Sushi Ran's meltingly good tempura

Top Tastes, rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), is highlights of the best things I’ve been eating since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit previously written about or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned.

MID-RANGE RESTAURANTS

Tartare de Boeuf at Grand Cafe

•  Grand Cafe has a new chef de cuisine, Sophiane Benaouda, from Lyon, France, with a background working in three-star Michelin restaurant, L’Auberge de L’Eridan, and attending none other than Paul Bocuse’s culinary school, Chateau du Vivier. He’s also a delightful human being, graciously stopping by to say hello as he’s able, eager to talk about food, travel… he’s a wonderful asset, enlivening Grand Cafe with new spark. Bringing French cooking expertise and Provençal flavors to the Cafe’s menu, at a recent media dinner, I feasted on his garlicky, buttery Escargots de Bourgogne ($10), Tartare de Boeuf ($16), a lovely Waygu steak tartare mixed with aioli and capers, fresh-as-the-sea meat from King Crab Legs ($7 each for 5 oz. legs), luscious seared Scallops ($30) with crisped artichoke and celery root puree, then the gorgeous pink and brown of a medium-rare Buffalo special with a mound of artistic scalloped potatoes. Pastry chef, Jessica Miller’s chocolates, went home with me. Sea Salt Chocolate melted with a filling that tasted of butter and brown sugar. Sigh. French food is receiving a breath of life at Grand.

Dessert at enchanting Poggio

•  On a rainy night, the mood at Poggio was magic. Lamps glowed, the smell of spit-roasted pig gave a whiff of intrigue for Porchetta Mondays (a generous $16 dish with white beans, tomato and sage), and my classic Negroni (Tony, the bartender’s specialty), is one of the best I’ve ever had. Add in an order of homemade Burrata ($11), delicate cheese with sun-dried tomato puree on grilled ciabatta, or awesome pastas (all made in-house), like Chitarra (square cut spaghetti, $19) with big chunks of Dungeness crab and a light sauce of Meyer lemon aioli and saffron, then maybe an Affogato to finish. I was transported to Italy in spirit while enchanted by a misty Sausalito night.

APPETIZERS with DRINKS

Medallion's cool patio

•  I can’t yet vouch for steaks and dinner at Burlingame’s new Medallion Steakhouse, but its proximity right off the freeway a minute or two from SFO makes it an easy stop pre or post airport pick-ups. Sip The Medallion cocktail ($10/$5 at happy hour, 4-7pm, M-F) – Milagro Blanco tequila, Chamomile Citrus Berry AperiTea, St. Germain, lime – while eating oysters, a Prime Rib Spring Roll ($9/$6 at happy hour) or Fennel & Sausage Pizza ($11). What really intrigues me is a striking wood-walled patio with chic fountain, firepit, and big screen playing “Rebel Without A Cause”. This could be an amazing spot in warm weather for drinks outdoors. Add in a relaxed crowd and it would feel like a happening private party.

CATERING

•  A 1/18 private Bourbon & Branch Glenmorangie party was catered by chef, Daniel Isberg, recently in SF via Stockholm, having lived and cooked around the world. He caters through Mind Your Tongue, his international mix peeking out in creative dishes or classics, like a heaping wok full of Paella. My “Top Taste” nod goes to his Wasabi Cheesecake, with sweet graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake with a gentle whiff of wasabi, topped with a little salmon. Wow.

BERKELEY

eVe's Pork Belly

•  eVe, one of Berkeley’s latest openings a mere 6 weeks ago, surprised me with fine dining techniques, like sous vide, cooked comfortably within view at a mere $11 a course (must order a minimum of two, which is plenty filling for one). Exec Chef and Pastry Chef/husband and wife team, Christopher and Veronica Laramie, showcase cooking skills from Veronica’s native Peru, to their stints with Charlie Trotter, to culinary school at the gold standard, Paris’ Le Cordon Bleu. In a clean, black and white space, I ate Squid Ink Risotto: grilled squid over risotto balanced with a tart kick from candied kumquats and yuzu.

eVe's artistry exemplified in a Monkfish dish

A sizable piece of fatty-licious Pork Belly goes beautifully with a warm watermelon radish, chive flower and paper thin slice of candied Buddha’s hand. A generous Monkfish entree is perked up by hints of Peruvian panca chili over pureed sweet potato and grilled cipollini onions. Five-spice Short Ribs happily co-exist with farro, red cabbage, parsnip, sweet baked prune, red wine sauce. Only a Gnocchi dish, that didn’t taste like gnocchi, fell a little short for me (though still good), hitting mainly salty/earthy notes without a balance of other taste profiles. Desserts showcase fruits and vegetables, the overall effect a pleasant surprise of unique presentation and cutting-edge technique… at a mere $11. Go now for what is truly creative deliciousness at a steal!

La Salette's baked Sardines

•  There are some misses, like most of the sandwiches and “burgers” at veggie Mediterranean Chick-O-Pea’s, but its clean, bright, and decidedly non-hippie, a deli-like offering of take-out or made-to-order plates. Skinny fries come with a fun range of dips or tossed in spices like harrisa, but it’s pita fries that are really crispy, yummy. Other highlights include salads ($7) and pre-boxed sides like Israeli Couscous or Persian Cucumber Yogurt ($4 each).

SONOMA-PETALUMA

• White Anchovies (one option in tasting platters; 3 items for $15, 5 for $24, 7 for $33) and Sardinhas Assadas ($13) were a thrill in an all-around great meal at La Salette. Sonoma’s long-standing Portuguese restaurant is a special one, platters laden with your choice of cheeses, Spanish hams, marinated octopus, blood sausage, and aforementioned anchovies. With a glass of wine, I’m transported to Portugal, carried further into bliss by hefty Bacalhau no Forno ($21), a baked salt cod disc loaded with potatoes,  onions, olives, or especially those baked, meaty Sardines, drizzled with olive oil.

Smoked Trout Salad at Central Market

•  Central Market is a Petaluma classic that continues to work – bustling and airy, the space buzzes with noise but isn’t annoying. It’s artisan ingredients in a chic, small town, main street setting. I loved smoked trout atop a Local Butter Lettuce Salad ($9) with Fuji apples, cranberries and creamy mustard seed dressing. Jalapeno Guacamole rocked a Kona Kampachi “Crudo” ($11.50), soaked in lemon olive oil.

MARIN

Vietnamese Shaking Beef at Sushi Ran

•  Any time I visit Sushi Ran is a happy occasion. My visit a couple weeks ago showed no lapse in quality since my first years ago. There’s their meltingly good tempura ($7 each plate) – I particularly love the Broccolini Tempura – tempura as it was meant to be. Then, delicate Smoked Hamachi Tataki ($13.50) over avocado, ruby grapefruit, in a yuzu-black pepper sauce. Simple as it sounds, I dream of the fresh bite of a Salmon Citrus Maki ($15) perked up by lime wedges over salmon, Japanese cucumber and avocado. One of the best dishes is not even fish: Vietnamese Shaking Beef ($20), juicy, tender, pink cubes, rich with lime-black pepper sauce and the sweet of caramelized onions.

CHEAP EATS

Pheasant Sausage at Rosamunde

• Rosamunde Sausage Grill has been my favorite SF sausage source for a decade, and I may always be partial to the walk-in only original in Lower Haight with dynamic duo of Toronado Bar next door. But I have no problem seeing the sausage love spread around, even if the Mission gets so much of the city’s best food already. They now get the 2nd Rosamunde right on Mission at 24th, with craft beers on draft (thick Rasputin Imperial Stout takes 5 minutes to pour, but it’s worth it!) The other big pluses here are tables (!), extra menu items (like a $5.75 Sausage/egg/cheddar breakfast sandwich and Four Barrel Coffee in the morning), and sausages to cook at home from a little deli counter. Opening week, Pheasant/pork/wine/cranberries special ($6.50) popped with grilled onions, sweet peppers and house garlic pepper mayo.

Top Tastes is my usual run-down of favorites. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned.

MID-RANGE RESTAURANTS

At the start of a new year, I visited some long-time favorites (and some of our city’s best) who continue to delight and thrill.

Another of Roger's magnificent sashimi platters at Zushi Puzzle

•  Zushi Puzzle – Little ambiance, few niceties, but over the years, when I want one of the best sushi meals possible, I go to Roger and tell him to serve me whatever he wants. This otherwise reasonably priced sushi spot can shoot high if you don’t give him a price limit (I unknowingly spent $90 last time – but tell him you want to spend $50, for example, and give you whatever he wants within that limit). Roger’s sashimi platters are a wonder: recently I had ten types of fish from around the globe: four kinds of salmon (oh, that silky Ivory Salmon!), Butterfish, Bluefin Toro from Italy. A bit of excitement came with a giant ear-shaped scallop shell, with a sliver of, yes, tasty ear-shaped scallop inside it. His raw scallop roll, which I have most times I’m here, is impeccable. A Soft-shell Crab Hand Roll with spicy tuna comes wrapped in a marbled green and cream-colored seaweed. His famous Kobe Beef Nigri is nothing less than an A5 cut of kobe. Kudos for taking the tendons from the ear Scallop, frying them up,  served with lemon and a tasty dipping broth – I’m craving them right now. Roger wins me over every time.

Spaghettini with egg yolk at Incanto

•  I’ve been singing the praises of Incanto since day one (the dining room was just updated last week). Chris Cosentino is hands down one of our city’s best chefs and eating at his restaurant is both an adventure in offal goodness, and the most reminiscent of some of my best meals in Italy. New Year’s Eve was enriched dining here with a group of friends on Spaghettini with Sardinian cured tuna heart, egg yolk & parsley ($16 large/$10 small), a bread crumb-encrusted Baccala (salted cod) Cake, plump Smoked Snails (lumache, $12) with chanterelles, and a massive serving of Crispy Pork Belly. Choosing top tastes of the night, I’d go with something Cosentino often does to perfection: Marinated Local Sardines ($11), flaky, luxurious in olive oil and just the right amount of salty. Accents of watermelon radish, red onion and parsley give it bite. In the entree arena, nothing could have been more heartwarming on a crisp night than Il Peposo ($24), a hearty Tuscan tilemaker’s stew on a rustic grilled bread which soaked up the beef’s juices, with a hint of mint. As ever, Incanto’s Panna Cotta is about the best I’ve had, with revolving flavors: this time, Chocolate Blood ($7.50) - yes, blood – a silken, bloody beauty.

La Mar's Octopus

•  Give me a round of causas, tiraditos and cebiches with Pisco Sour in hand at La Mar Cebicheria and I feel like I’m on vacation. My Peruvian favorite since it opened (and I’ve just about been to them all in SF), I’m enjoying their Anticuchos De Pulpo (octopus skewers – $16), delicate in size but grilled and meaty, on a splash of herbed mashed potato with chimichurri sauce.

CHEAP EATS

Gracias Madre

• I’ve never been one to get behind the hippy-dippy attitude and (lack of) service at Cafe Gratitude, much as I feel great after eating their uber-healthy, tasty vegan meals. So when I heard they were opening a vegan taqueria, Gracias Madre, smack dab in the middle of the Mission, I wondered why I’d ever choose this over my beloved, authentic taquerias all around it. With improved service and an lovely, airy space on Mission St, I find it’s where I’ll go when I can’t eat more grease or hefty burritos. With a light touch, there’s butternut squash (my preferred) or mushroom tacos and cashew ‘cheese’ instead of the real deal. Although I ultimately prefer the real deal, this is a welcome addition and healthy alternative…

PALO ALTO-MOUNTAIN VIEW

Light, melt-in-your-mouth, meaty Pastrami at The Kitchen Table

• Who knew a socially conscious, relaxed coffee and music haven such as Red Rock Coffee existed on Castro Street among tons of Asian and Indian food joints? It seems everyone in the area knows, but I don’t get to downtown Mountain View too often. I was grateful to see their energies as a company focused on abolition, fighting slavery and human trafficking… and that they served Four Barrel coffee, even if their lattes and cappuccinos come in massive mugs (a bad sign of too much milk). That’s why a robust Espresso with foam ($2.60), more like a proper mini-capp, suited me just fine.

• Palo Alto’s Mayfield Bakery is one of those expensive, artisan bread and pastry bakeries, sure. But it helps that much of it is delicious. A Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin with crispy oat crust is an ideal muffin, while their Meyer Lemon Tart has the needed tart lemon kick and buttery crust.

• Mountain View’s The Kitchen Table is so uneven, I’m reluctant to even mention it. Service is friendly but completely haphazard, with too many “water boys” standing around, incessantly filling water while the one waitress lets your food sit at the counter in full view for over five minutes before bringing it to you. This wouldn’t be so bad if prices weren’t high and all over the place: brunch entrees run $12 to $30? What? Way too much for a casual brunch with spotty service.

SusieCakes charming, retro interior

Everything is ultra-fresh and I was pleased to see Jewish offerings (Knish, Matzo, etc…) since we don’t have enough of that in the Bay Area. A striking front room with chandeliers and artistic wall display of vintage photos and frames impresses, while oldies and Motown softly play. But step behind the curtain (where they initially sat us until I asked to be moved to one of many vacant tables in the main room), along a narrow walkway right next to the kitchen, making for a noisy, obnoxious perch for a number of tables. Your $15 sandwich should come with a little more peace. But the reason I write is for one little glory: their Pastrami Sandwich ($12 plus $1-$6 for add-ons like sauerkraut or Fresno chilis). This is no hearty, authentic pastrami like what you get in NYC or at Brent’s Deli in LA. But it wins for its own take on a classic: housemade Sourdough Rye bread and paper-thin, delicate folds of pastrami, not lacking any of the meaty taste, but feeling almost… healthy and light. Bring it on.

MARIN: GREENBRAE

• SusieCakes is a beloved LA bakeshop who’s sweet owner, Susan Sarich, once lived in the Bay Area, unsuccessfully trying to find a space in the city from which to do business. As was her dream, she’s back post-success of her four LA shops, to finally open one here. And Marin gets it. The decor is a gentle sea green with retro touches. There’s cupcakes with sprinkles, lush cakes (Red Velvet is a highlight with a rich, cream cheese frosting; $33-$46 or $5.50 for a slice), Whoopie Pies ($5), and delicate Sugar Cookies ($3). Surprisingly, as I’m not a fan of pudding, I found myself unable to put down the spoon when it came to her Butterscotch Pudding ($4.95). Everything is made with slow churned, European-style butter and you sure taste that creaminess in the pudding. Next time I have to try the Banana & Vanilla Wafers.