The Dish: Chilled Eggplant Soup with fresh pole and shelling beans, preserved lemon, cilantro, and tomato water gelée.
The Time and Place: August 27th, 2010, Dinner in the Lounge at Coi
The Description: To say that I first tried this dish on the 27th at Coi is a bit of a lie. In fact, the first time I had it was August 9th at the Plum preview dinner at Il Cane Rosso – Chef Patterson had to step into the kitchen at the last minute and therefore brought a couple of his signature dishes along with him. Actually, the 27th wasn’t even the second time I ordered the dish; the second time I had it was as the third course of Coi’s tasting menu on August 24th – a course which proved to be my favorite of the night. What’s listed above is actually the third time in three weeks that I, again, succumbed to the soup’s advances. But there’s a reason for listing that date as the one that was truly revelatory. The night of the 24th was the first time that I was driven back to Coi by an overwhelming craving for the purity and freshness of the flavors contained in this dish; it was officially the night that a dish, a healthy, vegetable-centric dish at that, stripped me of all of my self-control and had me crawling back to Coi’s front door…Continue Reading
Tags: california cuisine, Coi, Daniel Patterson, sf examiner review
It’s no secret that I consider Chef Daniel Patterson to be one of the two best chefs in San Francisco (Matthew Accarrino of SPQR being the second), and just simply a culinary genius. Every interaction I’ve had with him has been friendly but professional, and more importantly, extremely interesting; I have no doubt that if I had the means, I would eat at Coi every week. So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard that, for a limited time only, he’d be in the kitchen at Il Cane Rosso heading up the Plum preview dinners……Continue Reading
Tags: Coi, contemporary Californian cuisine, Daniel Patterson, East Bay
Who would’ve guessed that Williams Sonoma in Union Square would evolve into a destination for food enthusiasts, like myself, to get up close and personal with all-star industry professionals? And half of the demonstrations and classes offered are free!
The following is an excerpt from my latest examiner article that goes into detail about the changes happening at Williams Sonoma, and how you can take advantage of them! To read the full article, please CLICK HERE…Continue Reading
Tags: sf examiner review, union square
That disheveled hair. That 3 o’ clock shadow that gives them a mysterious, yet inviting, appeal. That straight brow and hard stare. Is it the look of an evil genius? Is it just coincidence? Or is it something more? Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that the resemblance between Rudy Cooper, the Ice Truck Killer from Dexter, and Chef Daniel Patterson of Coi, is uncanny…Continue Reading
Tags: Coi, Daniel Patterson, SF Chefs
Those close to me know why Michael Bauer is my sworn arch-enemy, and now it’s time to tell the world. The story goes something like this…Continue Reading
Tags: michael bauer
Rating: 
If you’ve lived in the City in the last couple of years, you’ve probably heard that Flour + Water is kind of a big deal. With endless praise from local critics, a Beard nomination under its belt, and a young, good-looking executive chef (Thomas McNaughton, named one San Francisco’s Rising Stars by Star Chefs), Flour + Water has clearly built quite the reputation. Plus, it has a cool name.
The problem is, because of its reputation, this small neighborhood restaurant has quickly become one of the most popular in the City. Nowadays it’s nearly impossible to pop in for even a weekday dinner without having to wait 45-90 minutes for a table. Hell, even Steve Jobs was recently told he had to wait, or come back another time. Lacking a full bar and only offering eager diners an uncomfortable “waiting” area that holds roughly six people, waiting this long for a casual dinner frankly seems like a joke. So, no matter how good the food may be, it’s going to be hard for any diner to overcome the expectations that come along with both the hype and the wait….Continue Reading
Tags: 100 best of the bay, beard nomination, california cuisine, italian restaurant, star chefs, the mission
As if writing for my blog and Examiner wasn’t enough, I recently took on another amazing project that I just realized I haven’t shared with hardly anyone – writing for Culinary Trends Magazine! The company line is that it’s a magazine for executive chefs, so my audience is industry professionals. For me it’s extra exciting/challenging because I have to make food interesting for people who are already in the business, a task which requires far more in-depth research than my usual reviews and commentaries on food and dining experiences.
My first challenge was to comment on the current trend of using edible flowers in all sorts of cuisines – from Spanish to French to Californian, flowers have been popping up everywhere, and not just for their looks, but for their flavors. Writing this article was truly a treat for me, as I had the opportunity to talk to some truly amazing chefs, Daniel Patterson and Joshua Skenes to name a couple.
Because the magazine is only available to subscribers, you wouldn’t have had the chance to pick it up on the news stand. But, you can read my article by CLICKING HERE.
Enjoy!
Tags: california cuisine, Culinary Trends
You might think I’ve had my fill of goat’s milk in the last couple of weeks, after my widely reported goat’s milk butter binge (which, by the way, is far from over). Well my friend, you’re wrong. There’s always room for more goat’s milk in my life. Which is why, between tablespoons of butter, I’ve been able to put down a pint of goat’s milk frozen yogurt. Continue reading…
Tags: california cuisine, dessert, frozen yogurt, goat's milk
For the past two days, I’ve been thinking about one thing, and one thing only: goat’s milk butter. I kid you not (get it? Kid? Ha food puns!).
In the middle of last night, I woke up with visions of goat’s milk butter racing through my mind, and an overwhelming urge to go upstairs at 4 am, break out a cube, and dig in. And even after telling myself over and over “Kelsey, go back to sleep. Stop thinking about butter,” the idea of spreading some over just warmed La Brea bread wouldn’t get out of my head. That’s not even true. I wasn’t even thinking about spreading it on bread. I just wanted to eat it by itself…what’s become of me?…continue reading
Tags: butter, california cuisine, goat's milk
Rating:
For weeks after dining at Mario’s, a North Beach stand-by that sits on the park, I was agonizing over my decision to award it 4 or 5 stars. After much pacing, and a fair amount of blood and tears, it finally hit me: their specialty hot focaccia sandwich(es) have become the end-all be-all sandwich to which I compare all other sandwiches. In the last couple of weeks, every time I eat a sandwich (which seems to be fairly frequently at the moment), I catch myself saying, “It’s good, but it’s not as good as Mario’s.” Apparently, Mario’s has set the upper limit of my sandwich scale, and if that’s not reason enough to give this place 5 stars, I don’t know what is…
Tags: italian food, italian restaurant, North Beach, sandwiches
