Category Archives: General

Spotlighting Soft Shell Crab At Boulevard

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The star attraction of Boulevard's special soft shell crab menu.
The star attraction of Boulevard’s special soft shell crab menu.

Connoisseurs of soft shell crabs know that the time is right from now through mid-summer to enjoy this specialty shellfish.

One place to savor them in exceptional style is San Francisco’s iconic Boulevard restaurant, which is offering a special soft shell crab menu every Thursday from now through Aug. 29.

The four-course prix fixe is $119 per person (or $160.83 inclusive of 6 percent SF Mandate, 8.63 percent sales tax, and 20 percent service charge). An optional wine pairing is $65.

Because only a set number of soft shell crab menus are offered each Thursday, it pays to reserve it ahead of time. Otherwise, you take your chance as to whether any are still available when you finally sit down at your table with a view of the Bay Bridge.

An icon that will celebrate 32 years in September.
An icon that will celebrate 32 years in September.
The dining room got a refresh in 2021.
The dining room got a refresh in 2021.

I was fortunate enough to be invited in last Thursday as a guest of the restaurant to try the menu spotlighting the seasonal crab that is harvested when it has outgrown and shed its hard shell but before its new shell has hardened.

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Popping Popcorn Since 1940

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The original caramel popcorn from Johnson's Popcorn.
The original caramel popcorn from Johnson’s Popcorn.

When Netflix comes on in our household, so, too, does the burner for popping homemade popcorn.

Recent samples of Johnson’s Popcorn, though, gave us another delicious way to enjoy movie night — without even turning on the stove.

Since 1940, this company has been tantalizing customers with the smell of freshly popped caramel corn wafting from its stand at the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk.

Until 1988, it was strictly a summer business that shut down after Labor Day, when the weather would turn cold and dreary. But eventually, the company realized the demand was there to support not only a year-round business, but two more boardwalk locations, as well as a thriving mail-order business.

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In Praise of Cardamom Butter Cake

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This cardamom butter cake is made with an unusual method, and results in a tender, fluffy, and irresistible texture.
This cardamom butter cake is made with an unusual method, and results in a tender, fluffy, and irresistible texture.

When Pittsburgh-based Liana Krissoff set out to write her newest cookbook, she had herself and her daughter in mind — as well as anyone wanting to nurture an everlasting love for cooking in their children.

“In Praise of Home Cooking” (Abrams, 2023), of which I received a review copy, showcases more than 85 recipes that have not only proved formative to Krissoff’s own culinary prowess, but helped her instruct her daughter in such a way that she gained both skills and confidence along the way.

Krissoff, a recipe tester, editor, and veteran cookbook author, readily admits that some of the recipes in the book may seem basic at first glance. However, they provide not only a solid foundation, but a jumping off point to hone techniques and creativity.

That’s why you’ll find recipes for “Grilled Cheese Sandwich” (with tips on how to jazz it up with spices and kimchi or sauerkraut), “Baked Potatoes” (rubbed all over with bacon fat before going into the oven), “Basic Meatloaf with a Few Vegetables,” and “Yogurt Marinated Spiced Chicken.”

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Dining At the New Little Original Joe’s

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The Mount Midoriyama of zucchini fries at Little Original Joe's in the Marina neighborhood in San Francisco.
The Mount Midoriyama of zucchini fries at Little Original Joe’s in the Marina neighborhood in San Francisco.

When I was a kid growing up in San Francisco, it was a treat on the rare occasion that my family trekked to Daly City to dine at Westlake Joe’s.

The prices were affordable for a working-class family. The big, cushy booths added an air of specialness. And the food was both different enough from our regular fare yet familiar enough so that my Chinese American parents felt comfortable around the menu.

Those memories flashed back to me last week when I was invited in as a guest at the new Little Original Joe’s in San Francisco’s Marina district.

Located on a prominent corner spot on Chestnut Street, the restaurant is housed inside a1920s Art Deco building with soaring ceilings and tall windows that let in loads of light. The expansiveness does mean that the 100-seat dining room with 12 bar seats gets pretty noisy, which might make it difficult to hear your dining companions but definitely adds to the lively bustle of the place.

A view to the open kitchen.
A view to the open kitchen.
The Art Deco-trimmed bar.
The Art Deco-trimmed bar.

This is Italian-American fare that may not be cutting edge, but it satisfies with pure comfort and nostalgia.

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A Taste of West Africa With Ivorian Roasted Chicken

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This delicious roast chicken has its roots in the Ivory Coast.
This delicious roast chicken has its roots in the Ivory Coast.

With the searing heat we’ve been having of late, the last thing you probably want to do is crank your oven up to a blazing 500 degrees.

But hear me out.

“Ivorian Roasted Chicken” does involve roasting a spatchcocked or cut-up chicken in the oven for at least 40 minutes. But we Californians know very well that this chicken could easily be grilled, too, thereby keeping the inside of our abodes cooler. So, do keep that option in mind.

Moreover, this juicy chicken is served with a delightfully named “Moyo Sauce Goes with Everything” that’s a chunky, salsa-like sauce that’s bright, refreshing, and stars summery cherry tomatoes, making it perfect for this time of year.

Lastly, this recipe was inspired by the roasted chicken served at open-air markets in the Cote d’Ivoire, giving you a beachy taste of a place most of us have never had the pleasure of visiting.

Thankfully, Pierre Thiam shows us the way in his cookbook, “Simply West African” (Clarkson Potter, 2023), of which I received a review copy.

Thiem lives in El Cerrito with his wife Lisa Katayama, a Tokyo-born writer and the co-author of the book, and their daughter Na’ia. Raised in Senegal, he is the executive chef of Nok by Alara restaurant in Lagos, Nigeria; the chef of the Pullman Hotel in Dakar, Senegal; and the executive chef and co-owner of Teranga in New York City.

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