Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Long Time No Nosh

It has been quite awhile since the last blog. Why is hard to say; laziness, lack of inspiration, tummy ache. But before 2009 escapes us, here are a few places I hit today:

Dolores Park Cafe: always a nice spot in which to slack. I can recommend the soy latte in its nice tall glass. Needs no adornment; very good as is.

Thai Spice on Polk. Mark and I had such a fantastic dinner at this place, which has always been great, in the half-dozen times I've visited. Fresh spring rolls with (fake) crab and shrimp, rice noodles and sprigleys of cilantro, which you dip in a warm (!) peanut sauce. Mark had the good sense and empty stomach to order tom yum soup with shrimp and lots of button mushrooms. For entrees we shared the salt-and-pepper tofu, with a dark and deeply-flavored sauce sprinkled with green onions, and shrimp with spicy green beans. Brown rice, too. Now I have garlic breath and I'm not sorry.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Re-Planted

There is a new Plant Cafe downtown; it is, dangerously, a mere 2 blocks from my workplace.
If you go, take note: in spite of its address, it is actually on Front and Pine.
Also, do not freak at the prices. This is organic fare, kids; it's not meant to be cheap. Cough it up.
I thoroughly enjoyed my bowl of cold soba noodles in a swoony Asian vinaigrette with chopped veggies, sprouts and nicely-firm baked tofu. They bring your order to your table, and all the folks there are helpful as can be. Also, there are recycling and composting options.
I will be back there soon for their deservedly-famous veggie burger, perhaps with Swiss and mushrooms. And I may have to try their oatmeal with pecans, raisins and cinnamon. Oh sweet Jesus, 2 short blocks. A blessing and a curse.

Monday, December 14, 2009

I *Heart* Surprises

Monday. Dragging myself to work. I am Sisyphus, pushing my rock uphill. And then...what is this? A tiny, heart-shaped muffin on my desk? And it's vegan! And homemade...by my dear friend and next-door cubicle neighbor, T-Money! Yes, apple-pecan muffiny goodness. I managed to delay gratification till after lunch, at which point the lovely pastry was greedily devoured.
Now, if anyone wants to brighten up my Tuesday...well, I think you know what to do.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

DIY!

Sometimes you gotta cook it yourself. Like JP, using up some leftover buttermilk to make astoundingly good buckwheat pancakes. Yo, just buy some 365 mix at Whole Foods and make 'em yourself! Although you probably don't have the evolved flipping style that JP has perfected. I say, real maple syrup and sliced bananas to gild the lily. Or flapjack...whatever.
Not to be outdone, I made some very auspicious winter veggies for dinner. Butternut squash, procured at the farmers' market, was cooked simply with water and cinnamon, then mashed until lumpy. A bit of salt and pepper is all you need. For the brussels sprouts, I sliced each sprout in half, sliced up half a red onion and half a Granny Smith, tossed in a pan with olive oil and balsamic, and roasted at 400 till crispy (maybe 45 minutes). Healthy, easy, and quite yummy. Almost makes me want to cook all the time. Almost.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Mixt Feelings

You can't diss on Mixt Greens too much. They are organic and sustainable. They heart the environment. If you work downtown, they are nearby, ready to toss at a moment's notice. So, post-workout and famished, I wandered in (the line is shorter when it's freezing outside). The dude behind the counter was patient as I slowly picked out ingredients for my custom salad: mixt greens (to stick with the theme), carrots, red peppers, golden beets, chickpeas and marinated tofu cubes. All tossed with a lovely lemon herb vinaigrette, which said dude recommended. A tiny piece of wheat bread added and, a bit over $8 later, I was back out in the cold.
Yes, it tasted great. But it didn't fill me up. Maybe if I'd added avocado, for an extra buck? Not sure, but I can say it would be perfect on one of those hot days that I'm starting to miss.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Long Weekend's Eatings

Friday night: Lost Landscapes, an amazing show of archival SF footage by Rick Prelinger. Even film of Market Street before the '06 earthquake...watch out for that buggy! After: starving, cold, JP and I cab it to Pomodoro where I devour a bowl of whole wheat fusilli with marinara and basil. Ahhh.
Saturday night: Ladies of the Lounge come together for a potluck and vast quantities of red wine. Vegan chili on the stove, from the Vegan Table cookbook. A hearty walnut loaf from Boulange, accompanied by goat cheese, fig spread, and a dark, lusty tapenade. Janet's homemade pickled beets and green beans, in jars with the prettiest labels. Michelle's earthy and mouthwatering roasted beets. Kristy's addictive pasta with peppers. Pea pod and mushroom salad with red onions, and roasty potatoes, from my friend The Pasta Shop. Shanna's gorgeous frittata...And more...
Sunday: leftovers, of course! The real event was Shitty Shitty Band Band at the Makeout Room.
Monday: JP and I get to visit the G at her workplace, the awe-inspiring ILM. Oh, the eye candy! One of the original bicycles from ET! R2D2 in a Santa hat! Electric menorahs next to Xmas trees! Light saber chopsticks in the gift shop! And best of all, a cafeteria that nearly made me weep. I got one of the vegan dishes, grilled tofu with tomatillo sauce, black bean cakes, avocado salsa and spinach, plus a fancy-pants Boylan's root beer. JP and the G had beautiful plates of sushi. The spirit of George Lucas hovered nearby, but noone's allowed to talk to him, so we ignored it.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Send Me Airmail

It was dinner date nite for me and Kimster. Shockingly, we had not been to Beretta yet. Well, I'd been once awhile ago; she had somehow missed it altogether (although she has been to Flour & Water several times now, without me, not that I'm bitter).
So down the hill we went, to a nice welcoming spot where it's almost too dark to read the menu. We managed. My lovely cocktail, the Airmail (rum, honey, lime, Prosecco) smelled divine and, like Kimster's Rattlesnake (rye, lemon, maple, bitters, egg white) tasted heavenly. We shared a beet salad with ricotta salata, a balsamic drizzle across the top making it look like a beet sundae. Our salad of fennel and arugula with shaved Parmesan was light and lovely. And our pizza was quite special: the funghi and vegetarian sausage atop tomato sauce and melted cheese was a winning combination. Oh, it was dark, and kinda loud, but we'll be back. There's too many fine-looking antipasti still to be ordered.