Blogs

By Catherine McCulloch

Most vegetarians I know try going vegan at one point in their lives. I am one of those vegetarians. My greatest struggle in becoming a vegan was giving up breads and pastries. Needless to say, I didn’t last more than a week. However, during that brief stint, I became addicted to vegan cookies and other vegan baked goods.

A love for San Francisco cuisine combined with a passion for vegan pastries motivated me to poke around for a vegan bakery in the city. Sadly my search was not as successful as I had hoped it would be. All of the vegan/vegan-friendly bakeries that I had discovered over the course of my research have apparently closed! I was left stranded in the most vegan friendly city in the US with no dairy-free and egg-free goodies!

Feeling zapped of energy and on a general sugar low I decided to head over to my favorite coffee shop, Ritual Roasters. Upon walking through the door I remembered why Ritual is my favorite coffee shop: it carries delicious vegan treats! Vegan donuts, vegan pound cake, vegan cupcakes…..! My mouth began to water. I ordered a slice of the apple cinnamon dessert bread. It was quite scrumptious - a little too dry, but perfect when paired with coffee. (I had previously tried the strawberry bread and it was perfectly moist! I have yet to sample the donuts but I've heard that they are a no-go).

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Always wanted to become a locavore but never knew exactly how to start? Well, here's your chance: the 2nd Edition Bay Area Local Food Guide is coming! It lists over one thousand spots in the Bay Area that buy and sell local food -- from restaurants and retailers to farmers markets and caterers. To celebrate, Buy Fresh Buy Local and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) are throwing a party at the Fort Mason Officer's Club (1 Fort Mason) this afternoon, Thursday, June 26, beginning at 4:30. Local food and wine will be in abundance (check the complete list here), and you'll have the chance to meet some of the fine folks who produce these goodies. Then at 6:30 a local food panel convenes to grapple with the question 'Why Local is the Answer.' Among the panelists are Jered Lawson of Pie Ranch, Alison Negrin of John Muir Health, and Simon Richard of Bi-Rite Market -- moderated by Bill Fujimoto of Monterey Market. Dessert is at 7:30, along with farmer-to-chef networking. The event runs $30 per person. Buy yours at Brown Paper Tickets or at the door. For more information call 510-832-4625.

-- Brian Bernbaum

Never mind all that stuff you've been hearing about tomatoes with salmonella. It's summertime, tomato season, and there aren't any tainted tomatoes around here -- only round, red, juicy, delicious ones. The folks at La Cocina Community Kitchen (2948 Folsom at 25th St.) know this, which is why tonight they're hosting The Secrets of Salsa: A Guided Tour Through Mexico's Culinary Foundations. The La Cocina chefs will lead participants through authentic salsa preparation in four steps, putting together several salsas designed to compliment summertime munching. Then, in case you're a little rusty on the old barbecue, Culinary Director Jason Rose will lead an outdoor grilling demo and show you how to get those perfect grill marks you've always wanted. Participating chefs include Dilsa Lugo of Los Cilantros and Veronica Salazar of El Huarache Loco. And even if you're not the type that takes kindly to learning, no worries: there will be cocktails, and in the end a wine-paired dinner. The (mostly tax-deductible) tickets cost $110 per person; email caleb@lacocinasf.org or buy online at Brown Paper Tickets.

-- Brian Bernbaum

They're cranking up the seasonal juices at SoMa Ital-ifornia spot Luce Restaurant (888 Howard at 5th St. in the InterContinental Hotel) with "Farm to Table" tasting menus now happening every Sunday Supper (so quaint and non-corporate hotel sounding). Here's how it works: Chef Dominique Crenn -- who has soaked up plenty of accolades since Luce opened less than six months ago -- will go get inspired at the farmers markets on Saturday, and assemble her menu based on what's looking good. And the price is right at four courses for $45 per person, $65 with wine pairing. A recent sample menu included some tasty-sounding morsels: Coke Farms Baby Fava Beans, Sweet Corn, and White Nectarine Salad; Marin Sun Farms Flat Iron Steak and Capay Farms Asparagus; Bellwether Farms Fromage Blanc Cheesecake with Marshall Farms Honey and Blue Moon Organic Strawberries. Despite enough brand names to choke a horse, this is drool-worthy. Call 616-6566 for reservations.

-- Brian Bernbaum

Around Town:

It's not every day an Indian restaurant opens in San Francisco, but, rare as that may be, it's downright unheard of for a restaurant billed as an "Indian taqueria" to open its doors, which is one reason Kasa Indian Eatery (4001 18th St. at Noe) in the Castro has been grabbing so much interest among foodies since its opening last week. With a sparse but focused menu centered on tried-and-true flavors, Kasa invites an easy comparison to taquerias by serving its dishes one of two ways: wrapped in kati rolls using traditional roti bread - similar to our beloved burritos - or as a thali plate with basmati rice and daal. "Our specialty is the kati roll, which originated in Calcutta," says co-owner Tim Volkema, who opened Kasa with partner Suresh Khanna and chef Anamika Khanna. "We're the first to do it anywhere outside New York City, and certainly the only people doing it here in San Francisco. We wanted to do a simple menu to try and bring Indian food to people who maybe aren't as familiar with it, to represent Indian food in more of a modern way." Kasa is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

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Word has it that local seafood purveyor Cafe Maritime (2417 Lombard at Scott) in the Marina has unleashed quite a promising promotional offer: free dinner on your birthday. But wait, it gets even better. Slap down your Driver's License anytime during the month of your birthday, and they'll give you a free entree. Take that Denny's! Might I suggest Linguine and Clams ($15.50) or the Lobster Roll ($18.50)? Now for the mercifully brief fine print: the offer is valid the entire month of your birthday, but can only be redeemed once; minimum two-person dinner party. For reservations call 885-2530.

-- Brian Bernbaum

With the Fourth Annual Pinot Days Festival in town later this week (June 25 - 29), there's no shortage of events to check out. In fact, there's an almost overwhelming number of tastings, vendors, and parties crammed into this five-day extravaganza. Here's two to check out:

(Click the image for a full slideshow.)

By Catherine McCulloch

“Milk and cereal, milk and cereal, milk and cereal, milk and cereal...” Artist Ryan Alexiev’s allegory of consumerism gets a little soggy at his new exhibit at the gallery Mission 17. On the other hand, I left the exhibit with cheerios on the brain.

Alexiev, a San Francisco local, explores the history and social implications of cereal consumption through his art. The didactic nature of his work makes this exhibit feel like a lesson on mass consumerism with an emphasis on advertising. Alexiev creatively uses different forms of media to get his message across, and some of his work is borderline genius. It’s one of those exhibits you walk through and wonder if the artist might be just a tad insane.

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Place: Bar Bambino Cafe & Wine Bar (2931 16th Street)

Occasion: Sunday dinner

Style: Italian

Price: Upper mid, take a gander.

Fancy Factor: Narrow, lots of dark colors. Very New Yorky. The napkins come rolled and bound with brown leather straps. Think rustic, not kinky.

Rationale: I'd been hearing great things about this place for months, just waiting for the the best opportunity to pounce. Plus, who can resist the charms of that particular stretch of 16th Street between Mission and South Van Ness? The site of several firsts for me: first genuine grade-a pimp'n'hoe-talking-business sighting and first crack-smoking in broad daylight sighting. Bambino held almost as many surprises, but thankfully they were happier, tastier, less illicit ones.

Follow the jump for the up close and personal ...

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The lower Haight's newest, coolest, and maybe only laid-back-yet-upscale Italian joint Uva Enoteca (568 Haight at Steiner) is planning a weekend of wine tasting, winemaking, and wine history. Kind of like summer school, only with Sopressata. So throw on a pair of reading glasses (makes you look smarter) and check out Saturday's (June 21) Introduction to Italian Wines at 3:45 p.m., which covers all the bases, and for $35 a piece, guests will probably get plenty of hands-on practice with the wine. For more information or to reserve your spot call 415-829-2024 or email info@uvaenoteca.com.

-- Brian Bernbaum

Chicken, encore of potato gratin (there are only four sides offered, but they’re all good), and green salad topped with marinated peppers.

Ironwood BBQ
Golden Gate Park Golf Course
47th Ave. and Fulton
Photos by Janine Kahn, Captions by Meredith Brody

In this week's food column, "'Cue the Applause," our Meredith Brody digs into some delicious BBQ at a hidden restaurant at the Golden Gate Park Golf Course. If her article didn't make your mouth water, these photos surely will.

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