We recently held our first F.A.T. dinner and I'm going to label it a resounding success. At 5pm, I received a text to meet on the corner of Larkin and Sutter- right in the middle of the semi-sketch Tenderloin neighborhood. I tried to picture the area with little success- certainly couldn't think of any "fine" dining establishments in the area... Maybe some coke dealers, but no restaurants to speak of.
We met the rest of our party on that corner and followed this month's leaders into Saha, a very cute little restaurant situated in the unlikely Hotel Carlton. Saha is a self-proclaimed "Yemini Arabic Fusion" restaurant. Translation: delightful mixture of middle eastern/north african/french-californian flavors. They had a huge menu with a whole bunch of small plates and them some larger ones. The space is very cute and intimate- its not particularly large and not too loud.
The beauty of going with a big group (we were 8) is that we got to try a number of things. We started with a Sampler Platter, Saha Ravioli, and a Grilled Mezza Plate, which were large enough for eight of of to get a little taste of everything. The Saha Sampler comprised of a number of spreads and neverending baskets of Pita. Most of us agreed that the Raita-like spread was our favorite, along with the Zahaweg which is a spicy sauce made from tomatoes, peppers, and spices. The meat on the mezza platter was also all delicious, with the Merguez sausages highlighting the group.
For entrees, most of the meat-eaters agreed that the Sage Roasted Duck was absolutely delicious- easily the best dish of the night. It was tender and delicious and reminded me why I love duck. All of the dishes were hearty and flavorful. Other highlights were the Lamb Tangine and the North African cous cous. We were too stuffed for Dessert, although some of the options looked interesting.
All in all, the first F.A.T. experience was a huge success. We had a delicious dinner in a restaurant most of us had never heard of (good find, F.A.T. #1 leaders!). Hopefully we'll keep the ball rolling- our next meeting (a dive this time) is set for 11/12!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Where the Wild Things Are
Let the wild rumpus start!
Went last night to see this film in slightly odd circumstances- it was a coworker's birthday and she basically filled the theater with her (mostly drunk) friends. So perhaps not the best viewing environment for what is a fairly sensitive and emotionally complex film.
The book was a childhood favorite of mine (and most people, I'd imagine) and I've been excited about the film version. It is a tall order to translate a popular, short, children's book that has more pictures than words (seriously- there are only a few sentences in the book) into a 2hr (or so) feature film. Spike Jonze is certainly a good choice for the job as he has always been a very visual director and, if done correctly, this movie needed to place a lot of weight on the visuals.
And it did. The landscapes are beautiful, alternating between super bright bleak deserts and dark and twisted forests, vastly elegant seashores and shadowed caves. The landscape is a character in this film- often reflecting the moods of the characters (mostly Max). The Wild Things themselves are very cool looking- I think mostly "real" (non CG) with a little CG help at times? I just looked at some images from the book, and I can attest that the recreations of the Wild Things in the movie are pretty accurate.
It is a challenge to stick a pile of emotion on the face of a muppet, but the filmmakers did a good job of demonstrating the seething emotional sea of childhood. Because really, the Wild Things are reflections of parts of Max, and therefore reflections of childhood. They are made larger than life by Max's imaginings, each hyperbolic representations of a facet of Max's psyche or part of Max's life. And that's what the story is- Max coming to grips with himself and with the fact that he can't make everything perfect, that for all the rumpuses and moments of beauty, there will be fights and moments of darkness, fear, and confusion.
The film was beautifully realized and true to Sendak's original vision. It is slow, but in a contemplative way, not a boring one. A solid performance from the young boy who plays Max, along with beautiful visuals make the movie a success. Recommend to all.
Went last night to see this film in slightly odd circumstances- it was a coworker's birthday and she basically filled the theater with her (mostly drunk) friends. So perhaps not the best viewing environment for what is a fairly sensitive and emotionally complex film.
The book was a childhood favorite of mine (and most people, I'd imagine) and I've been excited about the film version. It is a tall order to translate a popular, short, children's book that has more pictures than words (seriously- there are only a few sentences in the book) into a 2hr (or so) feature film. Spike Jonze is certainly a good choice for the job as he has always been a very visual director and, if done correctly, this movie needed to place a lot of weight on the visuals.
And it did. The landscapes are beautiful, alternating between super bright bleak deserts and dark and twisted forests, vastly elegant seashores and shadowed caves. The landscape is a character in this film- often reflecting the moods of the characters (mostly Max). The Wild Things themselves are very cool looking- I think mostly "real" (non CG) with a little CG help at times? I just looked at some images from the book, and I can attest that the recreations of the Wild Things in the movie are pretty accurate.
It is a challenge to stick a pile of emotion on the face of a muppet, but the filmmakers did a good job of demonstrating the seething emotional sea of childhood. Because really, the Wild Things are reflections of parts of Max, and therefore reflections of childhood. They are made larger than life by Max's imaginings, each hyperbolic representations of a facet of Max's psyche or part of Max's life. And that's what the story is- Max coming to grips with himself and with the fact that he can't make everything perfect, that for all the rumpuses and moments of beauty, there will be fights and moments of darkness, fear, and confusion.
The film was beautifully realized and true to Sendak's original vision. It is slow, but in a contemplative way, not a boring one. A solid performance from the young boy who plays Max, along with beautiful visuals make the movie a success. Recommend to all.
F.A.T.
Tonight marks the first adventure of a new "dining club." We've dubbed the group, F.A.T., or Feasting About Town. The groundrules:
1. Don't talk about F.A.T/E.A.T.
2. Ha ha. Just kidding. Ha. Wish that was funny.
3. We will be dining out together once a month.
4. Every month, we will alternate between fine dining and a dive. Definition of fine dining/dive is up to the people scheduling that month, but generally everyone should spend less than $15 total (or so) at a dive, and the fine dining probably doesn't want to be over $25-35ish/entree or so.
5. Every month a different couple will pick the spot (we'll pick a name out of a hat or somehow randomize the selection order).
6. The couple selecting the location is responsible for making a reservation (if necessary) or making sure the place can hold 8 of us, or making whatever arrangements necessary. They will not reveal the location to anyone else until the day of the event. On the day of the event, the "host" couple will send an e-mail with TIME and ADDRESS (with cross streets). They will not reveal the actual restaurant and everyone is on the honor system not to look it up.
7. We will split all bills evenly. Unless someone has a major problem with this and a simple solution.
8. It might be fun if we dress up (a little) when we go out.
9. Events will all be on a shared google calendar.
10. I just wanted to have 10 rules. Nice, even number. So... Uh, We have to have fun?
Yeah... I wrote those. Some of them are lame, but what you going to do. And looks like I already broke rule number one with this post. oh well.
So we'll see how this goes. Fine Dining tonight, dive next month... I'm not up to pick a restaurant until December, so I have time to think... I'll post again after our inaugural dinner!
1. Don't talk about F.A.T/E.A.T.
2. Ha ha. Just kidding. Ha. Wish that was funny.
3. We will be dining out together once a month.
4. Every month, we will alternate between fine dining and a dive. Definition of fine dining/dive is up to the people scheduling that month, but generally everyone should spend less than $15 total (or so) at a dive, and the fine dining probably doesn't want to be over $25-35ish/entree or so.
5. Every month a different couple will pick the spot (we'll pick a name out of a hat or somehow randomize the selection order).
6. The couple selecting the location is responsible for making a reservation (if necessary) or making sure the place can hold 8 of us, or making whatever arrangements necessary. They will not reveal the location to anyone else until the day of the event. On the day of the event, the "host" couple will send an e-mail with TIME and ADDRESS (with cross streets). They will not reveal the actual restaurant and everyone is on the honor system not to look it up.
7. We will split all bills evenly. Unless someone has a major problem with this and a simple solution.
8. It might be fun if we dress up (a little) when we go out.
9. Events will all be on a shared google calendar.
10. I just wanted to have 10 rules. Nice, even number. So... Uh, We have to have fun?
Yeah... I wrote those. Some of them are lame, but what you going to do. And looks like I already broke rule number one with this post. oh well.
So we'll see how this goes. Fine Dining tonight, dive next month... I'm not up to pick a restaurant until December, so I have time to think... I'll post again after our inaugural dinner!
Kasa
Kasa is a hip new-ish Indian joint in the Castro in the same space as my favorite Castro burrito joint use to be. I've walked by a couple times and been curious about their menu which basically gives you two major options with some variations. You can order either:
Kasi Rolls
Classic Indian street food: A flaky, buttery roti (handmade bread) wrapped around one of the dishes listed below with marinated onions and chutney. Served with raita (yogurt). Order 2 or 3 for a meal.
or
Thali (Plate)
A homestyle Indian platter with one or two of the dishes listed below, roti (handmade bread), slow-simmered daal (lentils), rice, veggie salad, chutneys and raita (yogurt).
You get a selection of meat with either order. Since I went with Julia, we took the easy way out and got one of each. For the Thali, we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, and for the Kasi Roll we had Lamb Curry. The Tikka Masala had a slightly different preparation from your standard version- the sauce was a little thicker and richer and quite a bit spicier (in a good way- then again, I always tend to find that spicier is better). The roti was delicious, and all the components of the plate went well together.
The Kasi roll was good as well. The bread was different from the roti on the Thali plate- maybe a bit sweeter? The lamb curry was good too- I love the richness of lamb. I could have actually used a little more spice in this.
The Kasi roll is a good amount of food for lunch, but if it's dinner and/or you're hungry, go for the Thali for sure.
I'd definitely stop back at this place. The counter service was super friendly and helpful and the food was delicious and pretty reasonably priced (especially the rolls).
Kasi Rolls
Classic Indian street food: A flaky, buttery roti (handmade bread) wrapped around one of the dishes listed below with marinated onions and chutney. Served with raita (yogurt). Order 2 or 3 for a meal.
or
Thali (Plate)
A homestyle Indian platter with one or two of the dishes listed below, roti (handmade bread), slow-simmered daal (lentils), rice, veggie salad, chutneys and raita (yogurt).
You get a selection of meat with either order. Since I went with Julia, we took the easy way out and got one of each. For the Thali, we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, and for the Kasi Roll we had Lamb Curry. The Tikka Masala had a slightly different preparation from your standard version- the sauce was a little thicker and richer and quite a bit spicier (in a good way- then again, I always tend to find that spicier is better). The roti was delicious, and all the components of the plate went well together.
The Kasi roll was good as well. The bread was different from the roti on the Thali plate- maybe a bit sweeter? The lamb curry was good too- I love the richness of lamb. I could have actually used a little more spice in this.
The Kasi roll is a good amount of food for lunch, but if it's dinner and/or you're hungry, go for the Thali for sure.
I'd definitely stop back at this place. The counter service was super friendly and helpful and the food was delicious and pretty reasonably priced (especially the rolls).
Monday, October 12, 2009
German Feast
On Saturday night, we watched an episode of Three Sheets where the host traveled to Munich for Oktoberfest. Something in Julia's German heritage was so inspired by the sight of sausages and pretzels, that we cooked up an Oktoberfest feast last night.
Julia baked pretzels, trying two slightly different preparations. One batch was dipped in boiling water and then baked, while the second was brushed with an egg wash and baked. There was a slight difference in texture, but not much else particularly different between them. The boiled ones were a little chewier. The egg brushed ones might have had a slightly different color on the outside... hard to tell. Apparently to make pretzels the dark color that people expect, real German pretzel makers use lye or something. Yeah. That was a little much. But Julia's pretzels came out great, especially when dipped in a spicy brown mustard.
We also braised some Bratwursts. Sliced up onions and browned them in some butter (margarine), then emptied a jar of sauerkraut on top of the onions in the saucepan. Next, we added some thinly sliced apples to bring some sweetness to the kraut. Finally, placed the sausages on top of the sauerkraut and added enough beer to submerge all the 'kraut and sausages (ended up being 2 bottles of Sam Adams Oktoberfest). Left the whole shebang simmering over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so (added some sugar near the end when a taste revealed that it was still a little too sour), before removing the sausages and pan frying them briefly to get a little color and texture on the outside. Drained most of the liquid from the 'kraut, served with a selection of mustards. Delish.
Julia baked pretzels, trying two slightly different preparations. One batch was dipped in boiling water and then baked, while the second was brushed with an egg wash and baked. There was a slight difference in texture, but not much else particularly different between them. The boiled ones were a little chewier. The egg brushed ones might have had a slightly different color on the outside... hard to tell. Apparently to make pretzels the dark color that people expect, real German pretzel makers use lye or something. Yeah. That was a little much. But Julia's pretzels came out great, especially when dipped in a spicy brown mustard.
We also braised some Bratwursts. Sliced up onions and browned them in some butter (margarine), then emptied a jar of sauerkraut on top of the onions in the saucepan. Next, we added some thinly sliced apples to bring some sweetness to the kraut. Finally, placed the sausages on top of the sauerkraut and added enough beer to submerge all the 'kraut and sausages (ended up being 2 bottles of Sam Adams Oktoberfest). Left the whole shebang simmering over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so (added some sugar near the end when a taste revealed that it was still a little too sour), before removing the sausages and pan frying them briefly to get a little color and texture on the outside. Drained most of the liquid from the 'kraut, served with a selection of mustards. Delish.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Starbelly
The lady and I ate at Starbelly last night in advance of a "Glee" watching date at a friend's house in the Castro. I'd been to the opening night party for the new restaurant, but that was more of a cocktail party and I didn't really have a sense of what to expect on the menu. I do like the interior of the restaurant- it's small and modestly decorated but comfortable and not as tremendously loud as I had expected.
The menu is New Californian (which is a catchall to say it combines a few different cuisines including some American standards as well as some French and Italian touches). We wanted to try some different stuff, but had a hard time deciding. In the end, we picked a starter, a salad, and a couple entrees to share. We skipped the pizza because I DID have that at the opening party and it was mediocre.
As a starter, we got mini corn dogs. Because how can you not order corndogs when they're on the menu at a nice restaurant? There were definitely mini, although yummy- looked to be brats (or another white sausage) in tasty batter. A little steep $-wise at 6.50 for 4 of the little bite size guys, but tasty.
Our salad was good if not a little overdressed- butter lettuce with white nectarines and a shaved cheese of some sort. My dining partner thought the nectarines weren't ripe enough and I'm inclined to agree.
There were a number of entrees we were interested in, but we ended up trying the Porchetta and the half rotisserie chicken. We both really enjoyed the chicken- it was brined so quite juicy and delicious. It was served on a bed of some kind of bitter greens which (we both thought) were too bitter. But chicken was quite good. I'd order it again. (Note to self: look into brining a little more. Brined things always taste good.)
The Porchetta had good flavor and was served with yummy crunchy skin, but Julia found it too fatty for her taste and it was a bit unattractive sitting in a pile of grease. It was quite rich and while it was good I probably wouldn't order again.
We decided to order dessert because they sounded delicious. They also feature my bro's ice cream (Humphrey Slocombe!). We ordered the salted caramel Pot du Creme. Um. Delicious. I love me some salted caramel.
Would I go back to Starbelly? Possibly. It is one of the better options in the Castro (a neighborhood that is somehow bereft of decent places to eat despite a population that loves to dine out). That said, I also noticed a few new spots in the Castro that weren't around last time I lived near there, so perhaps I'm due to check some of em out!
The menu is New Californian (which is a catchall to say it combines a few different cuisines including some American standards as well as some French and Italian touches). We wanted to try some different stuff, but had a hard time deciding. In the end, we picked a starter, a salad, and a couple entrees to share. We skipped the pizza because I DID have that at the opening party and it was mediocre.
As a starter, we got mini corn dogs. Because how can you not order corndogs when they're on the menu at a nice restaurant? There were definitely mini, although yummy- looked to be brats (or another white sausage) in tasty batter. A little steep $-wise at 6.50 for 4 of the little bite size guys, but tasty.
Our salad was good if not a little overdressed- butter lettuce with white nectarines and a shaved cheese of some sort. My dining partner thought the nectarines weren't ripe enough and I'm inclined to agree.
There were a number of entrees we were interested in, but we ended up trying the Porchetta and the half rotisserie chicken. We both really enjoyed the chicken- it was brined so quite juicy and delicious. It was served on a bed of some kind of bitter greens which (we both thought) were too bitter. But chicken was quite good. I'd order it again. (Note to self: look into brining a little more. Brined things always taste good.)
The Porchetta had good flavor and was served with yummy crunchy skin, but Julia found it too fatty for her taste and it was a bit unattractive sitting in a pile of grease. It was quite rich and while it was good I probably wouldn't order again.
We decided to order dessert because they sounded delicious. They also feature my bro's ice cream (Humphrey Slocombe!). We ordered the salted caramel Pot du Creme. Um. Delicious. I love me some salted caramel.
Would I go back to Starbelly? Possibly. It is one of the better options in the Castro (a neighborhood that is somehow bereft of decent places to eat despite a population that loves to dine out). That said, I also noticed a few new spots in the Castro that weren't around last time I lived near there, so perhaps I'm due to check some of em out!
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