Kibbee Nayee

A few additional tidbits on San Francisco....the best brewpub I found was the Thirsty Bear on Howard, just across from the W Hotel. Very good beers and very good food. A few doors down from the W on Howard, across from the Thirsty Bear, is a Chinese restaurant called Fang and it is spectacular. The chef will show up at your table and ask you what you want, so just say "feed me" and you'll have one of San Francisco's best Nanking-style feasts brought to you. No need to get near Chinatown if you're in the area of the Moscone Center. The restaurant Fang will take good care of you....

The food here is uninspired, but it's not bad. If you're in the area and you have to have basic Lebanese, you can do worse. It's not a destination place, as in, I gotta have Lebanese tonight so let's go to Aladdin's. Maybe it should die off so we can concentrate on the really good ones, like Mediterranean Gourmet Market in Franconia and Layalina in Ballston.....

Must have been pretty recently. I drove by about two weeks ago and was deciding between Manila Cafe, which was open, and a new pizza place next to Fischer's Hardware, and the pizza place won. To bad in retrospect...

I will retract my earlier post about there being no quality food in Chinatown in San Francisco. It turns out there are a string of restaurants along Washington St. that qualify for genuine and good. At Washington Bakery & Restaurant for lunch yesterday, the clay pots and soups were genuine, and we were the only Americans in a mostly full restaurant. The beef tendon soup was a hit, as was fried rice with seafood and pickled vegetables. The bakery in the front of the restaurant had quite a few savory and sweet pastries as well. This is a must-return kind of place, as are the restaurants up and down Washington St. with Peking ducks hanging in the windows. At one table of what appeared to be four generations of a Chinese-American family, a Chinese feast was all over the table, but the 2-year-old daughter was tackling a club sandwich.

At one-star Quince last night, we had a simultaneously spectacular and disappointing meal. The spectacular part was the food, but the disappointing part was that it was s-l-o-w....we were seated at 8:15pm and didn't get out of there for a good three and a half hours. Yikes. We were completely worn out by the end, and I had to get up and stretch a few times toward the end. But the food was superb. We went with the Chef's Spring Tasting Menu, and everyone agreed that the highlight was the lamb three ways. It was really incredible. The service was worthy of a one-star restaurant as well, with coat-and-tie waiters marching out of the kitchen in lockstep and placing the plates for each course down in front of the diners in a precision sequence. But after four courses, a few of us went with a cheese course -- nicely artisanal, including a blue goat cheese and a really runny and stinky one I enjoyed a lot -- and were pretty much finished at that point. But then out came a pre-dessert palate cleanser, then a dessert, then a plate of finishing sweets, all about 15 minutes apart. Talk about overkill.... This is a beautifully appointed restaurant, with a precise staff and wonderful ambiance. But it overdoes the California 'slow food' concept a bit too much, and it can be a tiresome experience. Nonetheless, the food here is quite good, and if it weren't for the slow pace, this would be the meal of the week so far.

Last night featured a return to Michelin one-star Luce, where four of us cruised the menu a bit deeper. We learned that Chef Crenn was in New York cooking for a large group, so the kitchen was in the able hands of the under-staff. I decided to taste my way through the appetizers, so I ordered my own tasting menu of four of them. In pairs, I had the following: Local Sardines, Babe Farm Baby Beets, Chickpeas and Basil $14 Sweetbread and Beef Tongue, Egg, Pancetta Jus and Potato “Espuma” $15 Black Ink Trofiette “Carbonara”, Baby Squid, Smoked Pancetta, Slow Cooked Organic Egg $16 Bone Marrow And Gnocchi, Lobster $16 All were good, but the sardines tasted a bit too "fishy"....the Black Ink Trofiette was incredibly good, and in all dishes the combination of flavors, textures, mouth-feel and presentation were precise. This is most definitely one-star cooking. Girlfriend had the Thai snapper with baby shrimp, and declared it one of the best meals she has ever eaten. One other companion devoured the venison like he hadn't eaten in days, and commented that it was tender and flavorful. This is a restaurant worth placing on a can't-miss list of San Francisco restaurants. I would like to try it again when Chef Crenn is in the kitchen, and the tasting menu that runs from Sunday through Thursday and requires the entire table to participate would be my next adventure here.

Next day report ... perfectly forgettable lunch in Chinatown. Rule no. 1, never eat at a place where they have the hawk the place with flyers a few blocks away, and never eat Chinese in Chinatown when you're in San Francisco. Next topic. Dinner at RN74 on a Saturday was OK. It's the newest of the Michael Mina group restaurants and boasts the best of the wine lists. We arrived for a 9pm reservation and were seated by about 9:20, poured water and then forgotten for a while. The place was packed and noisy, and I really loathe a dining experience where I cannot hear the people I am dining with or I have to scream to be heard over the din. The din was magnified by the all-too-trendy techno-throb music in the background. We placed orders by about 9:45 and were eating appetizers by 10:00. I must say, the food was pretty good. I tried girlfriend's beet salad appetizer and my own Manila clams with pork belly, and both were quite good. My girlfriend's grilled loup de mer was nicely done as was my free range chicken breast. Really nice chicken flavor on the latter. So I have to sum this place up as being too noisy, with spotty service but an excellent wine list and very good food. I would probably recommend it on a Tuesday evening....

I hate to bury this so deeply in a mega-thread, but the opportunity of two conferences in San Francisco has me out here for two weeks. I contacted our fearless Board leader for advice, he introduced me to a DC star who used to work out here, recommendations were made, and my interim report follows. First, I hit Luce last night because it was in the hotel I where was staying. It received a Michelin star and Chef Dominique Crenn has appeared on the Next Iron Chef and a few other TV shows. I had the beef marrow appetizer and followed it with the pork three ways -- jowl, belly and tenderloin. It was simply an excellent meal, and I am returning with a small group on Sunday night to provide a more thorough commentary. Today, girlfriend and I hit La Taqueria for lunch. Based on Chef's recommendations, we had the beef head quesadilla and the tongue taco. They were honest, fresh, genuine, flavorful and just plain good. And because I mentioned to the guy at the cash register that we were from DC and had never been there before, out came a complimentary carnitas pork quesadilla. Again, this is darned good fare, and quite inexpensive. I would wreck this menu on regular occasions if I lived out here. Merely five or six hours later, we were in San Mateo at Chef's recommendation for the finest sushi meal this side of Koji at Sushi-Ko. The place is called Sushi Sam, and we sat at the counter in front of Sam. We ordered omakase, about 14 plates, and from start to finish it was frikkin' awesome. From the impeccable seafood and precision preparations, to some unusual items like baby shrimp and wataniya beef, or lightly seared toro, or sea urchin and baby squid, all the way to the green tea tiramisu and blood orange soup, this meal was a no-holds-barred feast. Of all the sushi restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area, this is the one Chef recommends and this is the one I would travel cross-country to eat at. And on either side of us for at least two seatings, there were hard-core foodies with stories about the French Laundry (and pictures on the iPhone of each course there) and adventures to Boulud and Robichon in Vegas and all manner of recommendations for the SF foodie scene, yet each one would take Sushi Sam over any other meal in the Bay area. After tonight, so might I...

Thankfully....Food Network is practically unwatchable now. Except for an occasional Alton Brown show, I miss its earlier incarnation. Hopefully the new network will get back to good cooking. I find myself missing the Jeff Smith Frugal Gourmet sows of the '80s....wish there was something more along those lines on TV these days....

Just picked up a copy of 7x7, the "This is San Francisco" magazine. On page 51, I quote: "To properly consume this restaurant-rich, foodie-friendly town, you need more than a Google map. You need a path to enlightenment. May we recommend our master plan: First, meet the people who make our food world go 'round...." What follows are pages after pages of the San Francisco food stars, including quite a few chef-owners, but also sommeliers and producers. Then follows the 100 things to eat in SF before you die, starting with roast chicken and bread salad at Zuni....by the way, #3 was already on my list, the carnitas taco at La Taqueria. But I may have to add #66, pig parts at Incanto, or #64, sand dabs at Tadich...

There, that's why. Simple as that. Greetings from San Francisco, by the way....is there a door prize for most far-away post...?

For my original post, allow me to add a personal fave, Jeff Tunks.... Is someone going to compile a consensus list for us? I'm off to San Francisco for some serious eating and may or may not be posting for a few weeks...

Washington has come to be known as a major league restaurant town over the course of the past decade. That means that we have chefs who can go toe-to-toe with Eric Ripert and Thomas Keller as world-class chefs. And in a partly whimsical and partly serious sense, can we come up with a Top 10 list...? I'll go first. 1. Eric Ziebold 2. Jose Andres 3. Michel Richard 4. Patrick O'Connell 5. Johnny Monis 6. Koji Terano 7. R.J. Cooper 8. Frank Ruta 9. Jonathan Krinn 10. Bryan Voltaggio I suppose I missed Cathal Armstrong, Vikram Sunderam, Tom Power, Ris Lacoste and a few others, but then, maybe we can come up with a consensus Top 15 or Top 20....? I believe there would be quite a few Michelin stars scattered all over this list. What's your list?

Dim Sum today was absolutely excellent. I've had Dim Sum at Yank Sing in San Francisco, and today Sampan was its equal. At noon on a Sunday, the dining room was full and the clientele was 80-90% Asian. Two hot carts and one cold cart came by often. I can honestly say that every item - two of us probably had about 10-12 dishes between us -- was at or near perfection. Freshness of ingredients, precision of preparation, flavors, aromas, textures....wow, what a meal! Some of my favorites were ~ Pork Bun -- nicely puffy with a flavorful pork stuffing Meatballs -- beef, I am told, but Mr. Rockwell's story about the Vietnamese pho place at Springfield Mall came to mind....these were extremely good Shrimp Cakes -- delectable and delicate pancakes filled with shrimp and topped in a dark soy sauce Chicken Feet -- reminds me of the old Waylon Jennings lyrics, "Work your fingers to the bone, and what do you get? Bony fingers! Bony fingers!" Chewy, but a nice flavor that sort of grew on me and I couldn't stop eating them....finger-licking good Tripe -- Chewy and full of flavor from a gingery-pepper sauce For 10-12 dishes that more than adequately stuffed two overweight, middle-aged men, the total with tax and a more than 20% tip was $45. I would go back often, despite the fact that my one of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants in the area is 3 doors down....Today's meal really has me re-thinking the proper order of the Franconia restaurant list.

Stopped by Grape and Bean today for a quick chardonnay (ZD 2008 for $13 a glass) and some time-killing browsing prior to dinner. This little gem has a small and narrow seating area, with a combination coffee counter and wine bar up front, some few seats down the middle and shelves of very interesting wine and beer all around, with an occasional artisanal chocolate or vinegar scattered around. The menu of small dishes to accompany the wine offerings included various charcuterie and cheese plates. My quick drive-by convinced me there was enough merit here to return and kick the tires in more detail. This is a pleasant little place where one can linger, enjoy a conversation, relax, or daydream. It is Old Town, if Old Town can be defined in a single establishment.

Had dinner here tonight with two companions. I would consider it a good but not great dining experience. The dining room is small, even a bit cramped. The menu was all over the place -- good mezze, but not the assortment you might find at other places. We split the mezze sampler and enjoyed foul, mujadarrah, hommos, baba ghanouj, tabouli, kibbee, filafel and grape leaves. The baba ghanouj was the standout, with nice smokey flavor and thick texture. The hommos was pedestrian and the kibbee was small, maybe golfball sized. No kibbee nayee on the menu. Bah! I asked the waiter if he would let his mother eat here, and if so, what would she order? I liked the response....his mother cooks there! I enjoyed the lamb shank, which was pleasant and meaty enough, but not the quality of the lamb shanks at Layalina. Companions enjoyed chicken kabob and lamb kabob and declared them good, but not show-stoppers. This is a good place for a nice bite of Lebanon if you're in the area and looking for some not-bad Lebanese food. It is not a destination or worth-the-detour Lebanese restaurant. As Old Town goes, it's on a par with Layla, but well below the standards of Layalina or the original Lebanese Taverna.

I was hoping to spring a real "find" on you, worthy of the Springfield restaurant list and further testament to the fact that you can eat all over Brookfield Plaza on Backlick Road for an entire month, morning-noon-evening, and never eat the same thing twice. Thus it was that I happened across Mr. Chicken, a Halal (and therefore alcohol-free) establishment with the same owners as Punjab Sweets, next door to Chutny and directly across from Ravi Kabob III and House of Siam. I ordered the 4-piece fried chicken with fries, both spicy, and brought them home. The 10-minute ride apparently was not kind to the meal. The spiciness was a little bland, and the chicken had a decent moistness but not a whole lot of flavor and not much crunch. The fries were disappointing and flaccid. Nonetheless, there is promise on this menu and I intend to peruse it further at some point. The menu includes some appealing sandwiches, like shami (beef and egg) burger, and fried tilapia. The lady behind the counter recommended the steak and cheese sandwich, but being from southeastern Pennsylvania, I'm a snob. Chicken popcorn, chicken tenders and chicken nuggets were all on the menu, and when I asked the difference, she explained that they are simply cut in different sizes. And they are veg-friendly, with veggie burgers and a sizable list of fruit shakes and smoothies. They are running a "Family Deal" special until mid-March of 8-piece chicken, 2-beef burger meals (each with fries and soda) and 2-chicken burger meals (each with fries and soda) for $39.99. If anyone is interested, I'll bet four of us can devour one of those specials, and with tax and tip we're probably still under $50 total.

When you back for pasta, I suggest two doors down at Argia's. Now, THAT'S good pasta.

Wow. Quite a trek down Rt 7 after that dinner. I might have vectored you to Argia's prior to the State Theater. However, I know that the upstairs mens room at Monterey Bay Fish Grotto is accommodating enough for a quick change, and you won't have any raised eyebrows by the Inox crowd in the process.

Springfield. It took a solid one-hour siesta to recover from the calorie buzz....

Just dabbing my chin from a soul-satisfying breakfast of huevos rancheros with a side of breakfast burrito with extra hot sauce. I probably won't feel this good later on, but the buzz is extremely satisfying right now. Fresh ingredients, generous portions, made from scratch and all for about 10 bucks. For all the money being spent at McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts and 7-11 for breakfast, such a pity....

Have you had it at either of Layalina or Lebanese Butcher...?

Second the Mediterranean Bakery. One whole aisle of spices. Spices of Asia recently opened on Backlick Road in Springfield, a few doors down from Delia's. Very good selection and lots of turnover.

Valentine's Day dinner at Renaissance was an event. Soraya had decorated the dining room with flowers and hearts everywhere. Saeed was running a busy dining room very graciously. The three-course special menu was quite good, but girlfriend and I were allowed a few excursions. Girlfriend had the bucket of mussels to start, and I had the calf liver. The mussels were really fresh and meaty, and gave off a broth that was worthy of sopping up with bread. I had passed on the sweetbreads for the liver, and it was good. But I now have a hankering for sweetbreads, so I will likely return soon. Next course was Caesar salad, followed by the main course -- branzino for her, nicely sauced lobster with crabmeat for me. The chardonnay was quite nice too. This meal was a hit from end-to-end, and judging from the obvious satisfaction of the surrounding tables, a good time was had by all. For a Valentine's Day meal, Cafe Renaissance would be difficult to beat.

I feel compelled to point out that our own Antonio Burrell, who cooked up quite a few lovely batches at last summer's picnic, its now toiling away at Masa 14. The menu on the Web mentions crispy wings, but I'd be surprised if his signature fried chicken doesn't show up from time to time. I have also had to-die-for fried chicken downtown at PS7. At Vidalia, for lunch, there is southern-fried young Amish chicken, which is incredibly good, but whenever I enter Vidalia it's usually for something from the pork family....mmmmm.....!