Bobi Adle - The Best Doggone Server I Know

A good server has an attentive eye and a “customer is always right” attitude. A good server facilitates your meal, is there when you need him to be there, and otherwise leaves you alone so you can enjoy your dinner without much interruption. A great server goes further than this. A great server has an uncanny ability to read his tables and adapt to the vibe they’re giving out. A great server understands when a table wants to be left alone, or when a table wants him to engage and liven up their meal. An exceptional server goes further than this. An exceptional server has a killer sense of humor – pushing the bounds of what’s PC in the workplace, but never offensive because, again, an exceptional server can read his audience perfectly. Bobi Adle is an exceptional server.

Actually, Bobi is the best server. Ever. Sure, there are numerous reasons to regularly return to Frances, but I find myself being less compelled to go back for the food (which, don’t get me wrong, I think is incredible), and more compelled to return for the company. I’ve always asserted that the food, and the food alone, is the most important part of the dining experience. But, Frances seems to be the sole exception to my rule: Bobi is the most important part of my dining experience.

Why do I think so highly of him? Simply, his incredible sense of humor mixed with his professionalism makes him stand out from everyone else I’ve encountered in his field. He can move seamlessly between inappropriate jokes, giving me shit, keeping an eye on all of the other tables he’s serving, and ensuring that I’m never left unattended for too long. He can maintain an authoritative presence in the dining room, a la Gerard Butler in 300, even after confessing that, for ten years, he was actively involved in Broadway-esque theater and just loves show tunes. He keeps it so casual and makes you feel so comfortable that you may not guess that most of his professional experience has been in one or two Michelin-starred restaurants. It’s these kinds of details, revealed little by little at each meal, that make him so interesting.

He is also a true chameleon, able to adapt to the different attitudes and personalities of the people he’s serving. The first time I met Bobi, he read me perfectly, understanding that a little bit of sarcasm and irreverence goes a long way with me. But after watching how he acted with the people around us, it was clear that this isn’t how he presents himself with every customer. If they want quick and attentive service, they get it. If they want to chat, but like to be serious, he’s got that. If they want to let it all hang loose and get silly, he can handle it. He can be whatever you need him to be so that you have the best experience possible, an important skill that many in the industry haven’t quite mastered.

Bobi, you, sir, have mastered the art of service and I want to say thank you for so many memorable nights. I’m so happy that Manresa noticed just how special you are, and that you’re moving on to become their new GM. A man of your caliber should be in charge of shaping the dining experience in a restaurant of Manresa’s caliber. There’s no doubt that I’ll miss our goofy nights at Frances, but neither the commute nor the cost will stop me from seeing you soon.

Follow Bobi on Twitter: @bobiwithani
Find Bobi at Manresa:
Manresa
320 Village Ln
Los Gatos, CA 95030
(408) 354-4330

Whoa 2012, slow down! It’s already December and all year, I haven’t written about the one thing that makes my life complete. That single thing that gets me out of bed every morning (seriously). This year would not be complete without posting an article (or in this case, more like a love letter) to my all-time favorite bakery, whose name any regular KelsEats visitor should know by now. Yep, you guessed it! Knead Patisserie.

Before proclaiming my love for this bakery once again, I browsed through my previous articles, wanting to ensure that I didn’t repeat anything I’ve written in the past. Although I’ve publicly given most of Shauna des Voignes’ pastries piles of compliments, there is a noticeable, gaping hole: I left one MAJOR item out of all of my writing. Therefore, I’m dedicating this piece to the #1 pastry Shauna does better than any other patisserie in the world: the croissant.

Let me preface this by reminding everyone that I lived in Paris for the better part of 2006, and was actively into the culinary scene while I was there. Additionally, since moving back to the States I’ve gone back to La Ville des Lumieres for extended vacations almost every year. What I’m trying to say here is, goddamnit, if I know about anything, I know about croissants.

Shauna’s croissant – just her simple, plain croissant – is arguably the best croissant I’ve ever tried. No no, actually there’s no argument about it: it is the best croissant I’ve ever tried. It’s incredibly buttery yet fluffy, with hundreds of layers that are soft on the inside, yet flaky and crunchy on the outside. Eating one that has just come out of the oven is like biting off a piece of heaven, but with more butter. And the best part? One croissant only weighs about five pounds, so you know you’re eating healthy when you devour the entire thing in under a minute.

And yes, I might be making a strong statement. But, I visited Paris once again this past May, and to make sure I wasn’t putting Knead’s croissant on a pedestal, I went on a mission to find the best croissant Paris had to offer. I found it. I ate it right out of the oven. It was very good. Knead’s is better.

And although a plain croissant is enough to make anyone happy, Shauna has created one particular variation that demands attention. While many other bakeries (like Tartine) offer chocolate croissants (pain au chocolat) or almond croissants, Shauna serves something I’ve never seen anywhere else: Brown butter, pecan croissants. Much like how almond croissants are filled with an almond paste, the pecan croissants at Knead Patisserie are filled with a sort of pecan paste, coarsely chopped pecans, and topped with a light, loose coat of sugar. It’s ungodly how delicious they are first thing in the morning (and by first thing, I mean around 8:30…or 11 on weekends). Seriously, eating one is clearly a sin because something so good must be evil. In this case the devil isn’t in the details, it’s in the butter, which is why I blame the devil himself for the extra 50 pounds around my hips.

I recommend Shauna’s croissants more than any other of her incredible pastries, save her epically awesome Pomme d’Amour. If you visit Knead Patisserie and see a heaping pile of freshly baked croissants, you must buy one. It’s mandatory. And if you get the chance to try one, I challenge you to find one in San Francisco that beats, or even rivals, what Shauna bakes. I’ve tried my fair share and have yet to find an equal, so I’m interested in hearing about any challengers that can step up to the plate.

Once again, Shauna my dear friend/secret worst enemy, thank you for making the world a much, much better place through your gift of baked goods…delicious, evil baked goods.

Knead Patisserie
3111 24th St
(between Folsom St & Shotwell St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
http://www.kneadpatisserie.com/

Tara Payne - Philz Coffee Barista Extraordinaire

For three years, my writing has been almost exclusively focused on food – literally taking the things I eat off of the plate, and changing them into words on paper. By doing so, I often don’t bring enough attention to the hundreds of other facets of the food industry: the dining atmosphere, larger industry discussions a la Michael Pollan, emerging new trends, or the people who make it all possible.

As I was getting my daily morning coffee from Philz, it suddenly hit me: one of the most important reasons for why I keep going back to this place, or any place for that matter, is because of the happiness I feel whenever I interact with the people working at these establishments. It’s part of what makes San Francisco feel like home; it’s like Cheers – there’s nothing better than getting a warm welcome from people who know your name…and they’re always glad you came. So right here and now, I’m starting a new series of posts that puts the spotlight on some of my favorite people in the San Francisco, and what makes them so damn awesome.

First up is the person who was my inspiration for this entire idea – my favorite barista in the whole wide world. She goes by the name Tara Payne, a barista/shift manager at the Philz Coffee on 24th Street by day, or DJ Dalle: ass-shaking expert by night. We met over a year ago when she sucked me in with how perfectly she made my coffee – a small Silken Splendor with vanilla soy. I know it seems simple enough, but let me tell you, nobody makes it as well as she does. So, I quickly started going to her exclusively (even at the risk of hurting the other baristas’ feelings), which gave me the opportunity to interact with her for a few minutes every day.

It didn’t take me long to realize that Tara doesn’t just make a damn good coffee, but that she’s also just plain cool. With two years under her belt at Philz (I believe…) she clearly works her ass off, but always goes about her business with a laid back attitude, taking the time to chat, makes jokes, and just interact with you in a real way – but only if you’re in the mood that early in the morning, of course. That’s actually one of the things I like best about her, no unnecessary chit-chat or fake morning grin and small talk when you clearly aren’t in the mood. Thank god, she gets it.

But it was my experience last week that solidified her as being one of my favorite people in SF. Let me paint the picture: I walked into Philz, saw that she was busy on the food counter, and quickly breezed by her without thinking she had noticed me. While I’m in line, she moved to a coffee station, and with room for only four cups at a time, proceeded to help the first four people in line. I was up next, but rather than wait to be called by someone else, I went to her station and asked if she could add my coffee to the list, after she was done with her other orders. Her response? “Oh I already have yours going. Don’t worry, I got you.” And the best part? As I was paying, I realized I had forgotten to tell her that I wanted a large, not the usual small. But somehow she had remembered me ordering a large the Sunday before, and already had it covered. I had a perfect, large cup of coffee in my hand before I even finished paying. She treated me like a rock star, made my morning, and I didn’t even think she knew I was there. How awesome is that?

While that morning made me especially happy, seeing her on my daily trip to Philz makes me happy every morning. It’s become such a normal part of my morning routine that I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed those few times I stop by and she’s not around. So I want to say -

Tara, thank you for being one of those special people that help make San Francisco feel like home to me. I’ll see you in the morning.

Follow Tara on Twitter: @djdallesf
Find Tara at Philz Coffee:
Philz Coffee
3101 24th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 875-9370

Spicy Chicken Bun, Two Braised Pork Buns

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Their concept is simple: make someone’s day by popping up in their neighborhood at lunch or dinner and give them a choice between five, equally mouth-watering buns. While they give you a choice between a small, steamed bun ($3.75) or a much larger, baked bun ($6.25), their normal menu selections are as follows:

- Spicy Chicken with Sesame, Pickled Carrots, Cucumber & Cilantro

- Braised Pork with Savoy Cabbage & Preserved Yellow Mustard Seeds

- Pork Belly with Turmeric Pickled Daikon & Green Shiso

- Muscovy Duck Confit Terrine, Green Papaya, Pickled Red Onions & Mint

- Crispy Miso Cured Tofu with Garlic-Tofu Mayo & Baby Choy Sum

I know, I know, they all sound awesome, right? Well guess what. They are! Luckily for me, I work right next to one of Chairman Bao’s bi-weekly, pop-up locations, and have thus had the opportunity to try the entire menu (all on steamed buns) on numerous occasions. I can testify that, no matter which magical creation you choose, there’s no way in hell you’ll be disappointed. I mean, c’mon, as much as I hate to admit it I even fell in love with the Tofu bun. As someone who tries pretty hard to distance myself from this vegetarian/vegan staple, that’s saying a lot.

While my order depends on what I’m in the mood for that day, I keep coming back to the Spicy Chicken and the Braised Pork. The chicken is always tender and dripping with fatty, spicy goodness that is perfectly offset by the sweet acidity of the pickled carrots and cucumber. Similarly, by pairing Savoy cabbage and mustard seeds with moist, braised pork in a Chinese bun, a classic flavor combination is reinvented and rejuvenated through its use in a different style of cuisine.

Finally, this review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning what is easily the crowd favorite: the Pork Belly. Dripping with flavor, this meat that many would call “cliche,” is made original by pairing it with classically oriental ingredients – daikon and shiso. A pairing that, rather than adding more fat or richness to each bite, helps to lighten the flavor.

Although when I’m in the office I’m always committed to eating a salad for lunch, Chairman Bao is the sole exception to this rule. I can’t help it – I’m powerless in the face of their magical Bao buns and consistently fail in my resolve to eat healthy. But you know what? With a Bao bun in hand, failure tastes good.

Chairman Bao
http://www.mobimunch.com/thechairman
Twitter: @chairmantruck

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

There are few places I can call home. After over seven years of living on my own, even my childhood home doesn’t quite feel like home anymore. This may sound crazy or exaggerated, but somehow, every time I walk into SPQR, it feels like I’m home. And I don’t just have a special place in my heart for the restaurant itself; for me, the feeling that the city of San Francisco is my home is intimately connected to my ties to particular restaurants, SPQR being one of the most important. After two years of interacting with the staff, being awed by Chef Matthew Accarrino, and just basically being a “regular” (well, at least for me), I can say that SPQR isn’t just an excellent restaurant, nor is it just one of my favorite restaurants in the City. It’s home.

But enough of my sappy, emotional sermon. Why don’t I just explain the reasons why this restaurant is so special? Sure, I could describe the dimly-lit, neighborhood atmosphere, or the professional-yet-incredibly-friendly service. I could certainly discuss the expertly chosen wine list, created by co-owner Shelley Lindgren, whose wine program at sister restaurant, A16, has been nominated more than once by the Beard Foundation. Of course all of these factors add to the overall experience. But, at the end of the day, what keeps me coming back for more is the food.

Because the menu is ever-changing (every week, in fact), it’s difficult to describe stand-by dishes, or even seasonal favorites. Therefore, I’ll simply describe my most recent meal at SPQR which, like every dinner here, was both exceptional and memorable.

It started with a slightly spicy, juicy bowl of fried Padron Peppers ($9), seasoned with celery salt and served with a saffron sauce – an aioli that makes you forget that it’s roughly equivalent to mayonnaise and will have you shoveling spoonfuls of sauce into your mouth before realizing what’s happened.

The Antipasti followed, staring with a house-made Terrina of Berkshire Pork ($15), laid atop a mash of crimson pluot and accompanied by pancetta-fat bread budino and wild arugula. One bite brought me back to 5ème arrondissement of Paris, alongside the quai of the Seine, enjoying a rustic picnic with good wine and close friends. Wonderfully balanced by the grassiness of the arugula and the hint of salt, this dish was an unexpected highlight.

The “Brassica” ($15) featuring fried broccoli and cauliflower, bagna cauda emulsion, white anchovy, and mustard greens followed – a delicious, tempura-like presentation of some of my favorite vegetables. This was followed by an item that I was initially hesitant about ordering: the “Ricci” made of Sea Urchin Panna Cotta ($16), cucumber, fried chickpea, amaranth, and mascarpone. Trust me, even if you’ve had bad experiences with sea urchin in the past, this dish will make you forget about them and have you asking for seconds. The strong Mediterranean/Greek flavors, brilliantly combined with the briny, locally-sourced sea urchin, will make you remember that at the height of the Roman Empire there was more to “Italian food” than just the cliché cuisine we think of today.

Finally, the Uova ($17, pictured above), a dish comprised of a Soul Food Farm egg, golden chanterelle mushrooms, house-cured bacon, garlic chive, and burgundy truffle, ended our appetizers on a high note. There’s no denying that such a mouth-watering combination of ingredients is slightly cheating, but nonetheless, it was rich, creamy, earthy, and a definite show-stopper – good enough to tempt you into licking the plate.

Our entrées began with the House-Made Pork Meatballs, served with ricotta cheese and fried sage. As I said at the time, “Eets-ah-just like ah-how mama would make-ah dee meat-ah-balls when I was only a bambino… Weeth–ah-dah pork dat ah-ees braised for eight hours, and dah ricotta, weeth-ah-dah fried sage-eh. Ahhh bellisimo!” But seriously, those were some crazy good meatballs. Good enough to make me forget about the Raviolo ($19) with trufflebert hazelnut and summer truffle I had ordered, before Chef Accarrino decided to hijack my order and send me what was clearly in my best interest.

Without a doubt, the menu item that best differentiates SPQR from most other Italian restaurants is the pasta. The Summer Corn Agnolotti ($19) that I worshipped in 2010 (ordered off of the tasting menu) was spruced up from last year, with the addition of a few squash blossoms, a slight, corn-enhancing tweak to the sauce, and a couple of small adjustments in presentation . This dish was just as good as I had remembered, and remains an all-time favorite. Finally, a newly added pasta was almost equally delectable. Although it reads rather bland on the menu, the Tortelli ($18), filled with kale and goat cheese, pine nut, ricotta salata, and sage was surprisingly tasty. Certainly not for the faint-of-salt, but delicious nonetheless.

Unfortunately, such a filling meal left no room for dessert, which is generally not something that should be skipped. Although I can’t describe a recent dessert selection, I can say that few restaurants serve dessert worthy of being noticed; even fewer can fill you up with carbohydrates and still have you reading over the dessert menu, and SPQR is one of those few.

After two years of impressing the hell out of this diner, there’s no denying that the entire kitchen crew is incredibly talented, and that Chef Accarrino’s vision and execution is legendary. I don’t hesitate to rank SPQR as one of my most highly regarded restaurants in the U.S., and certainly an all-time, San Francisco favorite. No matter who I’m with, no matter what the occasion, or what expectations I may have, SPQR delivers…every. single. time.

SPQR
1911 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 771-7779
http://www.spqrsf.com/

Beef, crispy potatoes, purslane, steamed onion, coconut foam, wasakaka

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Dear Mr. Pollo,

I owe you an apology. No, it’s not for what you might be thinking – I’ve never written unsavory remarks about you or slandered you to my friends. In fact I only had positive things to say in my previous write-up of your business. But I did make one mistake in that first review – one big mistake. I underestimated you.

See, even after publically endorsing your Pork and Cheese Arepa as one of the best I’ve ever tasted, I still wrote you off in my mind as a simple specialty shop – my go-to place when I’m in the mood for no-fuss Venezuelan cuisine. But then, one fateful night earlier this year, I finally opened my mind up enough to look past your arepas and venture into tasting menu territory. Now, after making countless return visits for your nightly-changing menu, it’s obvious that my initial perception of you was wrong. Completely, embarrassingly wrong, and for that, I’m sorry.

I’ve eaten some of the year’s most memorable dishes while crunched into one of your 12, tightly-packed seats. First of all, every soup you serve is incredible. I mean, screw Campbell’s, the next time I’m sick I’m heading straight to your door and begging you for any soup that comes from your stoves. Your Lobster Broth and Seared Scallop Soup is the first that comes to mind, as it has your signature mark of being simple in its appearance, but complex in its execution. A homemade lobster broth filled with seared bay scallop, squid a la plancha, yucca, cucumber radish, fennel frond, potato, English peas, mushroom, carrot, red onion, and fava bean is far from your average, brothy soup and overflows with flavor.

Another stand out from the dozens of dishes I’ve tried is your Confit of Baby Octopus. That night it was served with shaved fennel salad, fish eggs, parsley, burnt spring onion, garlic oil, and papitas, making an amazing balance of toasty, bitter, smoky, and salty flavors. Not to mention the protein was beautifully executed, making it one of the most tender versions of octopus I’ve tried.

More recently I was blown away on an unusual night when your main man, Manny Torres Gimenez, wasn’t behind the stoves – a credit to the talent of the newest addition to your kitchen, former Incanto resident Sean Naputi. Specifically, his Halibut Collar with sweet corn, shaved fennel, roasted eggplant, and crispy skin was especially memorable.  Of course the execution and taste were impeccable, but it was the attention to texture paired with the signature seasonality that was particularly notable.

And it’s worth repeating that, in my eyes, your Arepas are still the best in town. While the crispy pork and cheese is consistently one of my favorites, the one time when you unexpectedly swapped fried pork for insanely moist pork loin was the pinnacle of your arepa prowess. I may have initially questioned why you’d change a good thing, but after one bite there was no question that pork loin was king and I had a new menu favorite.

Manny, it’s hard to believe how much you work. I mean, I know you run the show and all, but a four course tasting menu, cooked up spur of the moment , offered for lunch and dinner, seven nights a week, plus regular trips to the farmer’s market, seems like a schedule only a culinary superhero could maintain. How you manage to stay enthusiastic, happy, and smiling behind the stoves every night is beyond me. But it’s your cheerful, easygoing demeanor that makes every person that walks into your restaurant not simply feel welcome, but like they’re a guest in your home.

You once said that your goal in opening a restaurant in that location and charging pennies for the food was to be able to feed any and every person, rich or poor, in the Mission. So finally, I want to say thank you for only charging $20 for your tasting menu. Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for serving me so much delicious food for so little money. Because of your beyond-reasonable pricing, I’ve been able to recommend Mr. Pollo to pretty much anyone looking for a good SF restaurant, treat my friends to delicious meals, and make multiple visits in a single week without worrying about how I would afford groceries before my next paycheck. In short, you’ve made your restaurant accessible for almost any occasion, and that makes you a rare gem in a city overflowing with dining options.

Thanks for everything! Your biggest fan,
Kelsey

Mr. Pollo
2823 Mission St
(between 24th St & 25th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 374-5546

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

San Francisco is obsessed with perfecting the Neapolitan pizza. Actually, a better way to say it is San Francisco is obsessed with adding their own unique twist to the most classic definition of Neapolitan pizza, instead creating variations that almost classify as the original but more closely resemble a close cousin. A16, Flour and Water, Ragazza, Delfina Pizzeria, Beretta, Una Pizza Napoletana, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, Zero Zero…the list goes on. It’s so prolific that, other than a few, well-known deep-dish pizzerias I began thinking that this was practically the only non-chain type of pizza available in this city.

My problem is that, frankly, it’s just not my favorite style of pizza. Yes, of course a panna and prosciutto pie can be magically delicious, and yes being presented with pizza menus that actually change depending on the season keeps things interesting. Hell, I’ve even been to Naples and had the real thing! And you know what? I just didn’t understand what the craze is all about. I understand that the perfect Neapolitan pizza has a special place in the hearts of many SF inhabitants, but you know what I have to say? F*** Neapolitan pizza.

Sometimes I just want a big, thick, overly-mozzarella-cheesed, greasy slice of heaven. So you can imagine my excitement to find my very own neighborhood version of Round Table Pizza just around the corner from my house in the Mission. Serrano’s Pizza serves up just what I like: incomparable slices of hot, chewy, pepperoni-covered pizza large enough to feed a small family. Actually, a large is so large that I was able to feed two people a satisfying lunch and dinner for two days straight. Of course, those two days were so spectacular that I thought, “Why stop at just two?” and kept going for a full four days in a row.

And no, I’m not ashamed.

Serrano’s Pizza
3274 21st Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-2423
(415) 695-1615
http://www.serranospizzasf.com/

After seeing the final version of my latest Culinary Trends piece on “Complimentary Beginners,” I can officially say that this article is my all-time favorite. Not surprisingly, it was also one of my more difficult pieces. Finding restaurants that offer interesting complimentary bites, and run the gamut in terms of cuisine and price was no easy task. But the final result speaks for itself!

Below is the full, unedited version. Enjoy!

Free Beginnings as a Means to an End

From casual eateries to Michelin-starred establishments, restaurants are realizing that the age of bread is coming to an end. Why? There are too many drawbacks to offering a bread basket at the beginning of the meal. First, if the bread is merely average, much of it goes to waste – a cost which can end up hurting a restaurant’s bottom line. Conversely, if a restaurant spends a lot of time ensuring that they serve the finest bread imaginable, many customers simply can’t control themselves in the face of such alluring carbohydrate. The last thing you want is for a diner to leave feeling unbearably full and uncomfortable. Finally, bread has become so commonplace that it is no longer a surprise for most diners, is not indicative of most menus, and doesn’t help prime a customer’s taste buds for what’s to come.

Although bread may be on the decline, the age of giving away a bite at the beginning of meals is far from over. Whether it’s olives, seasonal vegetables, or a composed miniature dish, a free taste to start a meal can convey a restaurant’s spirit of generosity, surprise a diner, or help satisfy a customer’s cravings as soon as they walk in the door. But what seems to be hidden by the thrill of this free gift is that a complimentary taste can also be a shrewd weapon of control. While most don’t see it in such severe terms, offering free bites can help manipulate a customer’s palate, more accurately pinpoint a diner’s specific tastes, control the pace of a meal, as well as influence how a restaurant is perceived by the customer. Who would’ve known something as small and seemingly innocent as sliced apple could have so much power?

Controlling the Customer’s Palate

One thing that all chefs agree on is that any free taste must serve a purpose, and its first purpose is to set a tone for the rest of the meal and spark a diner’s appetite. At Osteria Mozza in L.A., Chef Matt Molina greets every guest with a crostini of ricotta, olive tapenade, and a bit of basil. “We like to give them something to get their appetite going – we’re enticing them by getting their palate ready.” Even at a place as casual as Osteria Mozza’s pizzeria, this crostini is used to stimulate the palate, while at the same time leaving the diner hungry enough to enjoy a pizza – a feat that bread alone would not be able to achieve.

And although the Michelin two-star restaurant, Cyrus, may be in a different category of dining, Chef Douglas Keane uses those beginning bites in a similar fashion. “We design our canapés to highlight the five tastes: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. For example, for salty the gougères stuffed with warm fondue tends to be a crowd favorite. Or, for bitter we’ve created a sphere out of Racer 5, a local IPA beer, and pair it with orange and honey. People who experience these tastes in the beginning know what they’re going to eat for the rest of the meal.” After the taste buds have been captivated, Cyrus follows these canapés by yet another freebie, an amuse-bouche meant to cleanse the palate as well as make the diner salivate.

On the other side of the dining scale, NOPA, a casual restaurant known for the seasonality of their cuisine, serves bite-sized tastes meant to highlight something that they’re doing. Chef Laurence Jossel has been serving a new “taste” at the beginning of a meal for almost 5 ½ years. “We make organic almond butter with a slice of apple. We use a bit of crostini with house-made farmer’s cheese and herbs. We make potato chips and put a dollop of crème fraiche on them. We do things as simple as “seasons best”, or a strawberry. The general idea is go a little high acid, stimulate salivation, and make the diner hungry.”

And it’s not just by enticing the taste buds that a chef can subtly control how the rest of the meal may be received. By serving something that compliments your food, you’re also discerning what a customer will and will not like on your menu, allowing you to influence a diner’s choices. At Street in L.A. Chef Kajsa Alger serves millet puffs, what she describes as being a cross between a rice crispy treat and Indian chaat. They reflect her eclectic cuisine but also help the kitchen identify which menu items a particular customer is more likely to enjoy. “We use these things as way of talking to the customer, a way to find out what people are interested in eating. If they don’t like that beginning taste, we can find out exactly what they did or didn’t like and use that as a way of guiding the meal and steering customers in the right direction.”

Controlling the Flow of the Meal

What if a diner orders five meat-heavy dishes in a row and the crème brulée is up next? Or perhaps they’ve chosen three of the most cream-laden selections on the menu. Knowing that this is not the optimal flow of a meal, having an arsenal of complimentary bites can help combat these tricky situations and can infinitely improve a customer’s dining experience. At Michelin-starred restaurant Aziza in San Francisco, Chef Mourad Lahlou understands this hidden benefit and uses these freebies to his advantage. “Sometimes I’ll serve them to mellow out what people are eating, as a way to balance. For example, for a table that had a very meat-heavy meal, I shaved fennel over some ice and gave it to them before dessert to give their palates a break. It took a minute for them to eat it but it woke up their palates. That’s the agenda for me, to be able to control what people are eating.”

Chef Lahlou also realizes that complimentary tastes are not only a great way of controlling the flow of flavors, but also the pace of the meal. “It’s a great way, and unbelievably effective way to control the flow of the dinner. You can tease them, distract them – you can control the experience completely. It’s a decoy you can use when you’re in a jam. A customer will never be waiting 15-20 minutes for the next course.”

Controlling a Customer’s Perception

Finally, a free bite is an incredibly powerful way of controlling a diner’s perception of your restaurant. At NOPA, although the food comes from the best sources available, the names of the farms are not advertised. Dropping that taste on the table before the meal begins is an opportunity to educate the diner on where the food is coming from, and bring attention to that farm. In this way, the perception of this restaurant as a simple, casual eatery is elevated, and customers discover what this restaurant is really all about.

In Aziza’s case, starting with a savory soda made from ingredients currently in season not only sets the stage for the rest of the flavors of the meal, but as Chef Lahlou explains, “People like soda because it’s playful. It makes it less pretentious and says to the customer that we don’t’ take ourselves too seriously. We make them think we’re not too uptight.” Similarly, a jidori egg cooked sous-vide for an hour, until the yolk becomes a custard, is laid atop braised chicken legs and surrounded by a white, potato foam, envoking the idea of “putting the egg back into the chicken.” In this way, even a carefully planned, involved dish can keep a humor about itself, and a Michelin-starred restaurant can feel like home.

Similarly, Chef Keane’s recently opened Japanese steakhouse Shimo, shocks and awes by offering a simple, complimentary dessert – a clear departure from the heavy selections usually seen on a steakhouse menu. By ending on such a high, surprising note, something as simple as fresh strawberry is transformed into something that alters a diner’s perception of their entire meal. “It’s something I brought back from Japan. I love the feeling of having something small and light at the end of a meal at a steakhouse. And, their eyes light up when we say that they’re getting a complimentary dessert – it’s really unexpected.” He notes that there’s also a financial benefit to such a simple gift. “You don’t have to have a full pastry crew. At a normal restaurant there’s a menu of eight desserts. You have to prep them all, you don’t know how much you’re going to sell, and it’s optional. By doing something simple and changing it seasonally, you can affect the restaurant’s bottom line.”

Is a complimentary ending the new complimentary beginner? Chef Alger doesn’t think it’s the timing of the bite that matters. “I think that where you place it in the meal doesn’t matter as much as the customer feeling they’re having a unique dining experience. Whoever it is, we want them to feel like they’re coming out of their dinner experience feeling special, and not only special for coming here but special even in comparison to the table next to them.”

While there may be many hidden advantages to serving complimentary tastes throughout a meal, there is one obvious advantage that all chefs agree on: the conveyed sense of hospitality. As Chef Jossel eloquently states, “When you walk into a restaurant you’re a guest. You’re not a customer or a client or table 42, you’re a guest. What do you do when someone comes to your house? Of course you’re going to give them something! And, you’re not looking at your checkbook to see if you can afford it. At the end of the day, if you’re a guest, we’re going to treat you like one.”

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about one of my all-time favorite topics in food: cheese. While I may frequently tweet about my favorite cheese derivative, cheezits, or even add new entries to my cheese list on occasion, I rarely find a cheese so notable as to dedicate an entire post to its magnificence. Get ready, because today is one of those days.

Let’s be honest, everyone has a special place in their heart for slices of American cheese. Even the most prestigious chef in the country likely has some sort of fond childhood memory of coming home from school, putting a couple slices on a terrible piece of bread, heating it up in the microwave, and chowing down. Unfortunately, with age comes wisdom – the wisdom of knowing how overly processed and un-cheese-like American cheese really is; the wisdom to make the tough decisions in life and leave American cheese in the past.

Luckily for me, Bi-Rite has saved me from a life without the taste of Kraft singles by helping me discover Beemster Graskaas, a young Gouda only available during this time of the year. While this Dutch company is better known for their more aged Goudas, such as their Vlaskaas, I find the rare Graskaas, made with the cow’s milk produced by eating spring grass, to be more impressive because of its unique characteristics.

Unlike most aged Goudas, this cheese isn’t nutty, crystallized, or salty. In fact, it’s slightly sweet, but not really assertive in any definable way. There is no better way to describe its taste than saying that it is honestly just like a real slice of American cheese. The similarities are obvious: its orange hue resembles those Kraft singles but is less unnaturally neon in color; it has the same pliable texture, but rather sliced and individually packaged in plastic, it comes in a traditional, paraffin-dipped mountain wheel. And let’s not forget the most important similarity – its meltability.

Few cheeses can rival the meltability of American cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich. Graskaas not only matches American cheese’s meltability, it raises it by also being edible. I’m known by many as being a Grilled Cheese Master and, professionally speaking, I don’t think that I’ve ever made a better grilled cheese than yesterday’s masterpiece, made by shaking up my classic recipe and adding Graskaas to the mix. It was so good that I immediately rushed over to Bi-Rite to pick up three more huge slices – basically enough to last me until next season.

My advice: if you want to make the best grilled cheese sandwich of your life, get over to Bi-Rite ASAP and stock up. The Graskaas won’t be around for long.

Beemster Graskaas
http://www.beemster.us/

Cornflake Crusted Chicken Sandwich

Since returning from Europe, I’ve been…how should I say? Aggressively eating. Aggressively would probably be putting it lightly. Aggressively writing? Not so much. With all of the amazing meals I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy in the past two months, I could probably write epic articles about fancy shmancy dinners until the end of the year. But you know what? Sometimes you just have to put all of that elegance aside and write about a damn good sandwich.

Friends, family, today I want to talk about a chicken sandwich. Not just any chicken sandwich! Oh no my friends, I’m talking about 3-SUM EATS’ double patty, cornflake-crusted chicken sandwich served with old bay aioli, carrot-cabbage slaw, and of course, pickles. A sandwich stacked so high that I’m 0 for 3 on successfully getting my mouth around the entire package on that first bite. It’s a sandwich so large that for any average, sensible person, it could serve as both a satisfying lunch and dinner. Suffice to say, this is not a dainty sandwich.

But dear god is it delicious. After merely three experiences, my mouth has instinctively begun to salivate at the mere thought of this roving food truck stopping near my office at lunch. I still don’t quite understand how something so simple can have that sort of power. Maybe the secret is in the execution? Since everything is cooked to order, that cornflake crust never has the time to get soggy or soft – when eaten on the spot, it’s perfectly hot and crispy every time. A healthy helping of not-over-mayonnaised slaw combined with the acidic tang of strategically placed pickles, transforms this classic sandwich into something that will undoubtedly leave you dreaming of going back for more.

Some words of advice: don’t be misled by 3-SUM EATS’ “food truck” status, or by Ryan Scott’s Top Chef notoriety. This sandwich is in the major leagues and can go head to head with any other local favorite. Oh, and come hungry. Very hungry.

3-Sum Eats
http://www.3-sumeats.com/