HEY THERE!
And here's Kate and me with our coffees (with the Bay Bridge in the background):
Next it was off to brunch at Circa, the restaurant of Erik Hopfinger from Top Chef Chicago. Feeling adventerous, I went for the eggs benedict three ways. At this point, runny egg yolks are still something I'm "learning to appreciate". I think it's something about the texture that generally makes me squeamish. BUT, when mixed with creamy hollandaise sauce, they blend right in and add a nice buttery richness to each bite. Add bread and meat, and you've got yourself a breakfast winner.
Once afternoon rolled around, we were hungry for a snack. Beard Papa's delightful cream puffs did just the trick. Mind = blown to find out that there is a WHOLE CHAIN dedicated to them. YES!
We met up with my friends Jen and Caleb for dinner in the Mission, at a pop-up restaurant in a former Chinese restaurant which a chef and his crew had taken over for the day. Sadly I forgot to write down (and now cannot locate) the chef's name, but the dinner and the whole experience was fantastic.
All in all, a wonderful trip out to SF - the first of many like this I'm sure. :)
It's been a while. Sit down. Get comfortable. I have so much good stuff to catch you up on.
We'll start with some things I ate in California last spring. I took a long weekend in San Francisco, then got lucky enough get shipped out to LA for work a few weeks later. WHAT... a glamorous life. Kind of.
I've gotta say, for a girl who's lived in places with brutal winters her whole life, California is pretty attractive. Especially the Bay area. Yeah, it's not always the warmest there... but the city is just buzzing with energy, and it's only a short drive from wine country, the ocean, and some of the country's most kick-ass skiing. Not to mention, Chez Panisse, authentic mexican food, fresh from the sea-food, frozen yogurt galore and so much else. Basically, a foodie's playground.
I've gotta say, for a girl who's lived in places with brutal winters her whole life, California is pretty attractive. Especially the Bay area. Yeah, it's not always the warmest there... but the city is just buzzing with energy, and it's only a short drive from wine country, the ocean, and some of the country's most kick-ass skiing. Not to mention, Chez Panisse, authentic mexican food, fresh from the sea-food, frozen yogurt galore and so much else. Basically, a foodie's playground.
San Francisco
While I sadly didn't get to visit Alice Waters' famed restaurant while I was out in San Fran, I did get a bunch of other good nibbles in. I stayed with my fellow-foodie-friend Kate, and got to see a whole bunch of other college friends while there.
My first morning, Kate and I went down to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market to get some fresh coffee and nab some samples. The weather was perfect - a sublime 65 and sunny, with just a breath of wind. We got some deliciously fresh lattes from the Blue Bottle Coffee Co. stand - not since Italy have I tasted espresso this bright and toasty. Here's my cup:
And here's Kate and me with our coffees (with the Bay Bridge in the background):Next it was off to brunch at Circa, the restaurant of Erik Hopfinger from Top Chef Chicago. Feeling adventerous, I went for the eggs benedict three ways. At this point, runny egg yolks are still something I'm "learning to appreciate". I think it's something about the texture that generally makes me squeamish. BUT, when mixed with creamy hollandaise sauce, they blend right in and add a nice buttery richness to each bite. Add bread and meat, and you've got yourself a breakfast winner.
Once afternoon rolled around, we were hungry for a snack. Beard Papa's delightful cream puffs did just the trick. Mind = blown to find out that there is a WHOLE CHAIN dedicated to them. YES!
We met up with my friends Jen and Caleb for dinner in the Mission, at a pop-up restaurant in a former Chinese restaurant which a chef and his crew had taken over for the day. Sadly I forgot to write down (and now cannot locate) the chef's name, but the dinner and the whole experience was fantastic.
All in all, a wonderful trip out to SF - the first of many like this I'm sure. :)
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