Monthly Archives: March 2010

Exquisite Italian Small Plates at Barbacco at San Francisco

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Who doesn’t feel fiercely proud when a younger sibling shines?

Such is the case with Barbacco in San Francisco, the new sibling to the ever-popular Perbacco in San Francisco, both just a short hop from the Mandarin Oriental.

The chef is Sarah Burchard, who was a protege of Perbacco Executive Chef Staffan Terje for three years. In this day and age of macho men butchering their own animals with major bragging rights, Burchard was right in there with them. Formerly in charge of Perbacco’s salumi program, the petite chef regularly broke down whole pigs just like the guys. And no surprise — the salumi continues to be outstanding at Barbacco.

Opened in January, this sleek Cass Calder Smith-designed restaurant rocks a decidedly New York vibe. The narrow 66-seat restaurant has brushed stainless steel columns, exposed pipes, a brick wall, and seating at a long counter stacked with jars of olives. The bare wood tables are at just-below bar stool-height with chairs that have comfy rests for your feet. A couple of large flat screen TVs add buzz without being too distracting.

The lively restaurant is a perfect spot to stop in for a glass of wine and something to nosh on. At lunch, there are to-go items, with the menu displayed on the TV screen at the front counter. Or take your time at dinner, and wind your way leisurely through the extensive menu of mostly shared plates.

That’s just what we did on a recent evening when I was invited in to dine as a guest. Ever since I first tried fried olives many years ago in Spain, I haven’t been able to resist them. I mean, come on — something oily and rich made even more oily and more rich? What’s not to like?

At Barbacco, they come stuffed with pork. The $5 “ascolane” are large, meaty green olives with a serious crunch on the outside. You know they’re bad for you, but you can’t stop yourself. Not with these.

No way could we pass up the house-made salumi here. We went for the small chef’s selection ($11 or $18, depending upon the size of the platter). Among the standouts was the mortadella, which tastes like the most exquisite, grown-up, gourmet version of baloney you’ll ever eat; and the ‘nduja, a crock of spicy, spreadable smoked Calabrian salame. Dolloped with Calabrian chili peppers, it was creamy, fatty, and mind-blowing good.

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Noshing at Nombe in San Francisco

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It’s always a challenge to discreetly take photos inside extremely dim restaurants without the distraction of a flash.

It’s doubly hard when the dining room’s lighting also happens to have a very night-clubby red glow to it. Such is the case at the hip new Nombe in San Francisco, a short drive from the Best Western Tomo.

Alas, not even help from my good friend, a professional photographer, could salvage the pics I took when I was recently invited in to dine as a guest. Indeed, when she first saw my photos, she deemed them “radioactive.”

Fortunately I was able to summon help from the publicists for the restaurant, who were kind enough to supply me with a few very nice photos.

It’s a good thing, too, because odd red-glow aside, Nombe is fun and most colorful, indeed. It has transported the time-honored tradition of Japanese izakaya noshing to the Mission. In Japan,  “izakaya” refers to a drinking spot that serves small plates of food. And Nombe (pronounced ‘”nom-bay) is what you would refer to someone who likes to drink. A lot.

Executive Chef Nick Balla (late of the popular O Izakaya Lounge in San Francisco) has long been fascinated with Japanese cuisine. “My Mom grew up a hippie,” he says with a laugh. “I always had miso around. I had a lot of Japanese friends. And I just like the flavors.”

He and his partners have transformed a former taqueria and diner into an eclectic spot that stays open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The black and white tile diner floor is still there, but augmented by almost Deco-like light fixtures made of recycled metal. Balla did all the renovations, himself, with his parents even lending a hand with the dry-walling.  He even made all the wooden menu boards, too.

As you look around, it’s hard to figure out just what Balla did NOT make. Umeboshi (pickled plum) and furikake (a staple used to season rice) are all made in-house. Balla also makes his own karasumi (salt-cured mullet roe) from fish his uncle in Florida sends him.

Nombe also has an extensive list of sakes, and its own sake sommelier in Gil Payne, who attended college in Japan. In fact, the restaurant will host its first sake dinner on March 18. Four different namazake sakes (fresh, unpasteurized sake) will be paired with four dishes for $45 per person. For reservations, call (415) 681-7150.

We started with a special of assorted sashimi. It was listed as 20 pieces for $34.  But since we wanted to try a lot of dishes, the chef was kind enough to make us a half-portion size of the fresh big-eye tuna, local halibut, ocean trout, New Zealand hiramasa, and tuna tartare with nori and sesame. The fish was impeccable.

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Spotlight on Scallops

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Did you know that a scallop is the only bivalve that swims?

Indeed, its flesh is almost entirely one tender muscle, which is why it’s such a favorite to eat.

To find out more interesting info on scallops, including how to choose the best ones, pick up a copy of the March issue of Coastal Living magazine for my story all about scallops.

You’ll also find my recipe for “Curry-Citrus Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallops and Crispy Shallots,” as well as another for “Scallop Skillet with Bacon, Edamame, Basil, and Creamy Grits” by contributor, David Bonom.

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One Thick, Rich Chocolate Drink and Winners of the Veggie Seeds Give-Away

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Just how thick is Taza to Go, a new chocolate beverage drink?

Put it this way: To call it hot chocolate or hot cocoa would be an injustice.

Take a sip and it’s almost like pudding in your mouth.

Just look at the thick streaks it leaves on the rim of the mug above.

Super gooey, incredibly rich and with a deep, concentrated chocolate flavor, this drinking chocolate comes in an aseptic pouch ready to be enjoyed. Serve it warm or chilled over ice. You can even drizzle it over ice cream or cake.

The pouch serves two, but after trying a sample, I’d say you could easily get more servings out of it. It’s so filling that an espresso cup-full would more than satisfy most chocoholics.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sipping hot chocolate in Spain with churros to dunk into, you’re familiar with this souped-up version of liquid chocolate. Appropriately enough, Tazo to Go is made by Valor Chocolates, a chocolatier in Spain since 1881.

A 14-ounce pouch is about $5.75, and a 32-ounce pouch is about $11.99. A 3/4 cup has 200 calories. Purchase at the Valor Chocolate site or Tienda.com.

Now, without further adieu, the winners of the Food Gal veggie seeds give-away contest, in which I asked you all to pick a fruit, vegetable or herb that was most like your personality.

I can’t tell you how many of these responses just made me chuckle in delight. But I could only pick three winners, who will each receive a load of seeds to grow lettuces and tomatoes, as well as a beautiful oval wooden cutting board — all courtesy of Cook’s Garden, a gourmet retailer of seeds. Thanks to everyone who participated in the fun. Here are the winners:

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Pie for Pi Day

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Don’t forget to reset your clocks tomorrow for springing ahead with Daylight Saving Time.

And absolutely, positively, do not forget your pie, either.

That’s because Sunday is also National Pi Day. Yes, a day to celebrate the number which is “a mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter in Euclidean space; this is the same value as the ratio of a circle’s area to the square of its radius.” Or so defines Wikipedia. Frankly, it’s been so long since my days of high school geometry that this is enough to make my head spin.

I’d much rather remember that pi equals 3.14. Or March 14 — get it?

Morton’s the Steakhouse wants to put you in the pi mode with, well, pie, of course. And Key Lime, to be exact.

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