Thursday, September 16, 2010

Breakfast Sandwich at Boulange

La Boulange Bakery Egg and Cheese SandwichEarly morning walking through Hayes Valley in the conflicting state of breakfast or sandwich, I walked into La Boulange. From the street you could see several diners inside reading the morning paper or working remotely and people queueing for a breakfast order, coffee, or pastry to go. Relatively large numbers of patrons in one place is promising. It turns out that La Boulange is actually a chain bakery in San Francisco, but this fact did not seem to deter regular customers.

The menu on the wall had the perfect breakfast sandwich to appease cravings for an American breakfast and a sandwich. It was hard to choose when the healthier yogurt options and tempting The egg and cheese sandwich (US$7.00) comes with tomato and a choice of bacon, ham, smoked salmon, or avocado on crossaint, plain or multigrain country bread with fresh fruit. My order had bacon with multigrain bread. If only the order could have come with all the options because I would have liked to try them all (without paying extra)...at least the avocado. It was hearty, but the bread was a little on the dry side causing slight abrasion in my mouth whilst chewing. There was not enough fluffy egg to balance the dryness or the addition of avocado could have helped. As much as I enjoyed eating this breakfast with the residents of Hayes Valley, this is something to try to recreate at home.

La Boulange Bakery. 500 Hayes Street (by Octavia), San Francisco, CA 94102, United States.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Golden Boy Pizza

Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach, San FranciscoAfter a couple pints at the local North Beach dive, Northstar Cafe, a friend points out a little pizza shop and says, "They have awesome pizza there, especially after a night of drinking." Outside on a early weekday evening, the queue extended about five deep all waiting for a large square slice (or entire pie). With local beer pumping in our blood, the smell was divine, but not for that night.

San Francisco is full of steep hills and all the going up and down makes thighs burn and stomachs rumble although benefitting your gluts. It's time for a mid-day snack and break before climbing Telegraph Hill to end a day of roaming that started at 08:00. The large sign pointing to Golden Boy Pizza is like a push from divinity telling you this is where you need to go. Taking a peek in the window, there are a few large, rectangular pies to entice the passerby. The crust looks thick and apparently is made of focaccia bread. The pizzas are loaded with toppings to match the girth of the crust.

Golden Boy Pizza pesto vegetarianFrom the till, the pesto vegetarian looks the best so I get a slice of that (US$3.50). Dinner is too close to get a more filling slice with meat. The server puts the slice in the oven to heat. It seems like most of the service is geared toward take away orders as there is not much space to dine in. My pesto vegetarian comes out hot and I am allowed to sprinkle as much oregano on it as I want (also parmesan cheese and pepper flakes are available) before the server wraps it up in paper. Consuming the slice will distract from the strenous uphill walk I am about to face. On closer inspection, there is a lovely layer of pesto with tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and olives on top with the right amount of mozzarella. The vegetables are nicely roasted from the oven and not soggy. The paper was getting a little greasy, but at least not dripping in oil. It is decidedly a very California-influenced pizza, more Californian than classic Italian, but still looking really delicious and colorful. The first bite is vegetarian pizza joy. The crust was still crispy though thick, the pesto still present and not competing with either the crust and the toppings, and the vegetables tasted ripe and fresh. The slice is a bit on the heavy side and it was difficult to keep from flopping one way or another walking uphill. At least the paper managed to catch the toppings that fell off so not one shred of this pizza was left behind. The slice from Golden Boy is a great quick bite to walk away with.

Golden Boy Pizza. 542 Green Street, North Beach, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States. Telephone: +1.415.982.9738. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:30-23:30, Friday-Saturday 11:30-02:30. www.goldenboypizza.com

The Northstar Cafe. 1560 Powell Street (corner of Powell & Green), San Francisco, CA 94109, United States. Telephone: +1.415.397.0577. Hours: 13:00-02:00. Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 13:00-20:00. www.thenorthstarsf.com

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

One South Park, San Francisco originally built as a tobacco warehouse during the early part of the 20th centurySitting in the baggage claim area of San Francisco International, a lone dismantled magazine covered with tidbits of the city's offerings beckons. Having done no prior research to arrival, The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen jumps out from the rest, not only by its reasonable price but that the restaurant specializes in unique versions of the snack and meal that defined more youthful years. It is thrilling that as restaurants become more specialized, its fare must correlate to its level of specialization in order to survive (or so I would like to think). As it turns out, I was going to a San Francisco Giants baseball game the following day during the lunch hour on a rare sunny day in the packed AT&T park that made you wonder if people really worked in this city or were just playing hooky.

A rare, unusually warm sunny day walking through San Francisco toward the Giants stadium passing through South Park admiring the charm and coveting a Public bicycle en route, I finally arrive at the front of the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. The historical landmark building casts a shadow on its sidewalk dining area where airline pilots, tourists, Giants fans, and locals are lunching. There are even game day specials for drinks and organic iced tea. It is a little before noon and plenty of time to walk those few extra blocks to the stadium.

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen counter San FranciscoThe walls are decorated in grilled cheese memorabilia, the menu on black chalkboard and has an overall focus on being local, sustainable, organic, environmentally aware, and green or all things representative of the ultimate San Franciscan emanating from the cozy decor of the interior. The line was short so before I was decided, I was already talking to the woman at the till. She tells me that the owner's favorite is the Black n' Blue - gorgonzola dolce, monterey jack, roast beef, arugula, balsamic onion marmalade, and sage butter. However, this is being replaced with the regular menu item Don Gondola of provolone, sopressatta salami, pesto, and garlic butter. She tells me the Jalapeño Popper (US$9.00) is her favorite. Though not a particular fan of jalapeños and definitely not one to seek them out, I oblige to her recommendation. At first, I hesitate being so long without cheese and wondering if a bite filled with too much ooey gooey dairy would result in something the opposite of digesting. She says she can tell the kitchen to go light on the cheese, but wanting the full experience, I opt not to. I am already thinking I should have ordered the Red, White, and Blue Plate Special (US$8.00 or +$1 for sandwiches over $8.00) to try their organic house-made tomato soup with crème fraîche and croutons. The house sodas (US$3.00) sounded really appealing, but all I wanted was a taste.

American Grilled Cheese Kitchen Jalapeño PopperI sat at the counter overlooking the kitchen window where the sandwiches are apparently toasted - not grilled - and employees are quickly filling orders pouring soup or adding a couple luscious strawberries to each sandwich order. In a case of not-so-mistaken identity, it turns out Nate Pollak is one of the owners of this place, though looking somewhat different from his university years. Already impressed by the mere venture of grilled cheese, its obvious success is equally impressive. My jalapeño popper made of chèvre, monterey jack, applewood-smoked bacon, and apricot-jalapeño relish arrives in a basket lined with brown paper and the presentation is given a colorful splash from the plump California strawberry I plan to conclude my meal with. The hearty country wheat bread is perfectly toasted with a crisp layer of caramelization which also keeps the contents of the sandwich from oozing and making the bread fall apart. Each bite is incredible. There is a perfect balance of cheese, bread, bacon, and jalapeño with no one flavor or texture overwhelming the other. The jalapeño-apricot combination was surprising, balancing the heat with sweetness and bringing out the subtle nuttiness of the salty cheese. The cuts of applewood-smoked bacon were thick and gave the grilled cheese a meaty depth. Sad as it was to see the sandwich end, each bite was strategically chosen so the last bite would be the perfect one balancing all the flavors.

As I am eating, the line is growing out the door regardless of how fast these people are grilling / toasting, packing, and registering orders. Just hearing patrons order different sandwiches makes me extremely curious to dive more into the menu. Alas, another time. Already waiting in great anticipation for the next visit after crossing the Pacific in the unforeseeable future.

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. 1 South Park Avenue, Suite 103A, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States. Telephone: +1.415.243.0107. Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat 9am-3pm. www.theamericansf.com

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Cheese Shop Sandwich

After spending an extensive amount of time in Asia, cravings for a good sandwich start to magnify. Sandwiches are not showcased as a lunch-time meal (or any for that matter) so its presence and consistency is practically non-existent. The best sandwiches in Shanghai are at City Deli, better for ordering in than eating there. The turkey avocado is still outrageously priced for a standard sandwich at 68RMB (about US$10.00), but at least is large and incredibly filling.

Cheese Shop San Diego

Pleading to fellow Chowhounders on the message board, I was directed to the The Cheese Shop.

It was late in the afternoon. Promptly seated, I asked the server which sandwich he would recommend and told him to fix it however he would like it. He was surprised I let him have free range on my lunch, but seeing as he serves and sees numerous sandwiches in a day, he should know what is best. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith when the idea of the ultimate sandwich has been marred by poorly constructed ones in Asia. I got the turkey avocado on wheat with salt and vinegar chips on the side. The sandwich was packed with slices of ripe, creamy avocado and deli turkey. The untoasted wheat bread could barely contain its contents. For my personal preference, a more hearty bread could have been chosen such as the ciabatta or thick rustic (an error on the diner's part). It was one big bite of sandwich goodness. The only thing it lacked was the crispy bacon I neglected to ask for to give the sandwich an extra crunch (or bites of the salt and vinegar chips could suffice). Yum. That avocado really topped it off.

Cheese Shop San Diego turkey avocado sandwich

My friend ordered the spinach and feta cheese omelette with a side of hash browns, which was generous with the spinach and feta. The hash browns were browned nicely, not so spectacular and the omelette good for what it was. The serving was large and filling, but perhaps these eyes have been used to Asian-sized portions for a while.

Cheese Shop San Diego spinach and feta omelette

The cost of my sandwich in the States was about as much as its Shanghainese equivalent. Considering the current standards of living in the States compared to China, the City Deli sandwich is relatively overpriced however tasty it is. A return visit to the Cheese Shop is needed to try one of the Cheese Shop Grilled Cheese Sandwiches because it is, after all, a cheese shop.

The Cheese Shop. 627 4th Avenue. San Diego, CA 92101, United States. Telephone: +1.619.232.2303. Hours: Mon-Fri 7 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sat-Sun 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. www.cheeseshopdeli.com