Author Archives: foodgal

Ofena Fits Like A Glove

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A special of porchetta to celebrate Ofena's first anniversary.
A special of porchetta to celebrate Ofena’s first anniversary.

Tim Humphrey’s Ofena restaurant is a passion project if there ever was one, filled with meaningful touchstones from his life.

Located on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco’s Lakeside Village, the building sat empty for a dozen years before the the chef-owner and his business partner, Tan Truong of San Francisco’s Ju-Ni and Handroll Project, took it over.

Named after the town in Italy from where his great-grandparents hailed before immigrating to the United States, Ofena the restaurant just celebrated its first anniversary last month. When he was 30, Humphrey took his mom to that town. After she passed away, he found her travel journals about that trip. Now, her handwriting is immortalized in the lettering for “Ofena” on the menu, as well on the neon sign on the front of the restaurant.

The script used for the restaurant's name is from the handwriting of Chef Tim Humphrey's late-mother.
The script used for the restaurant’s name is from the handwriting of Chef Tim Humphrey’s late-mother.
Executive Chef Tim Humphrey, who has cooked at a legion of well-known Northern California restaurants.
Executive Chef Tim Humphrey, who has cooked at a legion of well-known Northern California restaurants.

When you get to the dessert menu, you’ll find an especially sweet tribute to another longtime friend of Humphrey’s, a server who worked at many of his previous restaurants who passed away from leukemia. More on that later.

It’s all characteristic of the warmth you’ll find at this restaurant, which was packed last Saturday night when I was invited in as a guest of Humphrey’s.

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Understated, Utterly Delicious Caramel Slices

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A simple cookie that delivers on all levels.
A simple cookie that delivers on all levels.

Like biscotti, these cookies are baked in flattened logs of dough, then sliced after emerging from the oven.

But unlike those Italian classics, these Scandinavian beauties are baked only once and end up crispy all over and chewy at the center.

They also taste profoundly of caramel, despite being made with only white sugar and corn syrup.

And best yet, they require only a few basic ingredients.

When I started seeing people rave online about “Caramel Slices,” I knew I had to try baking them, too.

The recipe for these cookies, also known as “Kolasnittar,” is from “Scandinavian from Scratch” (Ten Speed Press, 2023) of which I received a review copy.

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Chef Carlos Altamirano Opens Eponymous Restaurant in San Francisco

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A whole fried diablo "devil fish'' at Altamirano.
A whole fried diablo “devil fish” at Altamirano.

He may already have seven restaurants in San Francisco and the East Bay, but when Chef Carlos Altamirano opened his eighth one two weeks ago, he made this one stand out that much more by anointing it with his own surname.

Altamirano debuted in San Francisco’s Nopa neighborhood to serve contemporary Peruvian fare with California sensibilities. It’s quite the achievement for the Lima-born chef who upon immigrating to San Francisco, talked his way into his first restaurant job as a dishwasher, then quickly rose to line cook.

I had an opportunity to check out the new spot when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant last week.

The entrance to the restaurant.
The entrance to the restaurant.
The large bar area.
The large bar area.

Wood warms up the restaurant with its driftwood sculptural pieces and live-edge host stand, while an angled glass wall the bisects the bar and dining room is meant to evoke an aerial view of Peru’s ancient ruins. Custom restroom doors are laser-cut with designs of Inca masks. There’s a stylish covered outdoor dining patio, too.

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Discover What’s Sure To Be Your New Favorite Cornbread — Made with Masa Harina

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Ditch the cornmeal for masa harina instead for this outstanding cornbread.
Ditch the cornmeal for masa harina instead for this outstanding cornbread.

When a craving for cornbread hit one day, Los Angeles recipe developer Jess Damuck didn’t run to the store upon realizing she was out of cornmeal. Nope, instead she reached for masa harina instead.

And in the process created the very best version of cornbread.

Moist, fluffy yet somehow crumbly, “Masa Harina Cornbread” exudes deep corn taste like there’s no tomorrow.

The recipe is from her new cookbook, “Health Nut” (Abrams), of which I received a review copy.

Don’t let the title scare you, as this isn’t a rigid cookbook filled with good-for-you recipes that aren’t necessarily the most satisfying. Instead, Damuck, a former culinary producer for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, has assembled more than 100 recipes that make use of real butter, real cheese, and whatever type of milk you prefer.

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Enter The Wild

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California bluefin tuna with ponzu and bonito at The Wild.
California bluefin tuna with ponzu and bonito at The Wild.

Something wild has happened at 201 Spear St. in San Francisco.

The space that housed Gozu restaurant for the past five years was renamed in August to The Wild.

Chef-Owner Marc Zimmerman, who also owns San Francisco’s Yokai, is still in charge. The layout of the striking, black-box dining room with seats circling the perimeter of a live-fire open kitchen is still intact. But the menu has shifted, giving him and his team, which includes Chef de Cuisine Peggy Tan and Pastry Chef Mark Lieuw, more liberties with both service and dishes. Even the libations that once touted an impressive collection of Japanese whiskies have now shifted to include many Calvados and Armagnacs.

Previously, Gozu was laser-focused on Japanese A5 Wagyu, and using every bit of that luxurious beef — from flesh to fat to bones to tendons — in uncanny ways. In contrast, The Wild’s current menu is noticeably absent of Wagyu. In fact, the restaurant’s dry-aging fridge that used to hold slabs of Wagyu now house Liberty Farms ducks.

“It feels fresh,” says Zimmerman about the change. “It gives us the ability to stretch more.”

Chef-Owner Marc Zimmerman.
Chef-Owner Marc Zimmerman.
A glass of Evening Land Seven Springs Chardonnay while taking in the view of the kitchen.
A glass of Evening Land Seven Springs Chardonnay while taking in the view of the kitchen.

Diners seem to be embracing it all, too. Zimmerman acknowledges that Gozu’s use of Wagyu in nearly every dish may have intimidated some and even turned off others. Now, The Wild has attracted more first-time diners, as well as regulars who come in twice a week for the a la carte or the $130 five-course tasting menu.

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