signified by the modern classic Penicillin, which here tasted watered down, lacking in Scotch or ginger punch.

To add insult to injury, we all left feeling ripped off – a problem I rarely complain of, though I eat out at good 10 times a week. I usually prefer small plates both to sample more and finding greater creativity than in a traditional meat and veg entree format. At Son of a Gun, “small” plates is an understatement.

A mini-lobster roll with lemon aioli sounds like a steal at $7, but in two bites, it’s done. Shrimp toast sandwich ($11) is utterly delicious,  saucy with Sriracha mayo, but is the smallest $11 sandwich I’ve ever seen. Even a tiny scoop of pimento cheese with chips is $10.

Their popular fried chicken sandwich ($11) loaded with spicy B&B pickle slaw, is the one “normal-sized” sandwich, but is an obvious rip-off of the supreme Bakesale Betty’s fried chicken sandwich, which was around years before… and is superior.

Don’t expect any better by ordering higher-priced plates. An unexciting alligator schnitzel ($18) or insanely miniscule and odd uni, burrata, radicchio “entree” ($19), even a refreshing finish of frozen lime yogurt with graham cracker crumble and toasted meringue ($6), were all quite small. Four of us left hungry and annoyed, $200 later. Dropping $100 per couple with drinks is understandable, but rarely do I get so little for that at a casual restaurant.

Next time Jon and Vinny open another restaurant, I’ll know what to do.

KOBAWOO HOUSE, Koreatown

Korean food in LA… you hear so much about it. The hype is warranted on volume of restaurants and food options alone. I can’t say I’ve yet had a Korean meal in LA that blows others way out of the water, but please do tell me where I must go.

On my latest visit, I was perfectly content at Kobawoo House, a family style dining room lined with wood and communal tables. Be forewarned: there’s a wait even on a weekday at lunchtime (thankfully, Bourbon Street Cafe – below – is next door so you can grab a coffee while you wait).

Seafood pajeon is a giant pancake of goodness, laden with octopus, squid, scallions and the like. Definitely up there in terms of great pajeon – and the size of a two to three person pizza. Their popular bossam ($15.99 small, $24.99 large) is tender pork steamed in a variety of spices with lettuce leaves and different ingredients to wrap it all up in. This is interactive food at its best. Miso stew is a soybean paste stew that arrives so boiling hot, it wasn’t till near the meal’s end I was able to take a (still hot) satisfying slurp.

Kobawoo is an ideal place to fill up for less (the Renaissance Man and I could not finish all we ordered for $35) with a group of friends or family on quality Korean food.

Snacks & Desserts

BULGARINI GELATO, Culver City & Altadena

LA isn’t the ice cream city SF is. Though I enjoy LA’s Scoops and Pazzo Gelato, you won’t find the shining equivalent of Humphry Slocumbe, Bi-Rite or even Mitchell’s here. But LA does have Bulgarini Gelato.

Leo Bulgarini’s obsession for perfection shines best in his nut gelatos. A Roman native, Bulgarini and his Pasadena-born wife, Elizabeth, hunted for the best ingredients for two years in Italy, studied two months with a third-generation Sicilian gelato master, then on to Milan to perfect their gelato-making skills.

Their Sicilian pistachio is unlike any other. Same goes for Kona macadamia nut. And Mandorla Sicilian almond. It tastes as if Bulgarini uses double the amount of nuts anyone else does, allowing for a nutty intensity greater than in even the best of pistachio ice cream. Macadamia nut is my favorite but taste each if you can.

Sourcing coffee from Naples, cocoa from Santo Domingo, and hazelnuts from Oregon, quality is evident in these expensive gelatos. I liked other flavors, like Florentine chocolate with salt, but prefer general flavors at any of the aforementioned SF shops.

However, each of Bulgarini’s nut gelatos are better than any I’ve had throughout Italy or the US. A glorious excess of nuts takes on a textured but creamy body. Perfection.

SIMPLE THINGS SANDWICH & PIE SHOP, Mid-City West

Mini-pies ($2.50 each, plus small $5.50 or full size $20) aren’t life changing at Simple Things Sandwich & Pie Shop, but they are fun, particularly key lime. There’s other baked goods and daily-changing sandwiches, salads and soups. The bright white and grey space is accented by yellow lamps, as cheery as the friendly servers. It’s a worthy sweets stop when on 3rd Street, with a far smaller selection but a more peaceful setting than always-mobbed Joan’s down the block.

TAMARIND AVE. DELI, Hollywood
There’s Jersey-style deli sandwiches, including pastrami, brisket and salumi, at Tamarind Ave. Deli, tucked off a non-descript Hollywood street. But that’s not worth going out of your way for. Rather, the joy is an impressive collection of classic, old-timey American sodas lining the walls of this charming, little take-out spot.

FONUTS, Mid-City West
I must admit I’d rather have a traditional donut than what the new Fonuts is calling (rather cheesily) “faux donuts”. But if I think of them as baked donut cakes, they are quite good. Crowd-pleasers include maple bacon and strawberry buttermilk.

Coffee & Juice

Coffee favorites in LA this time around? Bourbon Street Cafe in Koreatown with its Asia-meets-New Orleans-meets-third wave coffee offerings, from siphon to pour-over.

In Mid-City West (near West Hollywood), Commissary prepares coffee right, featuring three different beans from small coffee brands, including our own excellent Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco. I enjoyed a cup made with Victrola beans from Seattle (while at Commissary, don’t forget to pop into fabulous butcher shop Lindy & Grundy next door).

Spring for Coffee is a closet-sized shop in Downtown LA selling some of the West Coast’s best coffee beans, more than half of them from SF (from Blue Bottle to Ritual). They make a proper cappuccino and espresso, too.

On the juice tip, Sustain Juicery, a tiny shop downtown in LA’s garment district, is expensive ($7 each) – as any quality juice shop is – blending refreshing, bright winners like the classic green: kale, spinach, apple, celery, cucumber, parsley.

Craft cocktails, tacos, coffee in the OC?

Over the holidays and family visits, I branched out to a few new spots, curious if massive, suburban Orange County finally is entering the gourmet realm long ago the standard in areas far less populated. Multiple visits a year (since the days I lived here) and an exceptional meal is still quite rare. Though I finally found one intriguing cocktail menu, a killer beer list, and a couple ambitious menus in these LA ‘burbs, execution still tastes miles behind LA or other great US food regions.

Santa Ana’s CHAPTER ONE sparked hope from its website menus and appearance as a “whole package” of food, cocktails and beer. The decor is an odd mix of sports bar and book-lined booths. In the bar, order rotating flights, like an Irish whiskey flight – I appreciate that they allow customers to choose four tastes out of a spirits list.

Cocktails sound overwrought with an odd mix of ingredients (though I still have to smile when I think of finding celery bitters used anywhere in Orange County), but after sampling four, balance is in play. I can’t say they are competitive with the great craft cocktails I’ve tasted around the world, but they are trying. Oddly enough, despite a laundry list of ingredients, Druid Divination worked best with its herbal, sweet, boozy blend of Knot Irish whiskey, Barsol pisco, muddled strawberry, thyme, basil, lemon juice, and sweet 15 year balsamic vinegar.

Impressive is Chapter One’s beers on draft list. They’ve got some interesting stuff like Uinta’s Dubhe Black Imperial IPA with chocolate bitters, or Craftsman’s meaty Acorn Saison, as well as unusual flights and a unique selection. With The Bruery open in Orange County in recent years (one of the county’s greatest spots), the area seems to be refining its beer palate.

On the food front, some dishes sounded better than they tasted, like smoked salmon jerked nachos, which were light on salmon and jerk seasoning; basically a few meager chips drizzled with citrus sour cream and tobiko (fish roe). Others worked: a tasty Moroccan chicken sandwich is piled high in pita bread with dots of cranberry aioli and a bowl of lentil salad. Then there’s an Asian-inflected, tempura-fried, panko-breaded fish & chips with wasabi Sriracha sour cream and a side of duck fat fries. The most intriguing entree is seared duck breast, rare and juicy over a (small) sweet potato waffle – a twist on chicken and waffles. Three sauces add layers to the dish: strawberry ginger kampot pepper sauce, bourbon maple syrup, and balsamic reduction.

An Elvis beer float ($9) made with Wells Banana Bread Beer, maple reduction, peanut butter ice cream and a Coke foam sounded like my dream dessert, but tasted odd, out of balance, and far too short on peanut butter or banana.

The food is promising if not fully realized, and the bar menu is better than most of what you’ll find in the entire county – hopefully a sign the OC may yet have a cocktail renaissance, if far behind much of the country. I appreciate the vision here, while service is warm and engaging. Call it one to watch.

COSTA MESA

Making the rounds in Costa Mesa, the shopping mecca of the OC (a county whose general hobby could be shopping with malls everywhere), I found a couple spots are worth mentioning. A funky outdoor “mall”, The Camp, reminiscent of nearby Lab anti-mall (a youthful hangout of mine), is a hipster haven of clothing and food. I’d deem it “trying too hard”.

In The Camp, TACO ASLYUM offers a fun beer selection and intriguing menu of funky tacos, but at $5-6 each, I left hungry and disappointed as tacos read better than they taste. I tried almost all: grilled octopus, pork belly, wild mushroom, lamb, ghost chili pork (dry and where are the listed cracklins?) Only three seemed worth it. Surprisingly, vegetarian curried paneer with raita and tomato chutney proved most flavorful, while duck with Camembert, Dijon creme fraiche and purple fingerling chips wins for “different”, and steak with chimichurri, buttermilk fried onions and potato hash is satisfying.

Also in The Camp, EAST/BOROUGH pleases with a Zen-like outdoor wood porch/patio, and easy take-out or eat-in Vietnamese menu of decent Vietnamese food, like Banh Mi, spring rolls, papaya salad, beef stew, vermicelli noodles, and Vietnamese coffee made with New Orleans’ Community Coffee. It’s not the quality of authentic Vietnamese you can find in nearby Westminster, but the outdoor setting and low prices make it a stop for the area.

A short drive away, OC finally has a third wave coffee haven, PORTOLA COFFEE LAB (inside yet another “mall”, of sorts). With siphons, V60s, and a Slayer espresso machine, they offer what West Coast cities from Seattle to San Francisco long ago set the standard in: robust, impeccably prepared coffee using the best equipment (that must be knowledgeably operated to extract the best coffee drinks), and roasting their own beans. You wait awhile for a cup, even more than I am used to for similar preparation. But us coffee snobs won’t find our fix elsewhere in the OC so just wait and enjoy the enclosed bar where you can watch drinks being made from all angles.

WINE COUNTRY SNAPSHOTS

In my many jaunts to Wine Country, I never suffer for options. Even after a decade, I am ever experiencing new delights. In addition to recent weekends (Calistoga to family-run wineries), here’s a few more bite-sized fall delights that will be equally pleasing this winter.

Coffee goodness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Napa Valley Roasters is a family-run affair with the original shop in downtown Napa and a larger cafe in St. Helena. Nancy Haynes is president, carrying on the legacy begun by husband who started the business many years back, while son Charlie Sange is the roastmaster. Using a vintage Probat roaster, he rotates batches of beans each shift, personally adjusting roasting times and techniques for each style. They supply coffee for numerous high profile restaurants all over Wine Country.

I’ve spent time in both cafes, and though I am inclined towards the character of the historic Napa space with high ceilings and creaky wood floors, I value the welcoming vibe of the St. Helena location. Locals chatted me up as I wrote over espresso and coffee, alongside the well-loved, red Probat machine. At home, I savored their robust French roast beans, each cup a reminder of a family who clearly cares about coffee and their community.

Gourmet spread, with a view

Ram’s Gate Winery is one of the more exciting winery openings I’ve seen in Wine Country. Having visited a couple of times (including the pre-opening party in September), I’m mesmerized each visit by the winery setting atop a small hill surrounded by wide valley vistas.

The building itself is an architectural delight. An array of room feature high ceilings, comfortably chic chairs, fireplaces, massive, open air spaces and patios flowing into one another, all taking in that view. Rustic with weathered woods, the structure is likewise visionary and modern.

Yes, there is wine, from Pinot to Syrah (I am partial to their Sparkling Brut), but a highlight of Ram’s Gate is Executive Chef Jason Rose, who’s resume includes a stint as Culinary Project Manager at the Delfina Restaurant Group. His cooking is worth going out of your way for alone. Small plates represent (naturally) the best of local bounty and are as refined (and damn tasty) as the better restaurants nearby.

Though the address is Sonoma, one of the key factors Ram’s Gate has going for it is a location right off the 121, en route to  Napa and Sonoma counties, barely over 30 minutes drive from SF. It’s now a key stop for a snack, a sip, or a full meal.

Old world Napa

Way up winding roads from St. Helena, Smith Madrone is run by brothers Stu and Charles (Stu founded the winery in 1971). At first meet, Charles is mild-mannered and polite, while Stu is a straight-shooter, peppering his talk with more than a few swear words. Stu took me on a ride around the winery grounds, tucked into the slopes of Spring Mountain.

Being harvest time, grapes rested in open air vats in the small, barn-like winery, giving off a fragrant, sweetly boozy aroma, surrounded by past vintages aging in French oak.

Far off the beaten path, this sleepy (though hard-working) vineyard evokes a Napa of decades ago. It seemed a glimpse of what Napa was like before 1976′s Judgement of Paris, before Mondavi elevated Napa on the global wine map. Here there is a sense of place, history and family that feels very much Napa. It made me grateful to see it preserved in this peaceful hideaway.

A short walk from the winery is an unexpected, breathtaking view (above). Standing on the edge of Spring Mountain, the slopes cut down to the valley with the Eastern ridge visible across the valley. Sipping a glass of their dry Riesling (bright with floral summer fruit) with this view before me, I had a moment. Taking in the silence of pine ridges and mountains, hills and valleys, vineyards and sun, I was reminded of how sweet it is to be alive.

Fine dining in a Westin hotel

La Toque seems an unlikely fine dining destination for hardcore foodies inside the Westin Verasa Napa hotel. But a tasting menu here (four courses $74, five for $90, chef’s table menu $135) leads with impeccable waitstaff and service, surprises with inventive dishes, and an international wine list. The decor, while refined, felt a bit stiff, but service is so warm, one forgets the surroundings, particularly when a dish like Maine lobster creamy with butternut squash comes out, illumining another direction for lobster – one vividly fall-like.

Garden-fresh creativity

Ubuntu is one of Napa County’s best restaurants – and I am decidedly not a vegetarian. This “soup” may look as spare as bird food. I’ll admit, portions on some dishes do run small. But sharing four plates each visit I somehow leave full, and in what is a rarity for me anymore, there’s always a few dishes unlike any I’ve had before. A complex, pleasing range of flavors is commonplace at Ubuntu.

SANTA CRUZ WEEKEND

The Renaissance Man surprised me recently with a quiet weekend away in Santa Cruz and unexpected meal off the slow, winding roads of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Though Santa Cruz is far from my favorite town, its laid back feel and beaches work for a quick getaway from SF, and its gourmet pleasures peak with ice cream and coffee.

Ice Cream, Coffee, Chocolate

THE PENNY ICE CREAMERY, 913 Cedar St., Santa Cruz  831-204-2523

The Penny Ice Creamery may not achieve the texture and flavor perfection of Humphry Slocombe, but it’s in that family of gourmet, out-of-the-box creameries, with changing flavors and hip status that keeps lines out the door. They use grapes from nearby vineyards like Birichino for their sweet, bright Malvasia Grape Sorbet, or Dirty Girl berries in Strawberry Pink Peppercorn, one I particularly liked for its peppery creaminess. My top pick was Celery Raisin, which was both vegetal and sweet, almost healthy tasting. One thing’s certain: I’d include a stop at the Penny every time I’m passing through Santa Cruz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARIANNE’S ICE CREAM, 1020 Ocean St., Santa Cruz  831-458-1447

I’ve been buying Marianne’s Ice Cream at Faletti Foods market in SF for years, particularly the peppermint stick flavor. Their ice cream is made with butter fat, explaining it’s dense texture. Also over 50 years old, Marianne’s ice cream is old school yet satisfying like Mitchell’s here in SF. Their shop evokes an America of decades ago in flavors like a creamy root beer or candied ginger.

FILLING STATION, 1500 Mission St., Santa Cruz  831-427-3455

Filling Station is an atmospheric spot for coffee in an old filling station. Retro gas station architecture meets third wave coffee as they serve SF’s Four Barrel coffee, while permanent food truck, The Truck Stop, offers eats.

DONNELLY CHOCOLATES, 1509 Mission St., Santa Cruz  831-458-4214

A humble looking shop across the street from Filling Station, Donnelly Fine Chocolates is obviously a chocolate lovers haven from the moment you walk in to witness the chocolate being made by hand.

Bars are elegant in flavors like cardamom, smoky spicy chipotle, or Chinese five spice, while truffles/chocolates come with a range of fillings, including a booze-filled series. I tried tequila (Patron Anejo), brandy (Germain-Robin), and Scotch-filled (brand changes) chocolates.

VERVE COFFEE, 104 Bronson St., Ste. 19, Santa Cruz  831-464-8141

To coffee fanatics, Verve needs no introduction. THE coffee of note to come out of Santa Cruz, its original shop has long been a staple in these parts.

Verve remains one of my top coffees, served to perfection at home in SF at Matching Half Cafe and farm: table. There’s finally a brand new, second Verve shop in Santa Cruz. It’s in an ultra-cool warehouse that shines in modern design and spaces for coffee roasting, cupping classes and tastings.

Restaurants

TYROLEAN INN RESTAURANT, Ben Lomond (9600 Highway 9, 831- 336 -5188)

Blink and you’ll miss the “town” of Ben Lomond where the Tyrolean Inn welcomes with a red cabin accented by white shutters, white lights and hints of green. Surrounded by a biergarten, one imagines sunny idylls among redwoods sipping German beers. Alas, Sunday afternoon is the only lunch/daytime option (open 12-9pm, or 5-9pm Tu-Th, 4-10pm Fr-Sa).

I fell in love with Tyrolean cuisine in the Italian Alps about three years ago, exploring mountain towns and roadside sausage stands on the Austria/Italy border. I wouldn’t exactly call Tyrolean Inn what I tasted there, rather it’s German food with whispers of Austria.

Though in the middle of nowhere, locals are clued in about this convivial wood cabin where one is serenaded by live accordion throughout dinner. Service was stressed the night we dined and a reservation was crucial. Waiting for our reservation was helped by a small, sweet selection of poire williams (Germanic-style pear eaux de vie), particularly Williams Birne.

Steins, pretzels, gardening tools and Germanic phrases eclectically line the walls, creating convivial distraction. Though short-staffed, servers kept a sense of humor in their frazzled state.

I wouldn’t call the food gourmet, but portions are enough for a few. Tyrolean Schmeckerplatte ($21) is a mountain of meat, starting with a slice of smoked pork loin, Cordon Bleu (smoked ham and Swiss cheese layered between breaded pork cutlets), bockwurst sausage, sauerbraten beef over red cabbage in gravy, plus spatzle and sauerkraut. The highlight was Cordon Bleu, reminiscent of Italian Milanese-style dishes, which you can thankfully order as its own dish. Zigeunerschnitzel ($18), pork cutlets in spicy red & green pepper onion sauce (with fried potatoes and a German salad), didn’t quite work for me. Again, it could feed two, but tasted as if the pork and peppers were doused in seasoning powder, evoking quick-and-easy 1980′s meals.

An enchanting woodside setting with flowing beers and hearty food, comforts as if your German mama was presiding over the kitchen herself.

BONNY DOON’S CELLAR DOOR in the winery, Santa Cruz

To wine fans, Bonny Doon Vineyard and its legendary founder Randall Grahm need no introduction. One look at their whimsical website, and you know this is a different kind of winery. Sitting right in the middle of suburban Santa Cruz, there’s no vineyard setting, rather a funky warehouse with tasting room and Cellar Door restaurant.

I finally made it to the Cellar Door for an a la carte lunch (there’s a $40 per person prix fixe at dinner). Burrata salads, anchovies, wood-fired pizzas, are all foods I’ve seen in excess and had in excellent form in San Francisco (and beyond) for years.

One could not honestly call the menu inventive, but for Santa Cruz, it stands out, and, in typical Northern California fashion, does so with exceptional ingredients. A simple plate of boquerones ($5) yields silky fresh anchovies in olive oil laced with slivers of garlic clove, thyme, a touch of red chili. Transported me straight back to Italy.

Di Stefano burrata with Heirloom tomatoes and rosemary toast ($12) is admittedly a small portion. But each bite was excellent, from luxurious burrata (mozzarella) to buttery toast. Roasted Early Girl tomato soup topped with sheep’s milk ricotta was a special of the day, while 2/3 of the restaurant seemed to have ordered the El Salchicherro bacon pizza. I followed suite but added a fried farm egg ($16 without, $18 with). There are many “bests” in the Bay Area for Neapolitan pizza and this wasn’t it, but it was quite satisfying on a grey October day in Santa Cruz.

The highlight of eating here may be the choice of Bonny Doon sips to pair with your meal. My top was Querry apple/pear/quince cider ($7 glass/$26 bottle). Dry and tart, its effervescence made a gorgeous contrast to the satin sheen of the anchovies. 2008 Ca’Del Solo Grenache Blanc ($7 glass/$11 quartino/$25 bottle) is a creamy, round Grenache, clearly oaked but it works.

2007 Cuvee ET is a Mourvedre blend, exhibiting bright berry but with balanced acidity. Their 2000 Le Cigare Volant flagship Rhone blend ($10 glass/$15 quartino/$40 bottle) is, as our server said, right at its peak at 12 years with light tobacco notes, earthiness and a fine minerality.

Tobago single estate chocolate, beautiful with Angostura 1919 Rum at Taste of London

EATING AROUND LONDON

It was 10 years ago that I spent a month in England, a country I felt immediately at home in. Returning to the incomparable London last month certainly revealed changes – most for the better, including the ignited culinary and cocktail scene (I covered cocktails last issue). Maybe it wasn’t as devastatingly amazing as some claimed (and produce still falls far behind what I’m used to), but over two weeks, I ate well and broadly, pleased to see London has become a world-class dining city, along with its other endless assets.

Foodies, do not miss Borough Market, the ultimate London food destination. It may not be a produce mecca like our own Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, but it shows off the best of local foods like cheese, sausages, meats, warm savory pies and pasties, fish, curries, fresh juices (from Natural Smoothie Co.), and, yes, produce.

Sip a Pimm’s while sampling jamon from Tapas Brindisa (loved chorizo rocket sandwiches they were grilling outside). More highlights included African sauces (like coconut chili) from Bim’s Kitchen, Exquisite Deli’s Tyrolean sausages and salami, and a Rosé Spritzer (rosé wine, lemonade, Pimm’s) from Borough Wines. See more favorites below under Coffee, Chocolate, Spirits & Wine Shops.

Another event I was privileged to attend was Taste of London in idyllic Regent’s Park, similar to food and drink tasting galas in the States. Walking along purple carpets across muddy grass (it has just rained, thankfully clearing in time for the event), we tasted under tents and in makeshift cafes… an excellent way to sample from some of London’s hottest chefs and artisan food and drink purveyors. Highlights were many:

- Caramel-rich Angostura 1919 Rum, paired beautifully with just-launched Tobago Estate, a dark, lush, single-estate chocolate from the West Indies

- Raved-about restaurant Yauatcha served some of their truly excellent dim sum, including Sweet Potato Mei-Si, Venison Puffs and a Crispy Duck Roll
- Brand new Polka Gelato: the owner and her ice creams/sorbets are delightful, particularly a Pink Grapefruit/Campari/Lime Pop
- Creole Soda Bread: I wish I could find a website for these guys, though I did run across a local blogger who felt the same as I did about these addictive breads; each one was better than the last, from Carrot Cherry to Ginger Fig

- Union Hand-Roasted Coffee is fair trade – they were doing single drip cups just like I’m used to at home; they roast small-batches, delivered to individual homes, restaurants and cafes
- Hendrick’s Gin hosted a gin garden party, complete with a retro-clad hostess (dressed similar to much of my own wardrobe), and refreshing Hendrick’s cocktails
- None other than Heston Blumenthal had an ice cream cart with two flavors: Chocolate & Rosemary, and my tops, Salted Caramel Popcorn

Gelupo gelato

- Ice cream showed strong at Taste… I was crazy about Gelupo, creamy, sexy gelato (with a shop in Soho); just try not to fall in love with their Ricotta & Sour Cherry Ripple; they also served a Granita Cocktail: fresh cucumber and their rose granita doused with Hendrick’s Gin – perfecto!

**One note when dining in London: be aware that a majority of mid-to-upscale restaurants offer a dizzying number of menus, different ones for tasting, a la carte, weekends, weekdays, lunch, dinner and so on. Wanting freedom of choice, I found a la carte usually served me best and didn’t lock me into costly tasting menus.

Restaurants

Pinchito, Shoreditch – Pinchito is your quintessential tapas bar. It’s casual, convivial, and most importantly, delicious. Rounds of padrón peppers, warm cod fritters, patatas bravas, and pork belly with mango flow. Things step up a notch when a garlicky, comforting bowl of Gulas al Ajillo (baby eels) arrive, glistening in oil, slippery like fine noodles. I sip a classic Daiquiri and dive in.

Hawksmoor, two locations – Hawksmoor claims the best steaks in London… and they may be right. One of the juicier, medium-rare, dry-aged steaks I’ve ever had, their Porterhouse (£6.50/100g) is a lesson in steak perfection with just the right amount of charcoal crust. With a hefty bone one is tempted to grab onto and gnaw off, a side of plump, colorful tomatoes in olive oil adds a feminine yin to the steak’s manly yang.

Starters of a half Dorset Crab (£15) with hazelnut butter or Potted Smoked Mackerel (£6) on rustic bread please. Do not miss their impeccable cocktails, which I raved about last issue. One of their visually striking and refreshing-tasting juleps makes an ideal companion to all that North Yorkshire cow.

The Cinnamon Club, Westminster – In the Old Westminster Library, Cinnamon Club’s clean-lined, high-ceilinged library is a memorable space for upscale Indian dining. Scents of curry waft down the street as you pass Westminster Cathedral on your way inside this elegant respite.

Start off with Cinnamon Bellinis. They are better than they sound, evoking the space’s signature spice with effervescence. Executive chef Vivek Singh’s creativity with Indian flavors is impressive: you will likely have dishes here in ways you’ve never experienced them before.

Tasting menus are a pricey £75 a head. There was a Maharaja’s Express (a luxury train the chef recently traveled with) menu at £50, but I was happiest going a la carte. Thankfully, I got to try one dish each from both tasting menus: Cwalior, a selection of street-food chaat/snacks (like mini-bhel puri), and an innovative Chickpea Cake, moist, with a hint of Indian spices and mint sauce. Out of the ten dishes I tried, a key stand-out was vegetarian: Plantain ‘Kofta’ (£15) came with beetroot chutney in a yoghurt coconut sauce. Layered and exciting, it was bright, healthy and full of flavor.

Benares, Mayfair – Benares may not have been as seamless (or in as beautiful a setting) as Cinnamon Club, but it’s another upscale Indian restaurant with attentive service and inventive Indian food. I could eat Chicken Tikka Pie in a flaky pastry shell with wild berry sauce over and over again. I wasn’t going to complain about Tandoori Pigeon Breast either, especially with beet puree and vanilla beetroot accents. Their satisfying Tandoori Ratan means you can try Fennel Lamb Chop, Mustard Chicken Tikka and King Prawn on one platter. Also a pricey restaurant, a la carte is the best way to go.

Hix, Soho – Over punchbowls with Nick Strangeway, we were treated to an hours-long, private dinner in Hix‘ atmospheric, candlelit basement. Our Chop & Trout Feast just kept coming. Rounds of asparagus salad topped with with soft-boiled Burford brown eggs, British Isles rock oysters, and potted smoked salmon flowed. The baked Bone Marrow shimmered with garlic and herbs, buttery slathered on toasts. It may be the exemplary bone marrow dish among the many I’ve had. Lemon Ginger Nut Cheesecake arrived shaped like a creamy egg, a fine finish to a true feast.

St. John’s, Farringdon – Fergus Henderson and his restaurant St. John’s revolutionized London (and the world’s) dining scene since it opened in 1994. Nose-to-tail, whole animal, offal… whatever you call it… had its renaissance at the hands of Henderson via this humble restaurant in an open, rustic room, tables lined with butcher paper.

Other than having a downright snotty French waiter, which did not suit the environment (and is really unforgivable any time), we enjoyed famed Roasted Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad (£7.10 – although I preferred Hix‘ version, above), Venison Saddle alongside green beans and pickled walnut (£9.70), Ox Tongue with fennel & green sauce (£16.70), and a comforting slice of Welsh Rarebit (£5.20). Though pretty, a Chocolate & Cherry Pot (pot de creme) was an ok finish. Stick to the animal parts as that is what St. John’s is all about.

Saf, Shoreditch – I know it may seem strange for a carnivore in London to “waste” a meal on all vegetables, particularly when underwhelmed with produce throughout my weeks here. But it may be because of this very reason I wanted to know there was a place doing produce right and inventively. I’d heard from a couple sources that Saf was hands-down the best vegetarian in London. After I visit, I can see why.

Eating at the original, sit-down location (not their more casual restaurant in Whole Foods), portions may appear small, but entrees were larger and by meal’s end, I was full. Nothing is over £15.50), which is a steal in London for a hip restaurant such as this.

Of the eight dishes I tried, stand-outs included raw ‘Caviar’ Blinis (£7.50), or rather sweet potato blinis topped with beetroot & herbs balled into tiny ‘caviar’, and a Taco Trio (£14.45) of three mini-blue corn shells filled with pineapple relish, guac or tomato. They were having fun with cocktails like Sgt. Pepper (£8.85): Cazadores Tequila, pink peppercorns, red grapes, peach liqueur, lemon juice. I asked them to tone down the peach liqueur to make it less sweet – they obliged and as I hoped, pink peppercorn and tequila shone through.

Hakkasan, Mayfair - Hakkasan is big in India… and London. The bar serves cocktails on the chichi, fruity side, though there’s a broad spirits selection. With subterranean basement and deafening roar, it’s a bit scene-y for me, but thankfully the upscale Chinese food satisfies. Their dim sum platter is particularly artful, loaded with traditional options like scallop shumai and har gow, but brightened with roe and colorful dumpling wrappings. Meat dishes and stir fries are all tasty, though not exactly traditional Chinese. Crispy Duck Salad was the best dish, with its sweet/salty shreds of duck accented by pomelo, pine nut and shallot.

El Camino (which has become El Camion, though sign still says Camino), Notting Hill – For a hint of where NOT to go, I was struck by just how bad “Mexican” food was at otherwise adorably hip El Camion (sans a single Mexican on staff during my visit). It tasted not much better than the “Mexican” I had in London 10 years ago, though a Mexican food craze has swept the city in recent years. There must be better than this around town (?), but I still find without a significant Mexican population, it seems hard to do Mexican right. Most of the US and the world generally don’t get it right, it only makes sense that London doesn’t either (despite claims I’ve heard to the contrary). That is, unless you consider gummy gunge to be guacamole (with stale grocery store chips), or thick flour tortillas and a worse-than-Pace-Picante red paste (I mean “salsa”) to be the real deal. (PS – in typical London fashion, you’ll also pay nearly $15 US dollars for two little tacos).

Breakfast

Ottolenghi, Islington - Brunch at the original location of ever-popular Mediterranean bakery Ottolenghi was as delightful as I’d heard (Yotam Ottolenghi himself is in SF this week and has been blogging rave reviews about the experience). In a clean, white space, creative savory and sweet baked goods make a dramatic mountain piled atop the counter. Just try to decide which cake, tart, muffin or other glorious baked goods you’ll choose. Their breakfast menu is likewise fresh and enticing, especially Sweet Corn & Spring Onion Pancakes (£8.50) with roasted tomato (a British staple), bacon, avocado cucumber salsa, and sour cream.

Modern Pantry, Clerkenwell - Downstairs from our fabulous Zetter Townhouse, off a cobblestone cul de sac, is this charmer of a restaurant. I recommend Modern Pantry’s airy, light-filled space for breakfast. Service was about the most caring I had anywhere in London. When I didn’t finish one plate (due to ordering too many and thus full), they were concerned we didn’t like it. Without a guilt trip, they wanted to replace it and make it right. I insisted all was lovely. And it was. Try Spiced Red Wine-poached Tamarillo (£5.80): tart and robustly red, warm fruit, in a creamy Greek yoghurt drizzled with Manuka honey.

Kipferl, Islington – Just opened in April, Kipferl, an Austrian café off darling Camden Passage (a narrow, cobblestone-lined street evoking Old World Europe), is nearly museum-like in its quiet. It’s a bit unnerving if you wish to talk (sit in the back for that). The majority of solo diners are in the front room, bright under big, picture windows. I heartily recommend it as a respite to read, write, work or think over a Viennese coffee. Pastries are a bit hit-and-miss (I had a dry poppyseed cake), but made with care, while a long Austrian sausage oozes with cheese inside, draped over a mound of near perfect sauerkraut.

Caravan, Clerkenwell – At the Aussie/Kiwi-influenced Caravan, coffee is impeccable while lemon curd/cream cheese/coconut bread is topped with rhubarb and served for breakfast. Get a table outside along the cobblestone, pedestrian-only Exmouth Market street, and it feels truly like Europe.

The Wolsley, St.James/Mayfair - Touristy or not, the gorgeous Wolsley Hotel (around the corner from my St. James hotel, Duke’s) hosts a breakfast evoking Old World elegance. Coffee is strong, served in delicate white cups, paired well with a flaky pain au chocolat.

The real winner is a traditional British omelette, the Arnold Bennett (£10.75), originally named after Arnold Bennett at the Savoy Hotel as he loved it there so much, he insisted it be made for him wherever he traveled. It’s a creamy, egg-y dream, salty with smoked haddock, in a creme fraiche and Parmesan cheese sauce. The lovely Sophie Dahl shows you how to cook one  of these sinfully rich breakfasts here.

Blanche, Hammersmith – Out in the friendly, peaceful neighborhood of Hammersmith, I loved Blanche Eatery, a closet-sized shop making an excellent cappuccino, delectable baked goods (like lime poppyseed cake) and various to-go salads (quinoa, Mediterranean-style, etc…)

Coffee

Monmouth Coffee, Borough Market near London Bridge – You can’t miss Monmouth Coffee at the edge of the ultimate British market, Borough Market (with two other locations). It’s Blue Bottle-esque for all you Bay Area folk, i.e. lines stretch out the door all day long. And it’s of that caliber. Probably the best cup I had in London.

Espresso Room, Bloomsbury – On a rainy day (one of many), as I wandered the streets of Bloomsbury and explored Charles Dickens house, Espresso Room was like a beacon in the chilly June air. I was on the hunt for it, knowing it immediately by the carved-wood coffee cup hanging from a storefront on a mostly residential street. I could have been in the Mission in SF watching young hipsters grind beans in a tiny, wood-walled shop. It warmed up the grey day immediately (another nearby respite is The Lamb, a 1700′s pub all-the-more cozy with a good book – purportedly Dickens hung out there).

Third wave, robust coffee – and just a plain good cup – has hit London full force. There’s a long list of spots to sip a proper cup. Here are just a few more to recommend: Taylor Street Baristas, Flat White, Milk Bar, Dose, Store St. Espresso and Kaffeine.

Chocolate

Paul A. Young, Islington – On par with the best chocolates I’ve had anywhere in the world, Paul A. Young’s truffles (£2 each) are so fresh and luxurious, not to mention unusual, I’m still dreaming about them.

With a shop on charming Camden Passage (near Kipferl, above), Young was also at the Taste of London. He rose to fame as pastry chef for the likes of Marco Pierre White. Yes, he can do a Sea Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate Champagne truffle like no other. But try Marmite for earthy, funky fun, or Passion Fruit & Vanilla, or Peppermint Leaf. Even among the best chocolatiers, I love some truffles and not others. But eight truffles later, I was loving every one of Young‘s.

The Rabot Estate, Borough Market - The chocolate stop at Borough Market, Rabot Estate is a rustic, hip shop with staff roaming the store pouring cups of free dark hot chocolate, salvation on chilly, rainy days.

A dark chocolate chili bar particularly won me over with lush base of their Santa Lucia-grown chocolate. You can also order bites from their menu like banana, salted caramel & cacao nibs on toasted brioche or duck confit salad with chocolate dressing and orange marmalade. You can see why I love this place.

Artisan du Chocolat, Borough Market – Artisan du Chocolat is at numerous London shops and high-profile department stores such as Selfridges. I bought a box at Borough Market. Unlike with Paul A. Young, I was disappointed in a number of their truffles, though they are at least half the price of Young’s chocolates. Artisan du Chocolat makes intriguing flavors like banana & thyme, tobacco, or lumi (sun-dried lime). I just wish all tasted as amazing as they sounded.

Spirits & Wine Shops

Whisky Exchange, Borough Market - About the best whiskey shop in the world? Whisky Exchange just off Borough Market could easily contend for that tile. A leading website for whisky, they sure know their Scotch, Irish and Japanese whiskies. But I was impressed with their expertise on American whiskies. Having met many of the world’s greatest distillers, Hector swapped stories and favorite bottles for a good hour with us. He’s a veritable whisk(e)y encyclopedia. We left with a couple special whiskies they bottle in-house. Spirits aficionados, don’t miss this place on your next visit to London.

Utobeer, Borough Market – A truly impressive little section inside Borough Market, Utobeer wows with a well-curated beer selection, including a number of the US’s best craft beers from Goose Island in Chicago to OC’s The Bruery. As some London locals tell me, many Brits don’t believe America has any clue what a good beer is, one of many reasons Utobeer‘s selection is a rarity and a boon for the city. I was particularly impressed with London-brewed craft beer from The Kernel, wishing we had that one here.

Berry Bros. & Rudd, St.James/Mayfair - Around the corner from my St. James hotel, Duke’s, Berry Bros. & Rudd may exhibit a bit of a rarified air, but is a classic spirits and wine shop. Their spirits selection is far smaller than at Whisky Exchange, but extremely well-curated. First and foremost, it’s a wine-lovers destination. Open since 1698, the space evokes Old World London with creaky wood floors, old chandeliers and coffee scales from its original shop. Along with neighboring Fox of St. James, a cigar shop frequented by Winston Churchill who’s chair sits in the basement smoking lounge, and the unreal artistry of John Lobb, a very high end shoe shop and cobbler, St. James Street is lined with historical, evocative shops worth spending time in.

Affordable & Surprising NAPA

After countless weekends in Napa over the years (and at least five excursions lately), I could easily recommend worthy restaurants and hotels. Napa isn’t always the most affordable town, but recent visits north have revealed a number of delightfully reasonable options within the bounds of Napa and Yountville, both new and established. They’ve also uncovered a few unexpected dishes… or in the case of a restaurant with a new chef, a whole range of them.

Sleep… and a Superior Burger: NAPA VALLEY MARRIOTT, 3425 Solano Avenue at Redwood Road, Napa, 707-253-7433

For those familiar with the hotel before, Napa Valley Marriott is a whole new ballgame. Just re-opened after two years of multi-million dollar renovations, it now sports a soothing spa, warm, modern look throughout, an ultra-cool patio poolside with couches and firepits, and a new restaurant/bar, VINeleven. Though you may not be able to tell from the street, it’s a dramatic revamp inside.

In high-season summer months, make a weekend of it with rooms in the low $200-300′s, or mid $200′s on weeknights. Rooms are completely renovated with gentle colors and artwork, plasma screens, comfy beds, and are particularly quiet facing the courtyard (only thing they don’t have? Free wi-fi. That’s $4.95 a day).

Chef Brian Whitmer’s garden off the parking lot is a revelation. I’ve seen Napa restaurants with their own gardens but not one as lush as his. Spring peas are crispy and sweet right off the vine, while a range of leafy greens make abundant salads. Chef Whitmer uses this bounty for the hotel’s restaurant. Whether you stay there or not, it’s surprisingly worth a detour.

Cozy up in a chic booth or a grab a stool at the curved bar and order the Spicy “Knife and Fork” Burger ($12) for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It doesn’t matter when, just order it. The burger is made of Caggiano chorizo, savory and spicy, yet also delicate, melt-in-your-mouth on a Model Bakery brioche bun. Layered with aged cheddar, watercress, ‘secret sauce’ and a fried egg, it’s one of the better things I’ve eaten in Napa in awhile -  an utterly unique burger. You won’t regret making a stop for this one.

Vegetarian achieves perfection: UBUNTU, 1140 Main Street near Pearl, 707-251-5656; dinner nightly/lunch weekends

I really liked Ubuntu before. Chef Jeremy Fox brought the vegetarian restaurant to nationwide fame, often named among the best vegetarian restaurants in the country by publications like the New York Times… all superlatives I found a bit excessive.

But I’ll tell you now, with young chef Aaron London at the helm, it’s better than ever. The food has moved from winning vegetarian cuisine to work-of-art. It’s gone from quality to superb.

As a non-vegetarian, I would say it has become possibly the best vegetarian restaurant I’ve ever been to anywhere and one of the best dining experiences in Napa.

What’s interesting about Chef London is that he’s been at Ubuntu since the beginning, working as Fox’s sous chef. I hear he influenced a number of dishes in those lauded early days, but we did not hear much about him. Just nominated as Rising Star Chef at this year’s James Beard Awards, we should be hearing a lot more.

He’s revamped the menu in such a way that each $10-19 dish is far more than the sum of its part. You read of Roasted & Raw Asparagus ($16) with burratta cheese coated in potato chip crumbs and really have no idea what you’re in for. A garden-fresh dish comes out smeared with earthy potato skin puree, lavished with pine nut and currant soffrito, dotted with frisee, greens and edible flowers. It’s an art piece that not only stuns visually but tantalizes on the tongue with a range of flavors.

The two key words I’d use to describe London’s cooking outside of artistic? Texture and contrast. Every single dish of the six I recently had the pleasure of dining on were a study in layers and texture. Sweet complimented savory. Earthy and bright co-mingled. Crunchy partnered with creamy. Surprises came in every dish. Not one was lackluster.

I could wax eloquent about the merits of each, some served on stone labs that kept them warm… but the menu changes frequently and this article would grow tedious. So I will simply say: go, and be prepared to be blown away.

Funky, Fun Latin: BISTRO SABOR, 1126 1st near Main, Napa, 707-252-0555

Bistro Sabor’s menu initially appears Mexican, but is a mix of Latino cultures in a new downtown Napa. The space is hip with brightly painted, graffiti-lined walls, while the staff couldn’t be more helpful, particularly for order-at-the-counter casualness.

 

On a Saturday night, they cleared tables out for 10pm salsa dancing, frequented by many in the local Latino community. Beer and wine keep it festive (wish they had a hard liquor license to serve tequila). The food? Fresh, satisfying and all under $15. A two taco special of Grilled Sea Bass ($11) is impeccably flaky, topped with scallion cilantro slaw and a pineapple habanero salsa. Even accompanying rice and black beans are a notch above the usual. A Rock crab quesadilla ($10) is less creative but warm and cheesy, while pupusas, pozole, blood orange avocado salad, and lomo saltado exhibit a range from El Salvador to Peru.

It’s playful Latin street food with quality ingredients. A win for Napa in cheap eats.

Dim Sum with a side of Magic: DIM SUM CHARLIE’S, 728 First Street near Soscol (look for the Airstream trailer), Napa, 707-815-2355

 

I’ll tell you right now: you can get better, cheaper dim sum at dozens of places in SF. In fact, for the nearly $7 Dim Sum Charlie’s charges for a mere four dumplings, I can get at least twelve dumplings and buns at favorite city spots.

Why go? First off, there’s not much dim sum in Napa and theirs decent, though far from memorable. Some have commented on the could-be-perceived-as-racist menu listings like “ten dolla make you holla”. But the setting is the one reason to go.

 

Dim sum and noodles are served out of a classic Airstream trailer (that I’ve seen before, but loving all things retro, do not tire of). What’s different is the trailer setting under a canopy of lights in a dirt lot strewn with picnic tables and a campfire. Rollicking tunes make it feel like a backyard party, a bit like camping in retro-kitsch style. With dim sum.

It doesn’t really matter what you order. Bring friends. Pull up to a picnic table or fireside with hot  sauce and chopsticks, singing along to Beastie Boys as you slurp noodles and fill up on pork buns.

Coffee Lovers: YOUNTVILLE COFFEE CABOOSE, 6523 Washington Street, Yountville

You’ll not go wrong with coffee and pastries at the original Bouchon Bakery across the street. But when that line is unbearable (or even if it isn’t), I’m delighted to hit up a locals coffee go-to: Yountville Coffee Caboose. Yes, it’s actually in a train caboose off Washington Street. They often feature Bay Area coffees like Ritual, brewed strong, robust and with proper crema.

Local’s Breakfast: GRACE’S TABLE, 1400 2nd Street at Franklin, Napa, 707-226-6200

Grace’s Table has its minor missteps: their raved about skillet cornbread with lavender butter ($6) was dry and rather flavorless. And $10-18 entrees for breakfast pushes a little high for a casual, neighborhood restaurant. But as an open air, corner restaurant with uber-sweet waitstaff and soothing decor, it’s a welcome brunch stop.

Quiche of the day ($12 with salad or soup – can also be had a la carte) was the stand-out: fluffy and light, the crust almost reminded me of Tartine in its buttery flakiness. Mini bagels with house-cured salmon and cream cheese ($10) are playful approach, though the bagels are not exceptional (isn’t that ever the case outside of NY?)

 

Grace’s is a pleasant place to start your day with coffee and a newspaper.

 

To-go Breakfast: C CASA TAQUERIA, 610 1st Street (near Soscol Ave.), 707-226-7700, Napa

C Casa, a worthy newer addition to Oxbow Public Market, works for a cheap breakfast. With grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, sustainable fish and local produce, it’s a forward-thinking taqueria, yet maintains authenticity of flavor.

A breakfast taco brimming with over-medium egg and chorizo ($4.50), is meaty and satisfying first thing in the morning. Also stuffed in there? Black beans, avocado, pico de gallo, garlic aioli and cilantro.

Ok, One Splurge: AD HOC, 6476 Washington Street at Mission, 707-944-2487

 

At $52 per person without anything to drink (another $39 for wine pairings), Ad Hoc is quite expensive, though it is the-one-and-only Thomas Keller’s “casual” venture. However, I’d actually be annoyed eating inside where too many kids (at this price? ) and noisy din make it less than appealing at that price. The few tables out on a tiny patio, however, are idyllic.

As is the food in the four-course dinner. One appetizer, a main, a cheese course and dessert: all served family-style and impeccably prepared with ingredients from their cheery garden behind the restaurant. No substitutes – you eat whatever is on the daily menu.

 

This is alright when you get a salad as a beautiful as a recent mix of lettuces, pickled haricots verts (green beans), toasted pine nuts, red radishes and shaved asparagus. Dotted with green garlic buttermilk dressing and King Trumpet mushrooms, it was far more gratifying than it sounded. Ditto the added course of Ivory Salmon ($15 supplement) baked in phyllo pastry, drizzled with porcini cream, accented by fresh, white corn. Liberty Farm’s Duck Breast was actually a little too much for two people, but deftly prepared and served with a bowl of chickpea stew gentle with curry. We finished with strawberry shortcake on biscuits, slathered in lemon curd.

At roughly $34 per person, their Sunday brunch is the way to do Ad Hoc from another, slightly more affordable, angle.

Hotels, Coffee and Rum in KAUAI, HAWAII

Kauai… dreamy island respite, painfully beautiful, truly relaxing (other than East side traffic!) Last issue, I covered restaurants and cheap eats on the island. This time it’s best places to stay and drink (read the 5/15 issue for best cocktails on Kauai).

HOTELS

GRAND HYATT KAUAI, Poipu Beach – Do yourself a favor and stay at Grand Hyatt Kauai. A resort in the full sense of the word, it is its own escape and world unto itself. From lava rock waterways and multiple levels of pools (including a salt water/sand pool) to its world class spa, Anara (go for the open air couples cabanas), you leave here feeling as if you’ve truly had vacation.

Dinner at Tidepools, pina coladas sipped poolside, taking in the sunset from the deck of your room with a bottle of wine, conversing with the parrots in the massive open-air atrium, taking in live bands and a scotch in Stevenson’s Library… its all unforgettable.

Yes, it will cost you, but service is impeccable and the experience ranks up there (or better) with the best I’ve had anywhere – that includes Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons. The unreal setting, balmy by day, lit by tiki torches at night, is unbeatable.

OUTRIGGER WAIPOLI, Kapaa – My initial take on Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort wasn’t strong. On a busy, strip mall-lined stretch of East Kauai in the town of Kapaa, its appears fairly generic from the outside, while kids swarm the lovely pool area (modeled loosely after Grand Hyatt’s incredible pools and waterways – the one spa for adults was overtaken by 8 children).

Walking down a non-descript hallway to our ‘room’, the door opened into what felt like our own private beach house. Two bedrooms, three bathrooms, spacious living room and kitchen, each room had sliding doors opening up onto the lawn running to right to the beach.

Breezes flowed through the space, which felt private and removed from a hotel structure. Dishware, wine glasses, coffeemaker, everything we could need was in the kitchen, making it feel like a home away from home. It was the one part of the trip where we could cook and watch movies (“Blue Hawaii”, thank you very much) on flat screens in each room.

Though the location is not near as idyllic or removed as Grand Hyatt on Poipu Beach (certainly more affordable), inside our room we felt secluded, rested and as if we could settle in for weeks.

DRINK

KAUAI COFFEE PLANTATION, Eleele - Originally McBryde Sugar Plantation back in the 1880′s, Kauai Coffee is Kauai’s one and only coffee plantation, encompassing over 3000 acres right up to the ocean. A more striking setting I could not envision. A half day personal tour with their amazing sales manager, Marty Amaro, was a highlight in Kauai. We off-roaded in his truck over red dirt roads, through coffee fields, next to ocean rocks where we watched sea turtles lolling.

They do everything locally themselves. I toured the factory, climbed atop a coffee harvesting tractor, witnessed bean roasting and bagging (on a vertical form, fill & seal machine), and, of course, sipped Kauai Coffee. Amaro makes a mean iced mocha, let me tell you what. I was envisioning a sweet, chocolate-ly drink but it’s a bracing, coffee lovers delight, refreshing and cool on a hot, island day.

Kauai Coffee grows farm varietals of Arabic coffee: yellow catuai, red catuai (both high acidity for medium-bodied coffee), typica (medium acidity for medium-bodied coffee), Kauai Blue Mountain (medium acidity and full-bodied), and Mundo Novo (low acidity but full-bodied).

They run the largest drip-irrigated coffee estate in the world, sourcing waters from a nearby dam in the foothills, roasting over 600,000 lbs. of coffee a year: an amazing feat when you see the size of the room it all happens in. Similar to wine seasons, harvesting happens annually (around September through November) when staff double in size to get it all processed.

The coffee club is monthly cost of the beans, a reasonable $15.25 for one 10 oz. bag or $29 for two. Besides some of the elegant estate coffees, I find the newer Big Braddah a real representation of Kauai spirit: casual, familial, playful. Definitely NOT a flavored coffee type, I am pleasantly embarrassed to admit I was taken with their Hawaiian Coconut Caramel Crunch coffee. They painstakingly hand-flavor each batch and this one was not at all sweet, particularly integrated and nutty.

Kauai Coffee should be a stop on any visit to Kauai.

KOLOA RUM, Lihue – Koloa Rum is a bit of a ‘mixed bag’. The setting is memorably Hawaiian: a traditional sugar plantation-style tasting room on the grounds of the delightful Kilohana Plantation (a former sugar plantation preserved as it was in its 1930′s heyday). Their elegant packaging reflects the setting, making for a strong first impression.

Staff are gracious and aim to please. But complex Hawaii liquor laws are such that tastes remain exceptionally tiny, cannot be shared, and though they have created a mai tai mix, they cannot mix alcohol or make a cocktail of any kind.

Using a 1210 gallon copper pot still originally used for Kentucky bourbons post World War II, their white, gold and dark rums work best as entry points to rum. I know some who find it flat or not as nuanced as other rums, yet each one has won bronze or silver medals at esteemed rum tasting competitions like the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.

I expected to find the Gold ($30.95) and Dark ($32.95) rums too sweet given their somewhat unnatural coloring, though they tell me this comes from crystallized sugar and molasses. They were more balanced than I expected. The one I’d be most inclined to drink is the White ($29.95): clean and light, appropriate for cocktails. They recently launched their Spiced Rum.

If in the area, it is a worthy stop as a local venture, using the last of the little sugarcane even left from the island and pure mountain rainwater of nearby Mt. Wai’ale’ale.

JAVA KAI, Kapaa – The best coffee I had in Kauai, the bracing coffee at Java Kai is a local favorite for a strong cappuccino or espresso. Java Kai doesn’t have the friendliest staff (unusual for Hawaii in general), but it’s no matter when coffee is prepared right. It was my regular morning stop on this side of the island (PS – it’s ideal iced, too; next door to Mermaids Cafe).

KALAHEO CAFE, Kalaheo - On the South shore of Kauai, this casual cafe would be at home in any hip small town. Kalaheo Cafe has a healthy, locals vibe and is packed for breakfast. Eat in or take out, stand-outs include straight-from-the-oven baked goods (apple coffee cake, for one).

Using local coffees like Kauai Coffee, they serve robust espressos and cappuccinos. There may be no third wave, artful foam atop that capp, but rest assured it will wake you up. For one picky about coffee and how it is prepared, I didn’t feel like I had to suffer for good coffee on the sleepy island of Kauai.