Camino Royale

I've never seriously contemplated living in the East Bay, but for the first time I thought I could actually consider it if I were able to live around the corner from Camino.

For awhile now, I've been drawn to smaller dining venues, but the wide open space at Camino won me over with its stunning simplicity and the incredible attention to detail. Absolutely everything here is done with an artful eye, including the kitchen--which is open to the dining room.


Everywhere I looked--from the bar at the front to the kitchen at the back --there were large bowls and platters of gorgeous produce, beautifully arranged. To me, it was the best testament to the food I was about to be served, which was perfectly executed, simply and enticingly plated and phenomenally delicious. Honestly, after surveying the room and seeing the concise, brief and perfectly seasonal menu, they had me. That they had a cardoon salad, just punctuated my instant infatuation with an exclamation mark!

Then there's this egg stand at the kitchen station which knocked me out.


The bread station was stylishly stacked on a lovely antique sideboard.


and came to the table on gorgeous wooden boards (extra points for the epis!)


Our entire group felt welcome and well cared for from beginning to end and found every member of the staff reflecting the same friendly and welcoming air as Allison, one of the owners, who was there and greeted us with a welcoming smile (and wonderful sense of humor).

Maybe Just One More...

Velvet da Vinci is, hands-down, the most brilliant jewelry/sculpture gallery I know. The owners, Elizabeth Shyppert and Mike Holmes, have been culling and curating their fantastic shows since before I lived around the corner from their original store in Hayes Valley (which was long before that strip of Hayes Valley was a tony address).

Being a lover of all things sweet, the donut & profiterole display in the window of the gallery caught my eye right away and made me smile outloud. So I walked in to see what else was in store for me and found a super-smart, fun show by artist Lynn Christiansen.

I found chess sets of Chocolate vs. Vanilla

















and Good vs. Evil (it's up to you to decide which side of the board - Fruits & Veggies vs. Sweets & Fries - is good and which is evil). Then there are the profiteroles on the wall, & truffle bracelets and brassieres adorned with 'good' and 'evil' --again, depending on your personal definition.


and huge donut bangles!


If you can relate to the artist's statement (below) and you're in San Francisco, the show is up through Sunday. Enjoy!

Food is my obsession. My heart races, all senses heightened as I stand in a bakery or chocolate shop enveloped by the sublime smells, the exquisite beauty of assorted truffles and pastries, the anticipation of the perfect cupcake. Pure joy!

Food is my obsession. My earliest and my most vivid memories are centered on food. A dropped ice cream cone, a butterscotch candy pulled from my grandfather's pocket, the ultimate warm cinnamon bun. First comes the memory I can taste… the perfect chocolate cake … then comes the who, where and when.

Food is my obsession. Just one more … one too many.

Food is my obsession. I wear what I eat ... both in my body and on my body. To be surrounded by truffles, pastries, ice cream … pure joy!

-- Lynn Christiansen

LA-la Land

courtesy of Google Maps

I’m finally getting around to posting some bits from my whirlwind time in LA where I visited some old standby's and discovered new ones. I can be a little cynical when it comes to LA, but somehow she continues to surprise me in new and exciting ways. For example, when I think of strip malls, I don’t typically equate them to good food. But in LA, some of my favorite eats are tucked away in these unlikely food meccas.

Noodles


In a strip mall on Sunset Blvd in Silverlake, where the big Escrow office sign is the best landmark, I hit my favorite Vietnamese noodle joint, Pho Cafe. There’s definitely no website for this place and you won’t even find a sign apart from the numbers above the door at 2841 W Sunset Blvd. It’s a sleek, stylish, no nonsense interior with bright orange chairs and fab Italian light fixtures. There’s something fresh and inviting about the space.

I’ve not ventured beyond the pho into the pretty broad menu, so I can only vouch for the noodles and the Vietnamese coffee, which are both fab-u-lous-ly flavor packed and authentic. And it’s inexpensive, the way pho should be. So when you learn they only accept cash, you can know that 20-spot in your wallet will go a long way.

Viva La Cocina Mexicana

An LA food stylist friend of mine took me to one of her favorite spots in Long Beach (which is not LA proper, but is still LA county so counts in my book). It’s called Enrique’s and is in a strip mall on the corner of Pacific Coast Hwy and Loynes Dr., just down the road from where I grew up. I ordered the grilled fish tacos which were fresh and tasty. But the best thing Enrique's serves isn’t listed on the menu. Lucky for me, I was with a local who knew to order the slow- braised pork shank bathed in a dreamy tomatillo cream sauce. As you can imagine, the dish is far from pretty but, seriously, it’s one of the most tender and flavorful hunks of braised pork I’ve ever tasted.

An added bonus to the strip mall location is an amenity I’ve learned to appreciate as a car-driving San Franciscan: ample, easy and free parking.

Chez Mes Amis & Berolina Bakery

I was one lucky gal on this crazy trip that had me staying with a few different generous friends and driving to the far reaches of LA for work each day (seriously, for those who know LA, I was trekking from South Pasadena to Malibu to Palos Verdes). The first night, I was treated to fantastic, home-cooked Japanese food whipped up by my most fabulous fashionista/foodie/all-around creative and in-the-know friend from way back in my undergrad days at UCLA. It’s fitting she and I met at a dinner party as we’ve continued to share good food together over the years, and she never ceases to inspire me with her creativity in the kitchen.


The next night, I was treated to another incredible dinner by the most extraordinary stay-at-home dad I know who is also a fantastic and creative cook. He fed us a luscious feast at this beautiful table in his and his wife’s gorgeous home. Not only does this couple have phenomenal taste, their home is blissfully free of visual clutter. And they have two young kids. I don't know how they do it!


My friend, the cook of fab Japanese Dinner #1, came over to join us for fab Dinner #2 and brought a berry almond cake from a quaint little European bakery in Glendale that reminds me of the one my mother used to frequent when I was a kid. The almond cake from Berolina Bakery was a luscious, flavorful torte with a velvety texture. Mmmm! The next morning, my friends and I had it with our morning tea at the crack of dawn as they were getting their kids ready for school and I was preparing to head out into the perils of LA traffic. Who needs coffee when you can start the day with sugar!

Spring Ski-eat-ing

After hearing Utah ski resorts had gotten something like 14’ of snow in 14 days, I decided to take advantage of a day off and booked a flight for a long weekend of skiing. Some friends were kind enough to share extra ski passes to Deer Valley, so I’ve spent the past couple days enjoying the gorgeous weather and some fairly decent, end-of-season Spring skiing.


I’m used to getting my ski on around Tahoe which has some nice facilities, but doesn’t quite hit the same high note as I’ve experienced here at Deer Valley. For example, for lunch the first day I was served this lovely king crab tower at The Mariposa. It was beautifully plated and hit every tastebud just right. The wine list also offered a good selection by the glass (I do believe in drinking responsibly). It felt so civilized to sit at a table with non-disposable utensils, cloth napkins and to be served by friendly and professional staff. There’s certainly a bit of a premium one pays in dining here, but surprisingly, the tab was only a few bills more than I typically fork over for a tepid bowl of mediocre soup, a dehydrated salad and bottle of water that I cart myself on a plastic cafeteria tray to a formica table. Who knows the reason behind it (my hunch is, well, age), but I’m finding the days of packing my lunch and skiing from opening chair to closing run just don’t hold the same charm and appeal.

Happy Easter

After helping a friend play Easter Bunny last night, I hopped out of bed this morning to another glorious day on the slopes. A couple inches of powder overnight and just enough chill to keep it crisp til the afternoon made for a perfect last day of the season.


After wading past these tables set for a private Easter party, my friends and I parked ourselves on the deck of Stein Eriksen Lodge for lunch.


I couldn’t pass up trying the wagu corned beef and Emental cheese sandwich. I'd never had a wagu corned beef and had pretty high expectations. I have to say, those expectations were not only met, but exceeded. The meat just melted in my mouth, the pairing with Emental was fan-tastic and the spiraled rye was a very nice touch. That sammie served with hand cut fries (and a cloth napkin, once again) was just my kinda ski lodge lunch to linger over on a sunny Spring day.


One friend in our group was nursing the aftermath of the previous night’s celebrations and ordered a bloody beer [for the uninitiated (a group I belonged to until today), its a mixture of half tomato juice and half beer]. I don't really dig tomato juice, so it’s not something that would even cross my mind to order. But the color was absolutely stunning.

All around it was a stellar day. Happy Easter, Everyone!

NYC Smiles

It’s been a whirlwind the past coupla weeks, so I’ve got a backlog of discoveries to share from NY and LA. I had about 16 hours to unpack from my NY gigs and repack for my LA job--then hit the road running again. Now that I have a chance to sit down (collapse, actually) for a moment, I’ll start with parsing out my NY adventures in the E. Village and LES.

Taste-ful Shopping

A foodie and fashionista friend turned me on to what is my favorite new find of the moment: The Smile on Bond St between Lafayette and Bowery. It’s a groovy combo of café slash gift emporium that's fresh on the scene (about two and a half weeks, at this point). When I arrived in the late afternoon, the kitchen was closed for the day, so I ordered a Mariage Frères Marco Polo tea. You’ve gotta love a place that actually offers Marco Polo tea, stamps it’s to-go cups with sweet little logos and serves up a chocolate and brie sandwich.


The gift offerings include the ever classic Santa Maria Novella wares, Mariage Frères teas, and super-hip Wool and the Gang knitting kits. I can already tell The Smile will be a frequent stop for me on future visits.

Cocktails

How can one not be smitten with a venue that’s at the end of an alleyway? Somehow, I’d not yet discovered Freemans til this trip. The interior is something like a cross between a hunting cabin and a natural history museum with antlers on the wall of the dining room and dioramas behind the bar.



Freemans has terrific cocktails and the bartender offers a good show. But be warned, you might just get a cocktail shower while he’s shaking it up. I was offered the quip, ‘it’s sometimes a little like Sea World up here.’ Next time I sit at the bar, I'll be sure to wear my raincoat.

Pizza

Since I was staying on the Lower East Side this trip, I explored the area a little more indepth than usual. I’d heard about a new wood fired pizza place called San Marzano, adjacent to the former 71 Clinton Fresh Food (Wylie Dufresne’s fab little resto before the days of wd~50). On a Tuesday night at 9 pm, the place was hoppin’. Here’s why: the folks at San Marzano could not be nicer and the pizza is spot on. Until they get their wine license, it’s byob (no corkage) when dining in. You can also get slices to go. All with a friendly smile and no attitude – go figure!

Pork

I revisited Porchetta, where you can get a kick*ss pork sandwich with a side of pork fat flavored potatoes and tasty greens (in both cooked and salad form). I love this little spot with its perfectly suited old-fashioned black and white tile walls and flooring, wooden stools and countertops and big pig stencil painted on the wall.


You can smell the incredible aroma of the pork roasting from down the block and it’s everything it promises to be.

Cupcakes

My veggie friend was a huge sport to come along for the pork experience and was promptly rewarded with a feast of cupcakes at Butter Lane, just across the street. Cupcakes are all Butter Lane does and, unlike many, they do cupcakes exceptionally well. The little cakes are moist, flavorful, not overly sweet and you're given the choice of both French and American buttercreams, which won me over. The bright, colorful wallpaper and chalkboard list are cheerful in a not too cutesy way. I’m hoping someday the masses will realize the mystique around a certain bakery in the W. Village is something akin to the emperor having no clothing and venture forth to better cupcakes. In the meantime, get yourself to Butter Lane before their lines become legendary.

Snacks, Venezuela Style

I don’t know what I was thinking trying to 'drop in' to Caracas Arepa Bar on a Friday night at 8:30, but it is worth the wait. Absolutely everything on the menu we tried is delish and I totally dig the Tinto de Verano drink, which is a mighty tasty, sparkling version of a sangria. The space is perfect--right down to the hammered metal tile ceiling.


















For dessert, I experienced something new to me called an oblea. Obleas are dulce de leche spread between two uber thin, crispy wafers the size of corn tortillas. OMG!...let’s just say it’s a really good thing these aren’t available anywhere near me at home in SF.

Sm-art Mex

I spied the restaurant Marfa on my way to meet up with a friend on the Lower East Side. I figured any place named after Marfa, TX where the Donald Judd museum resides, had to be smart enough to check out—and turns out, it is. Pretty much any venue that serves PBR gets an extra brownie point with me. And the food, which I’d characterize as super-clean, fresh, contemporary Ameri-Mex/Tex-Mex was terrific. The house cocktail is a ‘marfarita’ (not a great name, but I get it…) which blends two flavors I’m particularly fond of: grapefruit and chili spice, mmm! The space is simple and stark (not unlike Judd’s art, actually) with luminarias on the tables and it works. Maybe it’s because I had art on the brain (clearly!) it almost felt like eating in a Mexican museum with an interesting, diverse and colorful crowd decorating the space.

Okay, my LA-la land adventures will be forthcoming…but I need to catch my breath first!