Traveling & Eating in and around San Francisco

November 5, 2015February 11, 2017

A week ago, Jonah and I got back from a week and a half in California. The real reason for this trip was a work retreat in South Lake Tahoe, but because it was around the time of my sister’s birthday, we extended the trip and made it into a visit. And of course, being Fasslers, my sisters know how to eat very well. We spent a few days in Berkeley (where my sisters both live) before heading to Lake Tahoe, and then a few days in San Francisco staying at a friend’s place (thanks Sheel!) after. Here were some highlights:

Vientian Cafe

My little sister’s one request this trip was to take us to this Laotian/Thai/Vietnamese restaurant. Who were we to say no? The thing to know about eating with Molly is that you should just let her order. She didn’t lead us astray – we had some delicious Laotian sausage, chicken wings, a curry noodle soup with chicken and pig’s blood (not my favorite part of the soup), and, my favorite, some Nom Kao, or deeply fried rice with ground pork, coconut, and sauce, and served with lettuce and mint. And of course, sticky rice.

Ice cream: Tara’s, Smitten, and Bi-Rite

Ice Cream | Traveling & Eating in and around San Francisco | Serious Crust

Ok, I like ice cream. Maybe it runs in my family – my dad has been known to keep sundae fixings in the house, and I think because of him I’ve always had a particular weakness for ice cream. Our first ice cream stop on the trip was Smitten, a neat spot where they churn your ice cream to order with liquid nitrogen, meaning it’s incredibly smooth and custardy. They had some wacky flavors, but we went with salted caramel and the cookie dough with pretzels. Our second ice cream stop was Tara’s, which my sisters had taken me to last time I visited. On this visit, I went with the rooibos ice cream in a black sesame cone – I love the subtle, more grown up flavors they offer. Lastly, once we got into San Francisco, we discovered we were staying only a few blocks from Bi-Rite Creamery. So we got a scoop (I went with a split scoop of chocolate and matcha) and went to sit in Dolores park and enjoy the view.

Mission Chinese Food

Once in San Francisco, I knew I wanted to go to Mission Chinese Food. It seems to be kind of a staple, and while some say it’s a little past its prime, it’s definitely a fun stop. Traditional Chinese food with a twist would be the best way to describe the food, and my favorite dish by far was the thrice cooked bacon and rice cakes (which, actually, we got without the bacon so our vegetarian friend could enjoy them as well). I’ll also say that with all of the food and drink we got, we were surprised at how reasonably priced it was – we were stuffed and took home leftovers.

Craftsman and Wolves

For breakfast, my fellow blogger Michelle of Hummingbird High recommended we hit up Craftsman and Wolves for some incredible baked goods. This gal knows her pastries, so I knew if she recommended something this highly, I had to go. We went for it at breakfast, ordering The Rebel Within (a cheesy muffin with a soft cooked egg in the middle), a chocolate croissant stack, a financier with stone fruit, hazelnut, and sesame, and a classic morning bun. These pastries were damn fine, let me tell you. My favorite was the financier – cakey and moist with this caramelized almost brittle-esque layer of fruit and sesame and hazelnut.

Zuni Cafe

We had a hard time deciding where to eat for our nice dinner out in the city. If I’d had my druthers, I would’ve eaten at AL’s Place, but it wasn’t open either of the nights we were there. So we decided instead to eat at a classic SF restaurant, Zuni Cafe. I’ve read a lot about Zuni (and the cookbook) on both Molly Wizenberg and David Lebovitz‘s blogs, and had always thought it’d be nice to eat there. We got there early and enjoyed a cocktail at the bar before heading to our table where we enjoyed the caesar salad, a tomato salad with burrata, the ricotta gnocchi with lobster mushrooms, roasted quail with spice carrot puree and greens, and for dessert, the lightest, fluffiest flourless chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It was a simple, classic, and stunning meal.

Tartine Bakery

Of course, I had to go to Tartine. The timing worked out perfectly to eat a snack (read: dessert) and pick up a couple loaves of country bread (one for me, one for my baker friend) just before we headed to the airport. The dessert highlight was the lemon cream tart which was buttery, creamy, with the perfect pop of citrus. There’s no other word to describe it other than perfect. The loaves we brought home were HEAVY and may have made our BART car, then airplane, then car home smell like bread. It’s not a bad thing though. It toasted up perfectly and, topped with butter, made a fantastic breakfast the next morning.

Other places we went and enjoyed: Juhu Beach Club (get the small plates and strong cocktails), Kusina Ni Tess (Filipino lunch in downtown SF), KoJa Kitchen (awesome Korean/Japanese lunch in Berkeley – get the kamikaze fries and braised pork KoJa), Southie (sweet lunch spot in Oakland; I liked the fried chicken salad), Outerlands (a great breakfast spot with great service, a beautiful interior, and delicious food).

It’s time to FEAST!

September 18, 2015February 11, 2017

Ice cream & Wine | Feast PDX | Serious Crust

It has begun. My Instagram is being inundated with photos of delicious bites displayed on tiny wooden plates. It’s time for Feast PDX! I’m easing into it this year, and just attending two events: Night Market and Brunch Village. But that doesn’t mean that there will not be indulgence and excess all. weekend. long.

My dad and stepmom are coming down for the weekend, we decided take the opportunity to also show them some spots that we don’t usually get to hit up when they’re here. The plan is to hit up some of my Portland favorites between events, while also fitting in a hike in the beautiful Forest Park (exercise, please!).

So today we’ll be hitting Nong’s Khao Man Gai, a Portland staple, for lunch. Chicken and rice may not sound exciting, but holy smokes it’s so dang good, not to mention being topped with the best gingery spicy savory sauce ever. After that, it’s time to cram in the last minutes of work before the party really begins, so I’m taking my stepmom to my favorite tea shop, Tea Bar, for a work date.

Tonight is Night Market, which I have been dying to go to for years, and this year the scheduling stars have aligned to make it happen. With the vibe of an international urban street market, and dishes inspired by food from around the world, this is my jam. Keep an eye on my Instagram if you want to see what I’m eating while I’m there.

Blue Star Donuts | Feast PDX | Serious Crust

Tomatoes with Jacobsen Salt | Feast PDX | Serious Crust

Tomorrow is our day off from Feast, but it doesn’t mean we’re taking a day off from eating. My dad has requested a stop at Blue Star Donuts, and who am I to say no? My favorite is probably the matcha cake donut, so I’ll have one of those to myself. After breakfast, we’ve planned a hike in Forest Park to help us feel better about all the food and drink we’re imbibing. It’s supposed to be a perfect fall weekend, and it’ll be nice to get active for a bit.

Saturday night, we are going to try our luck at the Multnomah Whiskey Library before hitting up Boxer Ramen for dinner, and then, thanks to the influence of the NYT 36 hours piece on my parents, we’ll spend the rest of the evening whacking ping pong balls at each other at Pips and Bounce.

We’ll round out the weekend with Brunch Village on Sunday morning. This, of course, is something Portlanders can get excited about. Bloody Mary’s, eggs, biscuits, eggs, pastries, eggs… What a perfect way to start the day, and finish the indulgent weekend!

Are you going to Feast? What are you excited to eat? Don’t forget to follow the weekend by checking out #feastpdx on social media!

Italian Plum Galette

September 7, 2015February 11, 2017

There is a tree outside of our house. Technically it’s in our neighbor’s yard, but much of it hangs over the winding pathway that leads to our front door. It’s a plum tree. Or a prune tree. You see, I’m not totally sure what the difference is. I think all prunes are plums, but not all plums are prunes. So maybe they’re prune plums. Right?

It’s funny actually, because when I was growing up outside of Seattle, my neighbors had a plum tree. And they told us we could pick as many plums as we wanted, I think mostly because they felt bad that the plums would fall and rot in our driveway. But my sisters and I used to go out in the driveway and fill up bowls and bowls of plums. We’d snack on them, bake with them, and make plum chutney. So I think I have a soft spot for plum trees in neighbors’ yards.

Either way, there’s a plum tree, and the plums are small and oblong, and when you cut them open, they still look kind of green even when they’re ripe. And all summer, I waited. I waited until their skins turned from green to purple, for their flesh to soften. And then I waited for Jonah to be home so that he (and his 6’6″ self) could pick them for me. I don’t do ladders.

I planned a plum galette. Simple, rustic, pretty even. I made a whole wheat crust, I ground almonds to spread in the bottom, and I even spread the plum slices in those lovely concentric circles. It was nice. It was summery. And it tasted pretty darn good.

Italian Plum Galette

Ingredients

Galette Dough

1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4 tbsp vegetable shortening, preferably cold, cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/4 cup ice water (plus more if needed)

Plum Filling

1/4 cup almonds (or 1/4 cup ground almonds)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp AP flour
14-18 Italian plums OR 6-7 regular plums cut into 1/2 inch slices
zest of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

Galette Dough

To make the dough, mix the AP flour, whole wheat pastry flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and shortening, and mix until the biggest pieces of butter are no larger than a pea. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of ice water. Drizzle this mixture over the flour and butter mixture by the tablespoon. Mix until combined and the dough comes together. If the dough is too dry and doesn’t come together, add more ice water by the tablespoon. Collect the dough, form it into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to two days.

Plum Filling

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet, preferably rimmed, with parchment paper. In a food processor, combine the almonds, granulated sugar, and AP flour and process until you’ve got a coarse meal. If you’re using ground almonds, simply combine it with the granulated sugar and flour in a bowl. Set almond mixture aside.

In a bowl, combine the sliced plums, lemon zest, and brown sugar, tossing to coat evenly. Set aside.

Remove your dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough to a 14-16 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the rolled out dough to the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread almond mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch edge all the way around. Pile your plums and their juices on top of the almond mixture (or gently arrange them in concentric circles), and then gently fold up the edge of the dough over the plums. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the plum filling is bubbling and the edges of the galette crust are golden brown.

Allow to cool for at least an hour before digging in. I recommend topping with ice cream (I think cardamom would be good if you can get your hands on it) or fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!

Restaurant Review: P.R.E.A.M.

August 17, 2015February 11, 2017

Pizza is near and dear to my heart (ok, tastebuds). I love that it can be fancy, it can be casual, it can be greasy, cheesy, covered in classic ingredients, or ingredients that you’ve never seen on a pizza before. In Portland, there are an insane amount of pizza places (or places you can get pizza), many of which are really delicious. When we decide we want pizza for dinner, we still have a decision to make. Do we want neapolitan, slightly soggy in the middle from Firehouse? Do we want slighty classed-up parlor-style from Apizza Scholls? Do we want slab pizza from Roman Candle? Do we want slightly adventurous, mix between neapolitan and pizza parlor but always delicious Oven & Shaker? The list goes on.

Up at Ned Ludd, they do this thing on Mondays. You see, Ned Ludd uses a wood-fired oven to cook all their food, but they don’t make pizza. So on Monday nights, pizza it is. P.R.E.A.M. (standing for Pizza Rules Everything Around Me) used to be the regular pop up in the spot, but then got big enough that they decided to open their own restaurant. Pizza socials still happen on Monday nights at Ned Ludd, with great Portland chefs coming in to design their own specialty pies.

I had never been to P.R.E.A.M. I wanted to go, but Monday nights were tricky, and I never could squeeze in a pizza dinner. But oh how I wanted to. I had heard great things. So as soon as I heard they were opening their own spot, I knew I needed to go. And now, having been twice, I figure it’s time to tell you about it.

First of all, they were bumping all my favorite 90s and early aughts hip hop and rap hits. You know, some Destiny’s Child, Ludacris, Ja Rule. Just really nailing it. Second, there’s a quote from Francis Mallman at the bottom of the menu. If you haven’t been watching Chef’s Table on Netflix, do it. But maybe just skip to the episode about Francis Mellman. The guy is quite a character, and cooks some of the most beautiful, rustic looking food I’ve ever seen. His love and knowledge of fire and cooking over it, in it, and with it was jaw dropping. Moving right along though – the menu is divided into Intro, Hook, Chorus, Verse, and Outro. Think appetizers, sides, pizzas, salads, and desserts. The staff was a great resource when picking dishes, which I always appreciate. Aside from that though, they seem a little green: not offering alternatives when they were out of something, and not always being on the same page regarding which server was helping us at certain points during the meal.

Let’s talk beverages. I’ll be honest, I can’t remember the name of the cocktail I got the first time – it was nearly three months ago. Plus I can’t find the drink menu online. But I will say this: it was good. It was a hot day, and my beverage hit all the right notes: fruity and refreshing while still being boozy and not overly sweet. The second trip, I got a mix between a shandy and a shrub, which was good. But be warned, on my second visit they were out of many of their beers, both on tap and bottled.

Our first time there, Jonah and I tried the escarole salad with smoked buttermilk dressing and chicken skin, which was awesome. I love crispy chicken skin, an they didn’t skimp. The dressing was creamy, but not heavy, which is a delicate balance. The second time we went with friends, we ate the summer squash with za’atar, sumac, and olive oil, which was a great, light dish. We also tried the black garlic knots in puttanesca which were tasty, but I wished there had been more black garlic in them.

Let’s get to the pizzas. These are some of the cheesiest, meltiest pizzas I can remember having, and the crust is rocking. Perfectly chewy and charred and brushed with what seems like a garlic oil. Rarely do I enjoy eating the crust as much as I do the cheesy, topping-laden part of the pizza, but this was different. In my two visits I’ve tried three pies: the fennel sausage pizza (so. much. cheese.) with lightly dressed arugula on top, plus a spicy sriracha like sauce the ‘Nduja with chicories and marinated peppers, and the tomato leaf with basil, and caramelized onion. The favorite for me is a tossup between the tomato leaf and the fennel sausage. Totally different, but both great. And the menu is changing all the time, so who knows what they’ll have next time I go.

The dessert I had there on my first trip was an olive oil cake on mascarpone cream, topped with green granita made of parsely and cilantro (nice and savory/salty), topped with marinated strawberries. Yes, the granita might sound weird, but it was a perfect salty and savory addition to what otherwise could’ve been an overly sweet dish. Plus it cooled the whole dessert down on a hot day. It was an awesome end to the meal – unexpected, playful, and refreshing.

Would I go back to P.R.E.A.M.? Absolutely. Especially if I’m in the mood for fun, nostalgic music, a good drink, and some cheesy, creative pizza.

Strawberry Margaritas

August 8, 2015February 11, 2017

You know what I haven’t quite been doing enough of this summer? Making cocktails at home. I always feel so accomplished when I whip up a delicious drink in my own kitchen, especially on a hot summer day, which lord knows we’ve been having in Portland. And I have never actually made a blended cocktail at home. Until now, that is. You see, when I got a bottle of Oregon Fruit Products pourable fruit in the mail, I decided it was time to change that.

Oregon Fruit Products has been around for a long time – eighty years in fact. And they’ve just come out with pourable fruit, a syrupy diced fruit sauce that’s easy to add to dishes, desserts, and drinks. They pick their fruit at the peak ripeness, so it really does capture that taste of Oregon summer. The convenience of this is great – you store it in the freezer, and then thaw it in the fridge when you’re ready to use. It’d be great on your waffles on a Sunday morning or in a power smoothie. (Keep in mind that since it’s a new product, you may see it with the old “Berrst” label until they update all the packaging. But it’s the same stuff. I promise.)

I decided to whip up a batch of strawberry margaritas for me and Jonah. After my discovery that no, you don’t have to have triple sec to make a margarita, I’ve enjoyed a simple shaken version a couple times this summer. But let’s be honest, blended just feels fancier, no?

Strawberry Margaritas

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients

4 oz tequila
Juice of 3 limes
10 dashes of orange bitters (or roughly 1/2 tsp)
1 cup Oregon Fruit Products’ Pourable Fruit Strawberry
1 1/2 cups ice
Optional: lime wedges and margarita or kosher salt for glass

Instructions

Combine tequila, lime juice, orange bitters, and fruit in a blender, and blend to combine. Add ice, and blend until smooth.

If you’re going for a salted glass, pour plenty of salt onto a plate or shallow bowl. Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass. Press the rim of the glass into the salt.

Fill with margarita and enjoy!

This is a sponsored post. Oregon Fruit Products sent a me a sample of Strawberry Pourable Fruit, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.