If the newly sunny weather inspires thoughts of picnicking and outdoor excursions, perhaps a nice leisurely drive up to the Napa/Sonoma region to see how the vines are doing, you might want to take advantage of the SF Bay weather forecasting site.
Hot summer weather makes me think of cold, cold brews. If you're a fan of
nonalcoholic quenchers, you'll find some good alternatives to the
traditional alcoholic choices here.
However, if you enjoy a well crafted brew, an excellent resource for SF
Bay beer fans can be found at the Beer Lover's page.
I enjoyed this site, and I hope you do as well. Personally, one of my
favorite brews is Samuel Adams Triple Bock, which most people seem to
either love or hate. For about $5 at the local Bev & More, you get a tiny
blue bottle filled with a thick, syrupy liquid that I describe as "the
port wine of beers" and others have described as, "How DID they get the
cat to sit on the bottle?" Rich, dark, malty, sweet and salty-savory all
at once, it's a brew to be savored in tiny sips, or put down in the cellar
for some serious aging. Yes, some beers - barleywines specifically, as
well as some lambics - benefit from cellaring, just like wines.
For a more refreshing summer quench, visit the Pyramid Ale House in
Berkeley, either virtually or in
person to knock back a brew or two. They're located on Gilman Street,
roughly between the I-80 exit and San Pablo Avenue. I particularly recommend the
Belgian White, a beer with surprisingly light and floral notes on the nose
and a crisp body, if you're thirsty for a good cold one in the afternoon.
After dinner, if you can stand it, give their Espresso Stout a try. It
tastes pretty much like what it sounds, a heck of a dark beer that packs
the punch of a cup of strong espresso.
A new foodie spot in the area is well worth mentioning, though they are
still in the process of construction, the new Pacific East Mall on Pierce
Street in Richmond. Located immediately off the I-80 at Central (head
towards San Pablo Avenue from either direction, and turn right at the
first opportunity onto Pierce), this huge new building houses some shops
well worth a visit.
Ranch 99 is a large chain of local Asian supermarkets that stock some
amazingly exotic goodies, as well as a fine selection of fresh (often
live) seafood,
meat and produce. Their frozen and deli section must be seen to be
believed, with such treats as durian ice cream and fried pork rectums (no,
I'm not kidding) sharing space with ostrich livers, wild game birds,
venison, giant African land snails and goose intestines. This place is a
must-see foodie tour.
At their Richmond location, the Pacific East Asian mall also shares space
with a few excellent restaurants. Phuping Thai may have a funny name, but
there's nothing to laugh at about the food. Some excellent original
dishes on the menu, including an intensely scented lemongrass salmon
fillet wrapped in a fragrant bananna leaf and a dish of crispy mushrooms
and fried basil leaves with some
amazing spices in the mix. It's a nice place to lunch after shopping at
Ranch 99, especially if the takeout counter in the main market scares you
with the prominent display of stewed pork uterus in soy sauce. I keep
promising myself I'm going to try that one any day now, but somehow I
haven't gotten around to it yet....
Another mention of Ranch 99 can be found at MetroActive's site. This article mentions the
Milpitas location. Here's their detailed review of the San Jose Ranch 99 Market.
Here's a map of the Pacific East Mall in Richmond.
A map to the Fremont Ranch 99 supermarket.
A map to the Milpitas location.
A map to the San Jose Ranch 99 Market.
Stogies is a fine smoke shop just around the corner of the
newly opened Pacific East mall, worth a mention despite
still being essentially under
construction. The smoking lounge there is bare-bones and the cigar
selection still limited, but more construction is planned this month, and
the stocking continues. If you appreciate cigars, you might want to poke
your nose in past the wooden Indian and say hello to "Z", the friendly
owner and manager of the shop.
If you're a fan of the leaf, you've probably noticed that it's getting
harder these days to find a place to eat and smoke. With some other
alt.smokers.cigars fans, I'm planning a private cigar dinner, with
matching food and wine, as a nonprofit event. If you're interested in
participating, please drop email with your phone number to
BayGourmet atsign tripod dot net.
Shhh. Master chef Elka Gilmore has turned up again at her own restaurant,
Oodles, located at Taylor and Bush in San Francisco. I am currently
hosting her web site
here until www.oodle.com is up and running.
The opening has been a fairly well kept secret on the culinary scene,
at the chef's request, to give her time to get the kitchen up to speed - but
after dining there last week, I'd say they're ready for the Autobahn. The
major newspapers are sending critics next week, after which point it will
get progressively more difficult to get a seating - so go now. The food
is worth it.
A daring and inventive East-West fusion marks all of Elka's dishes with
her bold signature, but I won't spoil the surprises in store for you by
describing them here. Just go and eat it. ;)
A few tips for cool outdoor dining in hot weather:
703 McKinney Avenue #202
Dallas, TX 75202
Contact: Mr. Michel B. Platz
Telephone: (214) 754-0324
Drinks, anyone?
Asian Food & Good Smokes At Pacific East
Cigar Dinners In The SF Bay?
NEWS FLASH: Serious culinary hot spot
Your turn!
OK, now it's your turn. Is there a restaurant you've been dying to tell
your friends about? Have you discovered a culinary hot spot? Have a
question about food or wine? Drop some mail to the list and we'll
talk
about it.
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