James the Food Guy

San Francisco’s Gourmet Ghetto is Here and Now – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:02:03 +0000

San Francisco’s Gourmet Ghetto-nobody calls it that yet. Berkeley is known for it’s Gourmet Ghetto which is heavily weighted on by Chez Panisse to the east and The Cheese Board on the west on Shattuck.

San Francisco Gourmet Ghetto is alive, abundant and rising. While Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto is a first mover and yet unmoving beyond it’s heavily steeped institutions like Chez Panisse which rests solidly on Alice Waters reputation and advocacy. Eating locally was promoted here as we might expect. The Cheese Board is truly unique and it is what we might think of as being uniquely Berkeley. The Cheese Board’s testament and unfettered devotion shows a great love for this art form. Berkeley is still special and beyond the Gourmet Ghetto is the infamous Berkeley Bowl that though not technically lifts the Gourmet Ghetto’s boundaries to a much larger footprint.

San Francisco’s Gourmet Ghetto is the Mission District. The Mission District maybe thought of as only a cheap place to eat and where Taqueria’s abound. The Mission District may not seem to have such blazingly well-known institutions like Chez Panisse and that is perfectly fine. The Mission District is both a place where good food is a tradition and in subtle ways a magnet for a more artisanal expression without a lot of self-praise or a glutinous PR-spun noise. The Mission District is not the picturesque Russian and Nob Hills but a place with murals, low-key edifices, art deco, Edwardian-Victorian, and shabby shacks. It is not an immediate crowd pleaser but look closer and it has a lot to offer. And the list seems to be exploding even in these deep recessionary times.

First looking at the food markets—look at Rainbow Grocers on Division (below the Central Skyway); a local food institutions with a staff that owns the grocer—chock full of organic and natural products, bulk foods, organic fruit and vegetables, artisanal cheeses, and pre-made foods; no meat products in their offering.

Then look to pre-made food central – Bi-Rite a feeding institution to people many blocks from their 18^th Street headquarters—there are plenty of house-made baked goods, meats, charcuteries, cheese, wine, and fruit and vegetables. A beyond crowded place after 5 pm and each Saturday and Sunday. Bi-Rite founded 18 Reasons (18reasons.org) a non-profit dedicated to the food and drinkable arts—on the northeast corner of 18^th street and Guerrero Streets. 18 Reasons has classes in knife sharpening, artisan cheese producers, and the famous 18^th hour focus – 7 pm each Thursday evening—where specialty and artisanal food and wine and beer producers come to give everyone a taste.

I would say as in all things borders should be loose and fluid; when definitions are made someone will always look to break them. On the north is Division Street to the west is Dolores Street and to the south –this is a harder one to define but stretches to 30^th Street and Mission and on the east is Portrero.

San Francisco’s Gourmet Ghetto contains all of the city’s most dynamic ice houses: Bi-Rite Creamery—famous for their salted caramel ice cream, Bombay Creamery with their focus on sub-continent flavors of cardamom, rose, saffron and pistachio, Lychee, and Chai tea, down south is Xanath Ice Cream with their vanguard of glorious Mexican vanilla. There is Mitchells on that amorphous southern border is known for their tropical flavors of avocado, Macapuno (sweet coconut), and Ube (purple yam) to name a few. And on the 24^th is the ever irreverent Humphry-Slocombe with unique flavor combinations that I would have never thought of as ice cream like strawberry-Chevre, Balsamic caramel, McEvoy olive oil, salt and pepper and government cheese.

The Mission’s Mexican food is a standard serve in the Taqueria concept—someone on the opposite side building a taco, burrito, enchilada to specification. Many of the Taqueria have several locations in the Mission and beyond and are mainstay to big and inexpensive food—there are many fewer full service Mexican eateries. There are also almost all central American cuisine eateries in the area. Las Tinajas on Mission near 20 is known for Nicaraguan food; there is Salvadorian, a Yucateco, Cuban and there is overlap in several central cookeries under one roof; there are combo Mexican eateries with other central American cuisines. The infamous La Palma Mexica-tessan and 24^th Street and Florida offers staples of fresh tortillas—more than just corn and flour but many choices—that you may have to look and ponder a bit; there are beautiful chiles, Mexican and central American cheeses; the prepared foods are sumptuous and well portioned and you will see a large crew making tortillas, masa, tamales, and so fourth—a treasure for the senses. A big hit is Limon and Limon Rotisserie serving up Peruvian specials of Tacu-Tacu, Lomo Soltado, and divine Ceviches this side of Lima.

24^th Street is the true Mission and has many Panderias and produce markets. San Francisco has few bakeries—but come to the Gourmet Ghetto for daily prepared Mexican baked goods—many also have tamales to go. These bakeries get little attention for their lovely baked creations. Also on 24^th Street near Portrero is the pillow-like factory of Dyanmo donuts and their famous creation of maple and bacon donuts are better eaten then conjectured.

Tartine, Elizabeth Preuitt and Chad Roberton’s creation is always packed bakery creates artisanal quality croissant, cheese breads, flourless chocolate cakes and delicate and delightful cookies. A line is a constant here as well as gorgeous baked goods.

Italian eateries are here and the Northern style are predominate—Anne and Craig Stoll’s long-running Delfina was a first mover they have subsequently opened a pizzeria; then came Bar Bambino with their olive oil tasting, Beretta and their prized mixology, pizza and risotto, and the latest if Farina. Lucca Ravioli on Valencia and 22^nd opened every day except Sunday making delightful fresh ravioli and pasta, there is a deli case with all the best of Italian cheese and meats; they carry and large selection of pastas, olive oils, and wine.

There are simple burger places like Urban Burger with Texas toast as your bread option (as must to satisfy the salty, buttery, crispy craving you might be having); nice to have an optional onion ring, garlic fries, or sweet potato fries. Another burger joint is Burger Joint on Valencia between 19^th and 20^th Street—there is Jay’z cheesesteak and burger, and lastly Mega Mouth

For an Asian flavor there is a small Thai chain called Osha; Dosa—southern Indian, there is the Udupi Palace—vegetarian Indian, also on Valencia is Cha-Ya, a Vegetarian Japanese restaurant. There are more cafeteria-style Asian restaurants mainly on Mission Street.

For a city where there are few Greek restaurants – the Mission has Hellenic American Imports which has a more prominent signage that says “My Big Fat Greek Store” is an excellent place to go for Greek cheeses, olive oils, Greek wines and pastries. One Block west is Parea Wine Bar on Valencia Street; Parea specializes in Greek and other wines and Mediterranean foods. Medjool on Mission Street cooks North African, Middle Eastern and Southern European cuisines. Another Middle Eastern treat is Truly Mediterranean, on 16th and Valencia—for a quick and amazing Falafel or Shishkabob this micro eatery is perfect for getting your fixed fulfilled– wonderful flavors of hummus, Baba Ghannouj, made fresh.

There is the California cuisine restaurant Range on Valencia between 19 and 20^th street—infamous for their mixology; there food is well regarded—it is local, fresh and relevant. Precision preparation in an intimate setting. Chez Spencer a French restaurant on the unassuming 14^th street – just behind Rainbow grocers; Woodward’s Gardens a very small and intimate restaurant serving up a similar fare to Range. The kitchen is omnipresent but in a very ambient, almost un-assuming way.

There is the just opened Saison on Folsom Street in the mission and according to their site “tucked away in a stable” promised to be a competitor of Chez Panisse and this restaurant is what was needed to finally be able to call this area the gourmet ghetto.

There is also a trend of street foods and if City of San Francisco doesn’t get in the way this trend could be a great hallmark for it’s Gourmet Ghetto. Neary my living quarters I do see on a Friday—once a month a food tribal gathering and the chefs in the white gear saddle up to serve their fares. I ran into a bakery on wheels. This area of San Francisco has a great capacity to serve locals and just large enough to accommodate a great variety in a small space. There are no other areas as vibrant and per square ½ square mile is wonderful foods abound. For many reasons this will continue and it is the place that feels quite comfortable to many locals.

And finally an expression of a good meal is to be topped off with wondrous coffee; Philz Coffee on 24^th and Folsom started it off with Turkish and Arabic coffees hand brewed per order. Then on Valencia is Ritual Roasters with on-site roasting and French pressed coffee and a former partner started Four Barrel coffee on Valencia Street on the Northerly reaches of the San Francisco Gourmet Ghetto. Rodgers coffee tucked on 20^th Street between Mission and Valencia is an individual brewed coffee house.

San Francisco’s Gourmet Ghetto is far overdo and know there is a centrifuge of food activities—take a walking tour to get a feel; sample some foods and stay for dinner.

A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions from around the world. Read my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez –also a plethora of food and restaurant reviews – jamesthefoodguy.wordpress.com or jamestherestaurantguywordpress.com All Rights Reserved – James the Wine Guy also on Facebook.

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Central Market – Plano, TX

jamesthewineguy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:57:31 +0000

When I am in Plano I can choose between Whole Foods and Central Market. While I do like Whole Food’s private label 365 I much more enjoy the shopping experience of Central Market. The layout of the store is guided which may take more time to complete one’s shopping but this is a point of discovery. The discovery are numerous and ever changing in seasonality. I picked up recently the Maryland Blue Crab cakes and they were quite nice.

A very large beer and wine assortment and I enjoy the tastings. This past Sunday were both beer and wine tasting. I find the freshness of each section outstanding the ability to try something from almost all departments is a good way to pick up what you just enjoyed.

The cheese and deli shops are exceptionally well stocked. The finer deli meats are well selected. While I go to the bakery there are plenty of breads but the dessert pastries are fewer and I would like to see more artisanal cakes and cupcakes.

I do wish there were Central Markets elsewhere.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions from around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez –also a plethora of food and restaurant reviews – jamesthefoodguy.wordpress.com or jamestherestaurantguywordpress.com All Rights Reserved – James the Wine Guy also on Facebook.

Need Your Vote- Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:59:02 +0000

I want to ask if you haven’t done so already would you be so kind to vote for me in the Murphy Goode’s A Really Goode Job competition? I am sending this URL so that you can see my video submission and to vote:

http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=GHPaAkUXq1w

I appreciate your help in this quest – pass this to a friend. Best, James the Wine Guy

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions from around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved – James the Wine Guy also on Facebook and Twitter.

Xanath in the Physical Epicenter of San Francisco’s Ice Cream Revolution – 8.2 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:25:28 +0000

Perhaps a little later in life I will be able to settle and eat my favourite food – ice cream. Iced cream, as one C. Montgomery Burns might say, is a singular food passion of mine and always a treat–in good time and those needing some cheering up. I am in the epicenter of the San Francisco ice cream scene. There is Bi-Rite and its flagship flavour salted caramel, down south is Mitchell’s and it’s exotic tropical fruit flavour profiles and on the south east edge of San Francisco’s #Gourmet Ghetto is Humphry Slocombe in it’s no apologies flavours like peanut butter curry, olive olive and balsamic vinegar and let’s not forget Bombay Ice Creamery with it’s subcontinent flavours–rose and the never forgettable cardamom.

Xanath, since it is within feet of my domain, had been a not-to-be resisted ice creamery or at least that is what I imagined. I cycled by and did a quick u-turn. I thought what magnificent adventures for me and my palette. I tasted a few flavours and yes they were good; blueberry, chocolate, Mexican vanilla and strawberry. Very nice people scooping up the ice cream. The Mexican vanilla was the most distinct and quite nice with the Mexican vanilla bean presenting a solidly clean and subtle spice in each spoonful. The strawberry was good but no more special than say prepackaged strawberry ice cream. This ice creamery is still in the throes of opening and I do hope for combined and zesty flavors to come.

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream – San Francisco – A Wonderment in the Ice Cream Arts – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:28:43 +0000

Humphry Slocombe is not the latest British serial comedy. Instead it is a fine addition to the ice cream arts in the Bay Area. This is a culinary exercise that has paid off; their rotating ice cream menu includes andante chevre-strawberry jam, honey thyme, lychee -rose petal, peanut butter curry. Recently, I enjoyed balsamic caramel and McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil ice cream. The balsamic caramel takes a lead in my palate over Bi-Rite’s salted caramel; what is key in this unique flavor pairing is the sweet from the caramel and tart and warmth from the balsamic–this ice cream is completely successful and completely balanced. The olive oil ice cream sounds like to most ears as a strange and nearly unbelievable ice cream. This ice cream succeeds not just because of the olive oil but because the ice cream meister understood that this ingredient could pick up an additional and much more subtler flavor–citrus. There is microfined lemon citrus zest that can be seen only on almost microscope inspection.

The craft and art behind Humphry Slocombe’s ice cream is unique, bold, unapologetic but there is a true culinary approach to their offering. Humphry Slocombe is a fine addition to the Mission district’s food scene but to the Bay Area as well.

My Other Blogs – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:44:55 +0000

Visit my other blogs:

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jamesthetravelguy.wordpress.com

jamesthetechguy.wordpress.com

jamesandthecity.wordpress.com

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jamestheretailguy.wordpress.com

jamesthecustomerserviceguy.wordpress.com

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northamericanfoodproject.wordpress.com

18 Reasons – A San Francisco Non-Profit Food & Wine Tasting Place – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:28:55 +0000

18 Reasons is a palette senses opening experience; actually a complete senses delight. 18 Reasons raises a question why this hasn’t been done before—a non-profit bringing small food, wine, beer and spirits producers to highlight their products in San Francisco. 18 Reasons is a small gallery and at center stage is the large and beautiful wood table—this is where the tasting and believing begins. Come in on Thursday evening (a standing time for tasting)—check their website (www.18reasons.org) and subscribe to their email blasts for the latest in their Thursday tasting schedule and other events. It’s a come as you are—meet the artisans and meet your neighbors. It is a very gentle and lively environment to learn the beauty of each sessions focus; no big or small question goes un-answered. Walk in for a Thursday tasting – starts at 7:00 p.m. and make your donation – $5 members; $10 non-members. Memberships are $40 and you get several treats that helps to nearly pay for itself and it helps to keep this much needed non-profit available to us devoted tasters and epicurean explorers:

- Free single scoop at Bi-Rite Creamery
- Free rental at Fayes Video and Espresso Bar
- $5 off a pizza at Delfina Pizzeria
- $5 gift card to Dolores Park Cafe
- $5 gift card to Bi-Rite Market
- $5 gift card to Tartine

I could see 18 Reasons in many more neighborhoods and across the country or similar concept—I am delighted to have this in my neighborhood. Food, wine, beer and spirits is to be enjoyed by all; to be discovered by anyone who wants to learn and enjoy.

And I can’t resist to write 18 reasons about 18 Reasons here are some evocations:

1)    Friendly
2)    Welcoming
3)    Unpretentious
4)    What a wonderful homage to 17 Reasons (a once and former sign at 17 and Mission)
5)    A community table is symbolic of everyone is coming together
6)    The community table is a sign of welcoming
7)    It’s tiny and intimate
8)    It’s an art gallery; a feast for the visual senses
9)    A nice way highlight many small producers who might not have been able to demonstrate their edible and drinkable arts
10)    To learn
11)     It’s Enjoyable
12)     It’s Delicious
13)     It’s about Discovery
14)     Concept is great idea and easily translatable and transportable
15)     An inexpensive way to spend time with your friends
16) Meet some new friends and neighbors
17)     Oh so San Francisco
18)     Easily accessed

¡Buen Provecho!

James the Food Guy on Facebook

jamesthewineguy — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:53:13 +0000

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365 Organic Steak Sauce – 9.2 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:53:13 +0000

I am completely unsatisfied at the choices of steak sauce for many reasons; there are very few choices when you want a sauce that is not to thick and gummy (Xanthan gum) or corn sweeteners. And yes corn sweeteners are sweet but are not cane sugar; I avoid as a much as I can high fructose corn syrup.

Whole Foods 365 Organic Steak Sauce is well priced (I believe the retail price point was under $2.50) and the mainline brands are $4-5! Whole Foods 365 Organic Steak Sauce has a slight smokey, slightly sweet profile with a nice mild and well done spicy finish.

Peeled Snacks Go-Mango-man-go Organic – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

jamesthewineguy — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:42:29 +0000

Peeled Snacks has some very cute names for their products. I am surprised no one has trademarked them previously. This is a very nice dried fruit – there is nothing added and that what makes this a delicious and compelling product. On the finish I get that exotic spice flavor that I enjoy when I am eating a fresh mango. I love mang os but carve an afternoon of peeling and pitting this curious fruit (try pitting a mango!) and then there is the sticky factor and while I would love to have the time to do this I would like to enjoy eating something more healthful at work–this is a snack that I feel good about eating – natural, organic–a best of all–reducing guilt on a delicious food.