Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’ve lived in San Francisco for the past four years, a period of time which I fondly refer to as my prime drinking years. I don’t say this to give the impression that I’m some drunken party animal, at least not all the time. I’m pointing this out because when you think about it, there’s a pretty large drinking evolution that takes places from your early to mid-twenties. For example, I used to call Blondies and Beauty Bar my favorite bars in the City. I also used to pre-party, down shots, and not know what the hell a “well drink” was. But like most people, my appreciation for good wine, thoughtful cocktails, and bars where you can move without getting mauled by some sweaty, drunk chick, has grown. Not just grown, it’s blossomed. After four years of trying the majority of this City’s most respected bars, I’m happy to say that I have a go-to spot where the cocktails are crafted and the people are adults. That bar is none other but Bar Agricole.

Within a month of opening I was hooked. With enough space to find a spot at the bar, an amazing and sizable outdoor seating area, and bathrooms that feel like palaces, it’s easy to become a fan right off the bat. Actually, before ever meeting owner/cocktail god Thad Vogler, I was already a huge fan of the various cocktail menus he had crafted for other notable bars (Beretta, Heavens Dog). After 18 months of recommending Agricole to anyone and everyone, I’m almost embarrassed that I’m only just now writing about my favorite bar in the City. So embarrassed, in fact, that the last time I visited I made a promise to myself and to Craig, Agricole’s lead bartender, that I wouldn’t allow myself to return until I had completed the task. Well damnit, I want to get a drink!

Bar Agricole represents the quintessential San Francisco bar: a stylish yet casual atmosphere (one which actually won a Beard award for best design), a solid menu focused on local, sustainable ingredients, and of course, sophisticated cocktails. While I enjoy the food, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go there primarily for the cocktails, which is why in this article I’m only focusing on their incredible bar program.

These aren’t just your standard cocktails served by run-of-the-mill bartenders just tryin to scrape by. These are cocktails that have been carefully designed by some of the finest bartenders in the industry, which is why Bar Agricole was selected as a 2012 James Beard finalist for Outstanding Bar Program. Rather than trying to recreate the wheel on every drink, bartenders here generally look towards the past for inspiration. Updating classic cocktails, or bringing forgotten ones back to life, is the backbone of many of their selections. The end result? Cocktails that are potent yet drinkable, unique in taste, and give the customer the feeling that they’re drinking something that has been crafted by an expert.

I consider this “modern urban tavern” (as they put it) part of a new breed of bars that have started to take over San Francisco – a breed that has spoiled me with such well-balanced thoughtful drinks that it’s now impossible to return to the good ol’ days when a vodka cranberry would suffice. And unlike many other notable bars, Agricole doesn’t just have a solid, but stagnant, cocktail menu. Instead, they are continually creating and testing out new drinks and often changing the menu, thereby constantly putting something different and interesting into the public’s hands. In fact, while signature cocktails like the Presidente or Ti Punch never leave the menu, every time I’ve dropped by there’s always been something new to try.

Being a gin kinda gal, my go-to cocktail of late has been the Monkey Gland. I mean, with a name that sexy who wouldn’t want it? It’s made with gin, citrus, absinthe, and grenadine and served the cutest darn tulip goblet you’ve ever seen! But don’t let the size fool you, this drink is small but powerful. Other favorites include the Long Rhum Buck and a classic Manhattan.

Cocktails of this caliber always help remind me that even with the same, simple ingredients, making amazing cocktails is a difficult thing to get right, and that it’s places like Bar Agricole that are raising the bar on quality cocktails at a national level.

Bar Agricole
355 11th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 355-9400
http://www.baragricole.com/

Survey: raise your hand if you’ve ever ordered French Onion Soup from a restaurant envisioning a bowl of richly flavored broth, filling the room with the smell of caramelized onion, and topped with all the Gruyere your little heart could desire. Now raise your hand if, instead of a bowl of ambrosia, you received the equivalent of a slightly more aromatic chicken stock topped with a few sad, half-melted strands of pre-grated Safeway Swiss, alongside a chunk of day-too-old baguette. If you associate French Onion Soup with chain cafés, believing that this is a quintessential example of this dish, you probably haven’t been super motivated to attempt it on your own (sorry Panera Bread). Or maybe you’ve never thought of it because, frankly, it just doesn’t sound that interesting – I mean it is just onion, bread, and cheese in a simple stock, right? Wrong.

Anyone out there who has been lucky enough to spend some time in France knows that this simple soup can be one of the most flavorful, dynamic, welcoming dishes on any menu. Just like how many Americans view chicken noodle soup or hearty stews as warm reminders of home, French Onion Soup reminds me of the comfort of a warm bistro in Paris on a cold winter’s day. While living in Paris, I scoured my quartier in search of the best French Onion Soup, and I thought I had found it in a brasserie near Place Saint Michel. I thought that, until I went back home to Sacramento and watched my mom school those Parisien chefs. BOOM!

Actually, I must give credit where credit is due. My mom’s recipe is actually a page out of a Julia Child cookbook, who we all know learned everything she wrote about from none other but the French. So, you can imagine my excitement upon returning to the States only to find I could eat one of my favorite dishes whenever I told my mom to hurry up and make me a sandwich…er I mean, a bowl of onion soup. But unlike other moms that only see their beloved daughter during occasional visits and bend over backwards to satisfy any and all dining demands, mine doesn’t really respond well to me barking orders as soon as I grace my family with my presence. So, she usually saves this dish for special occasions. What I’m trying to say here is that I realized early on, if I wanted this soup, I was going to have to make it myself.

And that’s exactly what I did. Now, it’s a part of my repertoire, and it’s good…real good. And it’s not because of some culinary prowess inherent inside of me that this dish is consistently just so…well…just so perfect. It’s really because even a pigeon could probably follow the instructions and have it come out as it should. NOTE: It can take a considerable amount of time to execute (~3 hours), so give yourself some time. Otherwise, this is a classic, delicious example of French Onion Soup that’s perfect when it’s just you, a blanket, and Bravo, or when you’re entertaining a group of friends.

Julia’s French Onion Soup

(Paraphrased from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child et al, Volume I, “Soupe a l’Oignon Gratinee”)

Serves 4-6
5 C yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 1-1/2 lb)
3 T butter
1 T oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
3 T flour
2 qts boiling brown stock or canned beef bouillon
1/2 C dry white wine or vermouth
salt, and pepper to taste
1 French baguette, cut in 3/4″ thick rounds (My mom uses sourdough bread cut in large cubes, generally a LaBrea sourdough oval baked fresh daily at Costco)
olive oil
3 Tb cognac
1-2 cups Swiss cheese or Gruyere shredded, and 2 oz cut into chunks
1 Tb grated raw onion
1 Tb of olive oil or melted butter

Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in a heavy covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Add the salt and sugar, raise the heat to moderate and cook 30 – 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a deep golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat.

In a separate pot, bring the stock or bouillon to a boil. Blend mixture into the onions. Add wine, season to taste, and simmer partially covered 30 – 40 minutes, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning. If not served immediately, return to a simmer before serving.

While soup simmers bake the bread rounds on a baking sheet in a preheated 350º oven about 30 minutes, till hard and lightly browned, basting them with olive oil after 15 minutes, and then turning them and basting the other side. When baking is completed, rub each piece with a cut piece of the garlic.
I cube the sourdough and baste with olive oil, then toast in the oven. When you pull them out, I hand rub garlic clove around each cube.

When the stock and bread are prepared, add the cognac to the stock and pour soup into individual oven proof bowls. Add a few chunks of cheese and grated onion to each bowl. Top with golden bread rounds (or bread cubes) and sprinkle with the grated cheese and Oil or butter (Julia loves her butter, but I cut the extra oil out).

Lower heat to 325 and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Brown under the broiler if necessary.

Serve immediately. But be careful! It will be hot like lava for awhile after it comes out of the oven, and someone is bound to burn their tongue, so I usually allow the bowls to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

If you try this recipe from home, drop me a line and let me know how it turns out!

I’ve lived in the Mission for over three years now, and for whatever reason, last night it hit me: for the number of restaurants the Mission has to offer, it’s shocking that an amazing sandwich shop, specifically one that stays open past lunch, is almost non-existent. Peruvian food? No problem! Indian food? The city’s best is just a few blocks away! Japanese food? Yakitori or vegetarian, take your pick! Italian food? Obviously. But a killer, simple sandwich? Somehow that has almost slipped through the cracks. Almost…

Enter Jump Start Coffee and Grocery. To the untrained eye, Jump Start looks like your typical corner store, but for neighborhood locals it’s their go-to place for super-sized, delicious deli sandwiches. Although the selection doesn’t quite rival Ike’s 3 million options, there is enough variety to find exactly what you’re looking for. My go-to sandwich? The #4. A towering creation made of turkey, avocado, bacon, and ranch dressing on your choice of bread (and yes, they do have dutch crunch). I stick to their soft sourdough and like to make it a bit *cough* healthier *cough* with the addition of mayonnaise, melted provolone, and lettuce.

You may be thinking, “What’s so special about that? Seems like a fairly standard turkey sandwich.” Let me assure you that this is infinitely better than your run of the mill, lunch-box turkey and cheese. It’s more like the kind of sandwich that is so packed with everything awesome, you’re forced to sit there and look at it for about a minute, from all angles, contemplating how you’re going to get your mouth around it. Allow me to try and break the awesome down.

First, let’s talk about bread-to-meat ratio. As I’ve previously mentioned in my writing, having the right ratio is the foundation of any superior sandwich. We all know that 90% of (non-gourmet) sandwiches are rather stingy with their meats and are served on a roll or baguette that is roughly twice the amount of bread you actually need. Jump Start doesn’t do this. On my last order I counted four layers of juicy turkey smashed between thickly sliced wedges of avocado, melted cheese that covered the meat in its entirety, and thick pieces of to-die-for bacon. Stingy? Ha! Don’t make me laugh.

Second: obviously the bacon helps. But after one bite you know that this bacon is not your standard microwaved piece of rubber. I hate to sound so cliche, but it’s true, the bacon really sets this sandwich apart. It’s because Peter, the owner of Jump Start and an obvious genius, buys real, uncooked bacon and cooks it fresh every day. But because it takes awhile to fry up bacon to order at a sandwich shop, they actually don’t cook it on the spot, they bake it until it’s not quite finished and then heat it up when ordered. By doing this, it keeps it quick and juicy…just how I like it. That, my friend, is their secret sauce and the reason that I order the #4 at least once every week…at least.

Knowing that such a wondrous sandwich exists, is only $8, is large enough to satisfy my hunger for both lunch and dinner, and is a mere 2 1/2 blocks from my home, how can I resist? Clearly, I can’t. And you shouldn’t either.

Jump Start Coffee and Grocery
1192 Guerrero St
(between 24th St & Elizabeth St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 642-7555
http://jumpstartcoffee.me/

To all of the cupcake fanatics out there, who have been anxiously awaiting part 2 of my epic cupcake saga, you can now leave all of those sleepless nights behind and breathe a sigh of relief. The time has arrived to reveal the West Coast rival to Magnolia Bakery. A bakery that not only rivals Magnolia, it may even surpass it. If you didn’t already guess it’s name from the glaringly obvious hint located within this article’s title, then it’s time for the big reveal. The answer to all of my cupcake hopes and dreams is a little shop aptly named Sibby’s Cupcakery.

That’s right. You heard me. It’s not just some run-of-the-mill bakery. Oh no! It’s a cupcakery my friend, specializing in the ancient art of baking tiny, hand-held cakes and painting them with frosting in ways Monet, Matisse, Degas, and Cezannne could have only dreamed of. Okay, maybe I’m slightly exaggerating, but some of the frosted designs are actually quite beautiful.

And what better location for such a chic, artisan shop than smack dab in the middle of San Mateo. Yes, San Mateo, a city known for its tight-knit art community and public libraries is home to one of the Bay Area’s most impressive hidden gems. In fact, Sibby’s Cupcakery is hidden even more by the fact that they do not have a retail storefront – orders are made on the phone or online and, if delivery is waived, pick-ups are by appointment only.

Sibby’s is a magical place whose online store, where the browsing, gawking, and drooling happens, has more types of cupcakes and frosting than you can wrap your mind around. It would take months, not to mention access to a trust fund and some pants with an elastic waistband, to try them all. The variety makes it so you’re not just getting a super-sugary, buttercream cupcake all the time. The cakes are moist and generally have a fairly dense texture, while the frostings are not overly sweet or waxy, complimenting the different cakes perfectly. My all-time favorites are the carrot cinnamon with cream cheese frosting and the buttercup (a classic Vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting). But if a Coconut Snowball, Red Velvet, Snickerdoodle, or Lemon Drop are more your pace, Sibby’s has you covered.

There’s only one downside: there’s a minimum order and a delivery fee. The minimum order is 1 dozen regular size ($39 per dozen) or 2 dozen minis ($24 per dozen) for delivery (a $25 fee, servicing the cities of San Francisco and Sunnyvale), or a half dozen regular size or 1 dozen minis for pick-up. So, while regular purchases may get costly, Sibby’s is the perfect idea for a surprise treat or office birthday party! Although, I have been known to induldge for no reason in the past.

So now that the cat’s out of the bag, there’s no longer any reason to hit up the message boards on Chow, Yelp, or Quora searching for answers to that familiar question, “Who has the best cupcakes in the Bay Area?” All you need to remember is one simple name: Sibby’s.

Sibby’s Cupcakery
716 South Railroad Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
(415) 613-4373
http://www.sibbyscupcakery.com/

First, a bit of history. 2007 marked the first time that I visited New York City with a single, clear mission: eat the entire city. Seeing as how that was slightly unrealistic, I focused on finding anything in the New York food scene that, at that time, could not easily be found in the Bay Area. This meant two things: grand, luxurious, metropolitan fine dining, and cupcakes. At the time I thought the latter sounded just as silly as it does in that last sentence, but thanks to my little obsession with SNL’s Digital Short “Lazy Sunday,” I had to see what all the fuss was about. And I knew where I needed to go: Magnolia Bakery.

When I saw the line that pushed outside the door and wrapped around the corner, I thought to myself, “This is a joke. It’s just a goddamn cupcake.” I envisioned local New Yorkers watching the fanfare and laughing at all of us silly tourists. But I put my tourist shame aside and took my spot at the end of the line. After the “bouncer” out front, tasked with directing traffic in and out of the tiny bakery, gave me the green light to enter, I hurried inside and ordered two cupcakes.

I kept it classic: vanilla with chocolate buttercream frosting, and chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting. Despite my initial reservations, after one bite everything clicked. These were not the dry, over-frosted cupcakes I’d gotten to know so well at Costco-supplied birthday parties. These were…artisan.

The use of buttercream should’ve given it away, as I’ve had plenty of experience making it for my world famous “Chocolate-dipped, chocolate-covered, Almond Macaron” recipe. Maintaining such a velvety consistency and keeping it from melting in that hot, closet of a bakery is impressive just in itself. I also realized that because they sell so fast, they’re constantly baking fresh batches at all hours of the day, and there’s no denying that when done right an out-of-the-oven baked good is 50 times better than one that’s been left on the shelf. New York City’s obsession with cupcakes wasn’t just something that had been championed by out-of-towners following the recommendations of “how to be cool in NYC” guide-books. Sure it was a bit pretentious, but the cupcake craze, with Magnolia at its center, happened because those cupcakes are f!@%&ing delicious.

I immediately went back to consume 10,000 more calories.

(A quick side-note to my story: The dessert-centric media has officially declared that the reign of the cupcake is over – I assume some national summit was held and a consensus was reached to retire the cupcake as the nation’s dessert du jour. Now new trends are taking the spotlight: interpretations on childhood classics like milk and cookies, smores, marshmallows, and doughnuts, as well as “mini desserts.” Apparently, mini cupcakes qualify as being on-trend, but watch out! More than a single bite would be considered gauche by those “in the know.” Despite the cupcake’s decline in popularity, in the six trips I’ve made to NYC since 2007, I’ve never missed a trip to Magnolia Bakery. At the end of the day they may not be the current food fad, but you know what? Those cupcakes are just as delicious as ever.)

For months after that first visit, I believed that Magnolia bakery was the end-all-be-all of cupcake excellence, and after trying a handful of different cupcakes in the Bay Area, I thought I’d have to travel 3,000 miles if I ever wanted to experience the magic again. But thanks to a brief internship at Yelp, I learned that cupcakes of Magnolia’s caliber exist in the Bay Area, you just have to know where to find them…Continue to Cupcakes Part 2

Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St
New York, NY
(212) 462-2572
http://www.magnoliabakery.com/home.php

Grilled Quail, wheat berries, turnips, salsify, mustard jus

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh…..That’s me, breathing a sigh of relief. After many months of somewhat lackluster meals, meals which led me to depend on my all-time favorite restaurants to get me through the holidays, I finally stumbled into a dining experience that revived me from the dining dead. Thank you Local Mission Eatery for reminding me how exciting even a casual weekday meal can be when the menu is thoughtful, the ingredients are fresh and well-sourced, and every plate is perfectly executed. At last, I’ve found the motivation to write!

I would never have guessed that this restaurant, just blocks from my house, one which I go to literally every day of the week (in order to get my Knead fix) and have visited numerous times for lunch, would have provided the spark I needed to get out of my dining rut. After being lured inside by a menu that promised a healthier alternative to my Serrano’s pizza addiction, I dropped in early on a Wednesday night expecting a solid meal. But what I got wasn’t solid. It blew solid out of the water.

Crab & Carrot Salad, blood orange, fennel, citrus gastrique

The magic began with a simple, well-composed salad of Crab and Carrot, accompanied by blood orange (both sliced and pureed with carrot), shaved fennel, chervil, and a bright blood orange gastrique. It was uncluttered, uncomplicated, and clean. “Fresh” dripped from the plate and every component of the dish had the room to show off its natural flavor without being driven off of your palate by competing, overbearing ingredients. For such a nonchalant dish, I was especially taken by the attention placed on contrasting textures: crunchy carrot and shaved fennel, firm but juicy slivers of blood orange, and soft, chewy crab whose characteristics were enhanced by the creamy underbelly of the blood orange and carrot puree.

Up next was a soup that must’ve been created with me in mind. I’m not sure how the kitchen knew about my predilection for root vegetable purees with earthy, subtly sweet undertones. But, someone must’ve gotten word because the Celery Root Soup was right on the money. Pioppini and Golden Chanterelles – two of my favorites? Tiny bites of sweet Mizuna kumquat? And a nettle puree?! Well mister, you’ve got yourself quite the dish. The firm bite of the mushrooms held up nicely to the thick body of the puree and grounded the sweet, grassy flavors of the other ingredients. Although I can be a bit picky about soup, it totally hit my soup spot and after one bite I had already decided to return the following night to have it again…and that’s exactly what I did. The good news: it wasn’t just some strange craving for soup that made me fall in love with it that first night. It was just as good the second time around.

But the soup wasn’t the only dish I ordered twice – the Polenta Cooked in Whey also made an encore appearance. Look I’m just going to say it, I’m not really a fan of polenta. Never have been. I’ve always thought of it like a bland, corny bowl of mush that wasn’t worth all those carbs. Well, now I know it’s not polenta’s fault, I had just never had a deeply flavorful, creamy bowl of corn mush before. At Local Mission Eatery the polenta is cooked in the whey yielded during the process of making their house-made ricotta cheese, a technique that adds an unmistakable richness to the dish. Combined with a perfectly poached farm egg, goat gouda, smoked braised beet greens and onions, and a healthy dollop of their exceptionally light and creamy ricotta cheese, a generally dull dish is transformed into a show stopper. I didn’t just enjoy it, I inhaled it. In the face of that damn bowl of mush, vacuum cleaners got nothin on me.

Polenta Cooked in Whey, poached farm egg, goat gouda, smoked braised greens, ricotta

Finally, although I’m aware that the length of this review rivals that of my senior thesis, I can’t leave out the meat of this article. No seriously, the meats that were served as the main entrees for my two meals, the Braised Pork Shoulder and the Grilled Quail, are worth noting. The Braised Pork Shoulder, served with apples, cabbage, herb roasted potatoes, and boudin noir, was so tender and moist it literally melted off in pieces the second it was touched by the tips of my fork. Talk about comfort food! I almost changed into sweatpants on the spot. And the Grilled Quail, paired with wheat berries, turnips, salsify, and mustard jus, was perfectly executed. Grilling poultry may sound simple, but cooking it so that this small bird maintains its moisture while all of that good, dry, smokey flavor from the grill is extracted and stored in the meat isn’t as easy as it looks. Luckily the chefs know what they’re doing, because it’s that deep grill flavor that punches up the somewhat dull taste of quail and penetrates through every bite.

The menu is constantly evolving with the season, so everything I just described will probably be completely out-of-date in a week or two, maybe even a few days. But, after two excellent, back-to-back dinners I can be sure of two things:

1) No matter what’s on the menu, the ingredients will be fresh, carefully selected, and prepared in a way that allows their natural flavors to shine. So there’s clearly no need to question how a new dish is going to taste…it’s going to be delicious.

2) That said, as long as that soup and polenta are still on the menu, I need to cancel all of my dinner plans and have a nightly date with Local Mission Eatery. Just me, the counter, and a couple bowls of hot root vegetable puree and corn mush. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

Local Mission Eatery
3111 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 655-3422
http://www.localmissioneatery.com/

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