Bar Bambino has been on the San Francisco Chronicle’s list of Top 100 Restaurants for the last two years. And since it’s close to BART, it was the perfect place for a get together between foodies. So, I met Jo (Taking Over the World One Bite at a Time), Stephanie (Lick My Spoon), and Danielle (Bon Vivant) for dinner and good conversation on a weekday night.

We started with a lovely small bowl of calamari dressed with a light lemony dressing that was delightful and studded with celery for crunch. Nice mix of textures. It went well with the pomegranate sparkling wine we all had.

We shared the pork belly with braised lentils and the chicken livers bruschetta to start. I was surprised by both, but in very different ways. The pork belly was seared for a crisp exterior, but it was boring, unimaginative and even slightly dry! Almost impossible for a piece of fatty pork belly. I was disappointed that it wasn’t more inventive. And the lentils were a little too “al dente” for my taste.

However, the chicken livers bruschetta was wonderful. I have to thank Steph or ordering this because I would never have otherwise. It was flavorful, not gamey, and the bread it was on was perfect partner for the soft and flavorful livers. It was actually the highlight of the evening.

For entrees we ordered the pappardelle with braised rabbit, tagliatelle with bolognese, bucatini with cauliflower, panchetta, raisins and pine nuts, and the roasted and pan fried chicken.

Both the pappardelle and the tagliatelle were probably the highlights of the meal for me. The pastas were housemade, buttery and delicious. The meats were braised well and had a good flavor to them. However, the rabbit was less tender than I expected and I actually would’ve liked more sauce.

The bucatini was a good effort but it was a little discombobulated. And like with all the pastas we had, I think a larger portion, just slightly, would’ve been nice. This dish had great elements, but together, it didn’t quite work.

The chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside. I LOVED the exterior. It has the perfect texture and was more like fried chicken on a more gourmet level. However, the interior was a dryer than I’d like and the was lacking flavor. A common problem with ordering chicken breast, but since this is a Top 100 restaurant, I expected a whole lot more. Again, great elements but overall, a failed dish collectively.

That was basically how I felt about the restaurant and the food. Service was off, as well. They were professional enough but not friendly or personable. There was something missing, lacking, off about just about everything. Maybe it was an off night, but I don’t believe I’ll ever be back.

I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural Foodbuzz Blogger Festival in San Francisco this past weekend. What a crazy 48 hours! Free artisanal gourmet meals, the freshest ingredients, superior wines, specialty food purveyors, endless freebies, and most of all, amazing people!

After getting an over five pound free gift bag to start off the event, the weekend’s food festivities started with the Street Food “Fare” they arranged for us just outside the Ferry Building Marketplace. This was nothing ordinary being served out of a taco truck (no offense to some superior taco trucks). We had some of the most expertly prepared food you could have in the city, and that’s saying a lot.

We feasted and grazed from so many vendors, including chicharrones from 4505 Meats, neapolitan-style pies being made on the spot from Pizza Politana’s mobile wood-fire oven, cupcakes from Mission Minis, and fresh-shucked oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company.

But two vendors stood out from the crowd. I mean REALLY stood out.

First, the Beef and Gruyere pie from The Pie Truck. Since it’s like a mini pot pie, I figured I’d get some ground beef in a pastry shell and be done with it. Oh, how wrong I was! This was quality beef that was sauced wonderfully, moist, rich and so flavorful. And that pastry was light, flaky, buttery, and not at all too thick. I was kicking myself for not taking a few more to stuff in my purse!

But as good as The Pie Truck’s edibles were, it can’t compare to what was believed by most to be the best thing we had all night, by a mile! Frankly, I think it’s one of the best damn sandwiches I’ll ever have in my whole life. Seriously, it IS that good.

The folks at Roli Roti are genius. Their porchetta sandwich is just culinary genius! Now I know why people line up at the Ferry Building Farmers Market on Thursdays for 30-45 minutes just for one of these babies. It’s a rotisserie pork loin stuffed with pork belly (!) and herbs. Decadent, right? But it’s also got pieces of the pork’s crispy skin for texture. Wait, there’s more! They take the bread and use it to sop up the meat’s juices on their cutting board! They top it off with a wonderful onion marmalade and curly watercress. This is not a greasy, sloppy mess. It’s about as perfect as a delectable sandwich can get.

This event made me appreciate the artisan foodies, both consumers and producers, that make San Francisco’s culinary scene so exciting. We are spoiled. Truly.

Stay tuned for the memorable dinner we had to cap off the weekend.

So what’s it like to share a family-style dinner with over 200 food bloggers in a produce warehouse? Well, it was cold. But not enough to dampen the mood .

So this was our big dinner event to cap off the Foodbuzz Bloggers Festival in San Francisco, and it was definitely a night to remember.

It was big. Very big. The table was connected. Seriously. It twisted and curved around the warehouse to accommodate all of us. All 250 of us. An ingenious way of planning a dinner, courtesy of the folks at Outstanding in the Field. And plates of food went around (albeit slowly). Plates of wonderfully prepared and devised Asian dishes from the crew at Namu Restaurant in San Francisco.

And the warehouse? The famous Greenleaf Produce. These guys have known organic, locally grown, sustainable produce before the phrases were even in vogue in foodie circles. They are the trailblazers of the movement.

Here was the menu:

Various wild mushroom dashi

Udon w/grilled calamari in browned butter ponzu, cucumber, tomato and chojan & sesame vinaigrette

Salmon baked with dashikombu, fried garlic, and Japanese curry powder (this was my FAVE of the night)

Mushroom risotto with Japanese rice and crispy mushrooms

Soy braised beef cheeks and oxtails, baby carrots and fingerling potatoes

Roasted brussels sprouts with ponzu fried garlic, guanciale (a Spanish “bacon”), bonito flakes

Japanese rice pudding w/cookie crumble and warren pears from Frog Hollow Farm

The meal was subtle yet deliberate in its conception and it’s execution. An inventive and ambitious menu to pull of for such a large group. However, it was the experience itself that made it a memorable night. It’s something I will never see again. The best food experiences are when they’re shared with great people. This was definitely something to remember.

And a shoutout to the wonderful foodies and food purveyors I had the pleasure of meeting:

Frog Hollow Farm
479 Popcorn
Black Stallion Winery
Recchiuti Confections
Neo Cocoa
Jimmy (The Thirsty Pig)
Arnold (Inuyaki)
Dan Lee (Namu Restaurant)
Danielle (Bon Vivant)
Marc (Chefectomy)
Loren (Foodbuzz)
Gudren (Kitchen Gadget Girl)
Stephanie (Lick My Spoon)
Jo (Taking Over the World One Bite at a Time)
Bonnie (Cocochanelella/Chrysanthemum)
Kathleen (Katz9Lives)
Elizabeth (Ms. Lin Guide)
Fanny (YummySF)

See you all next year!

Trucks, carts, even guys on bikes have shown up all over San Francisco and Oakland to peddle their cheap and tasty food. You can find both gritty and straightforward eats, as well as the artisan gourmet variety disguised as street food.

Of course, not all food that comes out of a cart is good food. There are LOTS of posers who are jumping on this popular foodie bandwagon, lately. It’s officially become a “trend.”  It’s gone mainstream.  Perhaps, it’s even jumped the shark.

But when cheap food is GOOD food, I have no complaints. That’s why these two newer food trucks that have hit the burbs have made me very happy. No more trekking to the city to find good street food!

Tacos Peralta (342 E. Hillsdale, San Mateo) – There are mediocre items on the menu that I’ve tried (the carne asada and pastor meats, in particular). And I’ve heard only lukewarm reviews about their burritos, though I can’t vouch for that, myself. But fortunately, there are some excellent items, including the torta (nicely toasted bread and a good amount of meat and fillings), super quesadilla (great flavorful beans and cheese), and the carnitas tacos (well seasoned moist pork, fresh onions and cilantro, and great with a squeeze of lime juice). And I love their hot sauce. It strangely reminds me of the taco sauce I used to get on taco day in elementary school. I don’t know if that’s a complement or an insult, but I used to go nuts for the stuff.

And in classic street food fashion, it’s cheap. Tacos are only $1.25 a piece (of course you need at least four to feel satisfied). And I appreciate that their ingredients are fresh and they use good quality meats. I just polished off five carnitas tacos for dinner and I could easily eat five more for lunch tomorrow!

Curry Up Now (Primrose & Howard in Burlingame, Near Marine Pkwy. across from Oracle in Redwood City) – Let me just say that I like Indian food, but it’s usually on the bottom of my list because of the way it makes me feel. Four out of the last five Indian meals I’ve had in recent memory gave me a headache before leaving the restaurant because of the MSG, or left me reaching for my TUMS. Not fun.

So when I found out about this place foolin’ around on Twitter, I was excited because it seemed authentic, fun, and fresh. And again, I didn’t have to trek to the city to find it!

I’m so happy to say that this food truck exceeded my expectations. Everything we had was flat out fantastic! The food is a mixture of authentic Indian dishes with Mexican touches. Between myself and my other two diners, we had the Butter Chicken special, Tandoori Chicken “Taco”, Kathi Roll, Tikki Masala Chicken “Burrito”, and the Skirt Steak “Torta” sandwich. All the items were absolutely delicious with the perfect amount of spice that added flavor, depth, and character, not just heat. All the flavors just sang and melded together so well. It was just about the best Indian meal I’d ever had. The highlights were the Kathi Roll (so delicate in it’s mixture of special ingredients and sauce), the Tikki Masala Chicken “Burrito” (perfect amount of saucy flavorful chicken with special rice wrapped in parantha bread), and the Skirt Steak “Torta” (yummy special sauce again, and they did NOT skimp on the quality and amount of beef here!).

All that great food AND the owner was a whole lot of fun to talk to while we waited for our food. She was such a gem that it made me want to go back even more.

With such great “street food” options in suburbia, I don’t have to worry that I’m missing out on all the good cheap food in San Francisco proper. Let those city folks come down to suburbia instead!

I rarely get drawn in by what I’ve heard about a restaurant’s setting. But Gitane’s European bohemian chic decor seemed so right up my alley that I wanted to see if for myself. And it didn’t hurt that it was on the SF Chronicle’s list of Top 100 Restaurants, so the food had to have some redeeming qualities.

The place is named after a gypsy and the food is inspired from the Basque region nestled between Portugal and Spain. But there seemed to be a touch of Moroccan influence as well. The menu is very eclectic and decor exotic and hip without being snooty. In fact, the staff was very friendly without trying too hard. Even the manager came by to check on us and seemed genuinely interesting inhow we were doing.

So my pals and I went for the Yelp Eats! prix fixe menu, and all the dishes were ones you could find on their regular menu. For our appetizers I ordered the Bastilla which was almost like a fried samosa filled with duck, chicken, nuts, spices, and raisins. It was served with some roasted red peppers for savory contrast. The dish was excellent, rich and meaty, and sweet with warm spice. It’s a heavier appetizer, so I’m happy I ordered the scallops for my entree. But more on that in a minute…

My friend ordered the Taboule appetizer, which was a revelation. It was bursting with lemon and mint and fresh shrimp, in this cool couscous salad. It was wonderful. The flavors were so fresh yet somehow, not overwhelming.  Perfection.

For our entrees I got the St Jacques, which was pan seared royal sweet scallops with parsnip puree, fried padron peppers, and chorizo on top and chorizo oil sauce. It was wonderful. The combination was unexpected and yet delicious. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the chorizo oil was such a wonderful complement to the light scallops and parsnips. Yum!

My friends ordered the Solomillo, which was pork tenderloin and braised pork belly with a five spice sauce and carrot puree with pine nuts. The dish was rich and warm with those spices. And again, it all was perfectly cooked. The perfect autumn dish.

For dessert, we had beignets with a lemon, chocolate, and honey sauce, and the Vins de Fruits which was a chilled sangria with yogurt sorbet, berries and spices. Both were fantastic. The beignets were soft, warm, and perfectly fried. Sometimes they’re a little too brown on the outside but they were perfect here. The sauces were good, but honestly, they could’ve been better. Either way, a great dessert.

But it was the Vins de Fruits that impressed me. I’m not one for alcohol desserts, but this dish was so incredibly fresh and fruity, again made warm with the cinnamon and star anise. It was so fragrant that it was like perfume. Again, another surprising dish.

This place has so much character and diversity in both its menu and decor, it’s hard to imagine a more charming place to go in the city. It’s hip without making you feel out of place. It’s like a tiny European bistro because it’s in this little cobblestone alleyway and the service makes it a neighborhood gem. There’s also outdoor seating, but because of it’s size, I wouldn’t recommend it for a group larger than 6-8 people. And if you’re into that sort of thing, the bar was a super hot place to see and be seen on the Friday night we were there. Although personally, I wasn’t a fan of their special cocktails. A little too much spice, but that’s just personal preference.

We were truly entranced by this gypsy, for sure.

Nail salons in the city are a dime a dozen. In order to compete, many of them have gone higher end by decorating their places to look like mini spas, offering more services, and making the experience better by offering tea and flowery smelling add ons. And many of these spots, like Polished Lounge in San Francisco, do it all very well.

But Dolci Beauty Lounge in San Francisco, unfortunately, does not.

With all the negative stories about cleanliness problems in nail salons and the possible infections and serious health issues, you’d think a spot that caters to clients who want a little more than your generic nail salon experience would actually care about keeping things clean.

Apparently not.

This place doesn’t even make up for it with good service or a particularly good experience in general. The front desk is a joke. The girls who work there openly talk about how they can’t wait to get off work and it shows. They are aloof, rude, and completely unaccommodating.  It’s like they’re herding cattle. They just want you in and out in a flash. They barely give you a glance when you check in.

Worst of all, the woman working on my toenails cut me with the cuticle cutter. She was working too fast and too carelessly on my pedicure to barely notice. I was furious and also worried. Their sinks and surrounding areas were a total mess and in complete disarray. Tools were lying around used and dirty. Towels wet and strewn everywhere. Puddles of water on the floor so that people could easily slip and fall. Nothing seemed clean.

For all the advertising this place does to cater to higher end clientele, you’d think they’d care a little more. But their lack of attention to their business doesn’t bode well for your nails, or your health, either.

Dolci Beauty Lounge - 211 Steiner, San Francisco -415.285.9255

I’m picky about my Chinese food.  Regional, more specific kinds of Chinese food is what interests me.  No plain jane stirfries or chow mein for me.

Now, I love Shanghainese food but a lot of it can be rather heavy and greasy (it’s mostly dumplings and noodles, less rice).  They say that the farther north you go in China, the less rice dishes you’ll see. The typical rice and stirfries are from the southern part of China (like the Canton or Szechuan regions).

That’s what makes Happy Cafe in San Mateo so…simple.  The dishes are classic Shanghainese: pig’s kidneys (sooooo good here without any gamey flavor), cold noodles with spicy meat sauce and shredded cucumbers (refreshing with such bold flavor), and fried pork chop over rice and greens (the pork is perfectly flavored and fried without being too greasy). Their boiled chicken appetizer with a lightly spicy sauce is also perfection. The chicken is silky, juicy and tender, and that sauce is again, bold and the perfect partner for the chicken.

My only complaint here is the tiny space (not good for groups and long waits during peak times since they don’t take reservations) and their Xiao Long Bao (steamed dumplings), which is usually the mark of a great Shanghainese restaurant.  The dough on them is too mushy, the meat filling doesn’t have the right flavor, and the soup inside the dumpling is bland.  Just skip it.

This is a classic “hole in the wall” joint, but if you order well, you’ll be richly rewarded. I’ve never left unhappy.

Fried chicken is like the king of fried foods.  When done right, it’s the perfect combo of juicy flavorful meat and crispy savory crunch. We’re lucky to have several places in the Bay Area that do it well, but all have their slight variations on the original classic.  Little Skillet’s version is classic with Southern flair.

There’s no ambiance to speak of, but that’s okay.  It’s literally hole in the wall, or actually a takeout counter where you walk up to order and take your food away to eat either out on the sidewalk across the street or back to the office.

My friend and I decided to take our eight piece chicken meal with two sides (the macaroni salad with herb vinaigrette and seasoned fries) and buttermilk biscuits, home. We’d finished the fries before we even got home. Total car snacking food and they were great. And the ketchup was a nice sweet tangy sauce that tasted like it was house-made (or at least a tinkered version of the bottled stuff).

The fried chicken was probably the best classic version I’ve had in the Bay Area, to date.  It had a perfectly crisp skin that wasn’t to thick (my friend said it was like really good pork rines) and a wonderful flavor.  It had a tinge of paprika, black pepper and cayenne pepper along with a slight smokiness.  My theory is that it was Old Bay Seasoning they used in the flour coating.  The best part is that the meat was juicy and flavorful, not dry or tasteless like some fried chicken can be.  The skin was tasty, texture was great, and the meat was perfect.

The buttermilk biscuits were nothing to scoff at either.  They were so buttery and good that they almost tasted like a croissant!  My only complaint is that they weren’t warm and there was no honey to go with them.  That would’ve sent me over the moon.

I was also impressed with the macaroni salad, though my friend wasn’t a fan of the herb dressing.  I loved it.  It was fresh and perfectly seasoned, not gloppy or heavy like most pasta salads.  The perfect foil for a heavy chicken and biscuit meal.

You could tell the quality in all their ingredients, including the organic local chicken they use.  And though they’re known for their long lines at lunch (they’re only open 11 am – 2 pm), we must’ve missed it since we arrived at 1:30 and there was no line to speak of (and parking on Townsend was easy-peasy).  If I’m in a decadent mood, I’ll try the chicken and waffle combo next time around.

FOR FOODIES…

Yelp Eats! – San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and East Bay
October 5-11
This is the first year for this nationwide event.  Basically it’s 7 days, 15 restaurants (per region), and a 3 course meal for $35 at eateries throughout the Bay Area. Some of the hottest restaurants around are on the list so it’s a great excuse to go out for a good deal on a good prix fixe meal.

Open Table - Log Off and Eat! (Silicon Valley Restaurant Week)
October 14-21
Again, prix fixe meals for $35 at this large list of restaurants in the South Bay. And again, no shabby list.

RNM Restaurant – Prix Fixe 3-Course Meal $28
You can’t beat this price for a restaurant that is modern yet casual. The food, from what I’ve been told, is pure comfort with an element of French influence for sophistication. The portions are also quite generous. I can’t wait to try this place out! (Haight @ Steiner in San Francisco)

Pasta Pomodoro – Buy One Pizza, Get One Free Thursdays
Every Thursday at ONLY their San Mateo, Novato, El Cerrito, and San Francisco-Cow Hollow locations, order one thin crust pizza and get another free! Plus, there’s no limit! Make sure you mention this promotion when you order.

FOR SHOPPERS…

Kate Spade Friends and Family Sale
October 1-4
Enter code FALLFF09 for 30% off everything online (including sale merchandise). They’re also offering free shipping on all orders.

LORAC Cosmetics
Head to their website and click “VIP Discounts” on the bottom of the homepage to see discontinued merchandise that’s up to 70% off! Some lipsticks are only $4.99! Shipping is free with any $50 order.

Gap Card Style Event
October 1-4
Use your Old Navy, Gap, or Banana Republic credit card and get 30% off all regular priced merchandise or 15% off all sale merchandise with code GAPSTYLE4, online.

H&M $5 Sale
For a limited time, select merchandise at all participating H&M stores is on sale for $5. Check stores for more info.

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be an X-rated post. I’m referring to the lunch I had today, catered by a little place that’s been getting big buzz lately: Naked Lunch.

The Foodbuzz folks were nice enough to host an open house for food bloggers today, serving a catered breakfast, lunch, and happy hour at their offices.  Since lunch was to be catered by Naked Lunch and I had wanted to try their food for a while, I headed over.

The “Grilled” Cheese w/Tomatoes surprised me because of it’s wonderful tang that came from creamy goat cheese and sweetness from fresh and roasted heirloom tomatoes. It was topped off with a tangy pesto spread and some baby spinach. I loved this sandwich. Really tasty.

I also tried a bit of the Chorizo Sandwich which had chorizo, pears, pickled onions, and garlic aioli. The picked onions did a good job of contrasting with the meat in both taste and texture. It was a strong sandwich that would satisfy a meat lover and was a favorite of everyone in the room. It was definitely different and surprising.

I’ve been truly impressed with the sandwiches I’ve had lately. Not just your boring old neighborhood sandwich shop fare, but noteworthy spots like Kitchenette, Bakesale Betty’s and Naked Lunch who are making innovative, fresh, gourmet sandwiches that worth talking about.

And a shoutout to the food bloggers I had the pleasure of meeting at the event: Chrysanthemum, The Food Librarian, Kat’s 9 Lives, Lick My Spoon, Ms. Lin Guide, Streaming Gourmet, Taking Over the World One Bite at a Time, and Yummy SF to name just a few. Let’s hope we can plan a foodie get together to swap stories and review some good food!