San Francisco Restaurants and Dining - SFoodie

Snacktion: Skwinkles Salsagheti

Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 10:00AM

T. Palmer

Name: Salsagheti
Brand: Skwinkles
Origin: Mexico
Found at: La Loma Produce #7 (2695 San Bruno at Bacon)
Cost: $1.70
Ingredients: Straws: Corn syrup, wheat flour, sugar, dextrose, sorbitol, citric acid, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, chili powder, glycerin, iodized salt, wheat fiber, sodium lactate, lactic acid, sodium citrate, malic acid, artifical flavor, mono and diglicerides, lecithin soy, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, colors FD&C (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6), titanium dioxide. Sauce: Water, sugar, iodized salt, citric acid, chili powder, modified corn starch, caramel color, xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose, arabic gum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, ascorbic acid, artificial flavor.
Calories per serving: Not listed
The word: Chewy, sweet, and spicy mango candy ropes disguised as pasta.
Tasting notes: The runny tamarind "salsa" adds a pleasant bit of extra sourness to the "noodles" but they also taste fine enough naked.
Buy it again? Definitely pro-Skwinkles.
Extra credit: Also available in watermelon, tamarind, and several sour varieties.

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Tags: Snacktion

Snacktion: Voodoo Potato Chips

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Nov. 16 2009 @ 12:50PM

T. Palmer

Name: Voodoo Potato Chips
Brand: Zapp's
Origin: Gramercy, Louisiana
Found at: Queen's Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe (3030 San Bruno at Paul)
Cost: $1.25
Ingredients: Potatoes, peanut oil, sugar, salt, sodium diacetate, torula yeast, dextrose, onion powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, garlic powder, paprika and turmeric extract, paprika, spice, natural smoke flavor.
Calories per serving: 203
The word: Kettle-cooked potato chips fried in peanut oil and doused with "secret" spices from Louisiana.
Tasting notes: These have a bit of a kick, but aren't atomically hot, with a paprika-tinged finish. Good crunch, too.
Buy it again? Yes, and probably with a bag or three of the similar Cajun Crawtator flavor as well.
Extra credit: Take our cue and have a Louisiana-style throwdown with authentic po boys, seafood platters, and bags of Zapp's at the newly opened Queen's in the Portola District.

Follow us on Twitter: @SFoodie

Tags: Cajun food, Snacktion

Snacktion: Sweet Onion and Crème Fraîche Flat Bread

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Nov. 9 2009 @ 9:00AM

T. Palmer

Name: Sweet Onion and Crème Fraîche Flat Bread
Brand: Rustic Bakery
Origin: Sonoma
Found at: Faletti's (308 Broderick at Fell)
Cost: $5.99
Ingredients:Unbleached flour, seasonal sweet onions, creme fraiche, olive oil, turbinado sugar, wild yeast starter, sesame seeds, sea salt.
Calories per serving: 80
The word: Artisan flat bread made by hand in small batches.
Tasting notes: The delicate, muted flavor is still strong enough to shine on its own without the crutch of condiments.
Buy it again? Yep, they're quite addictive.
Extra credit: Even though the wrapper suggests Gruyère, cheddar, and Dry Jack, our perfect pairing is a package of these slathered with some luscious goat cheese.

Tags: food find, snacks

Snacktion: Edamame & Chocolate

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion, Vegan / Raw Eats

Monday, Nov. 2 2009 @ 9:00AM

T. Palmer

Name: Edamame & Chocolate
Brand: Jade Chocolates
Origin: San Francisco
Found at: Chocolate Covered (4069 24th St. at Noe)
Cost: $12
Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate, dry roasted edamame, sea salt.
Calories per serving: Not listed
The word: Local independent confectioner Jade Chocolates packages these party-sized treats in Chinese take-out boxes. Edamame, the green soybeans that are a staple at sushi joints, are roasted, dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder.
Tasting notes: Go the slow route and suck the chocolate off first to really experience the nutty soybean flavor. If that sounds too freaky, you'll just get a nice sweet crunch if you chew it up quickly. Win-win.
Buy it again? Yes, although the price point will limit the frequency. (Maybe they'll consider offering a smaller size at some point?)
Extra credit: They're vegan!

Tags: food find, sweet beat

Snacktion: Ricas Nutelas

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Oct. 26 2009 @ 10:00AM

T. Palmer

Name: Ricas Nutelas
Brand: Canyon Market
Origin: San Francisco
Found at: Canyon Market (2815 Diamond at Bosworth)
Cost: $4.99
Ingredients: Flour, water, cinnamon, sugar, cream cheese, Nutella, strawberries.
Calories per serving: Not listed
The word: Cinnamon sugar tortilla chips are united with fresh strawberries and generous lashings of Nutella and cream cheese. Why didn't we think of this epic dessert sandwich?
Tasting notes: Though small, these are rich, so they're ideal to share or -- if you're greedy like we are -- eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even though it's practically winter already, luckily, Canyon Market still has sweet, ripe berries, which really are the key here.
Buy it again? Eff yeah.
Extra credit: Canyon Market has a number of house-made treats that are akin to Scooby snacks; another dessert that caught our eye and held our gaze was a large and fetching pine nut macaroon.

Tags: food find, Glen Park

Snacktion: Tempt Coconut Lime Frozen Hempmilk Dessert

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion, Vegan / Raw Eats

Tuesday, Oct. 20 2009 @ 10:10AM

Name: Tempt Coconut Lime Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Brand: Living Harvest
Origin: Portland
Found at: Other Avenues (3930 Judah at 45th Ave.)
Cost: $4.79
Ingredients: Hempmilk, tapioca solids, sugar, coconut base, sunflower and/or safflower oil, Key lime swirl (water, evaporated cane juice, lime juice concentrate, rice starch, citric acid, guar gum), coconut blend (pineapple juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, coconut cream, water, sugar, gum arabic, ethyl alcohol, xanthan gum, natural flavors), toasted coconut, agave inulin, tapioca starch, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, natural flavor.
Calories per serving: 150
The word: Hemp isn't just for smoking; it also makes a wonderful soy-free milk substitute.
Tasting notes: There's a rich mouth feel here that doesn't pop up in most of the leading soy and coconut milk-based frozen desserts. The lime is sweet and subtle, leaving the toasted coconut free to take the top note.
Buy it again? Definitely.
Extra credit: Tempt also comes in chocolate fudge, coffee biscotti, mint chip, and vanilla bean.

Tags: food find, frozen desserts

Bacon Potato Chips: Now Just a Few Clicks Away

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Pavement Cuisine, Snacktion

Tuesday, Oct. 13 2009 @ 10:00AM

Alexandra Restrepo

Who's Your Daddy? handmade bacon potato chips, a staple of the local street-food scene, recently improved its recipe by using a thicker ridge cut from russets rather than the thinner cut from Kennebecs that was previously in the bag. Just in time, too, for WYD bacon potato chips' availability via mail order from Foodzie.

Ordering online means you have to take at least five ($25) or 10 bags($48), plus pay shipping, but we're always kicking ourselves after we've only bought one on the streets anyway. This will also save you from trawling the Mission looking for WYD head honcho Bill at odd hours.

Tags: street food

Snacktion: Camembert Cheese Cookies

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Oct. 12 2009 @ 9:04AM

T. Palmer

Name: Camembert Cheese Cookies
Brand: Nature Sect
Origin: Japan
Found at: Nippon-ya (1737 Post at Buchanan)
Cost: $4.95
Ingredients: Wheat flour, butter, sugar, canola oil, soybean oil, palm oil, cream cheese, Camembert cheese powder, egg, salt, spices, artificial flavors.
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: The promise of "pure" Camembert cheese in that cookie vessel you've longed to meet.
Tasting notes: Crumbly, bland, dry. Cheesy.
Buy it again? Probably not.
Extra credit: Spread some actual Camembert on top. Or maybe not.

Tags: food find, Japantown

Yasukochi's Rice Cracker Cookies Solve the Salty/Sweet Conundrum

By Tamara Palmer in Food Find, Palmer, Snacktion, Sweet Beat

Wednesday, Oct. 7 2009 @ 11:15AM

T. Palmer

Tucked inside the tiny Super Mira grocery store, the 35-year-old bakery Yasukochi's Sweet Stop (1790 Sutter at Buchanan) is largely known for its version of the classic Blum's coffee crunch cake. There's not a lot here to remind you of the neighborhood's Japanese heritage but for one other highlight under Yasukochi's glass. It's an original invention that would be easy to miss while gazing at cake.

Rice cracker cookies (sold in bags of a dozen for $9) satisfy that complicated simultaneous craving for both salty and sweet, though the taste does lean more towards the former than the latter. The rich butter cookie shatters to reveal a more than generous smattering of crushed orange rice crackers inside. And if you just can't get that coffee crunch cake off your brain, Yasukochi's will sell you a bag of the topping for five bucks.

Tags: food find, Japanese Food, Japantown

Snacktion: Inka Crops' Plantain Chips

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Oct. 5 2009 @ 9:30AM

T. Palmer

Name: Plantain Chips
Brand: Inka Crops
Origin: Citrus Heights
Found at: Rainbow Grocery (1745 Folsom at 13th St.)
Cost: $2.99
Ingredients: Plantains, palm olein, salt.
Calories per serving: 140
The word: Plantain is a cousin of the banana that's similar in texture, yet more savory than sweet.
Tasting notes: Thick-cut and hearty, with a great crunch and just enough salt.
Buy it again? Yes.
Extra credit: The Inka Corn line of snacks blows Corn Nuts clear out of the water.

Tags: food find

Snacktion: Frog Hollow Farm's Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion, Sweet Beat

Monday, Sep. 28 2009 @ 9:18AM

T Palmer

Name: Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brand: Frog Hollow Farm
Origin: Brentwood
Found at: Frog Hollow Farm Market (One Ferry Plaza at the Embarcadero)
Cost: $3.50
Ingredients: Organic flour, organic butter, organic sugar, eggs, Scharffen Berger chocolate, organic walnuts, organic dried cherries, vanilla, salt.
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: Frog Hollow has been growing a variety of tasty stone fruits on its San Joaquin Valley-based farm for more than 30 years.
Tasting notes: These tiny cookies have a pleasing combo of chewy and crisp. Well-balanced and not too sweet.
Buy it again? Totally.
Extra credit: Frog Hollow Farm Market has a variety of ways to get into sweet trouble, from pies and tarts to actual fresh fruit.

Tags: Ferry Building

Snacktion: Hawaiian Hurricane Mochi Crunch + Nori Popcorn

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Thursday, Sep. 24 2009 @ 9:37AM

T. Palmer

Name: Hawaiian Hurricane Mochi Crunch & Nori Popcorn
Brand: Hawaii Popcorn Company
Origin: Hawaii
Found at: Uoki K Sakai Co. (1656 Post at Laguna)
Cost: $6.77
Ingredients: Popcorn, buttery topping (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt), mochi crunch (rice, soy sauce), sugar, seaweed, sesame seeds, tapioca starch, caramel, yellow 5 & 6, red 3, blue 1, nori (sesame seeds, sugar, seaweed, salt, dl-alanine, MSG).
Calories per serving: 80
The word: What initially seems like a high price tag for a single packet of microwave popcorn is tempered by the fact that it makes close to a gallon (or five servings).
Tasting notes: A glorious collision of multiple MSG streams, this is a salt-lover's paradise.
Buy it again? Yes, although we're tempted to make our own and cut down on the potentially dangerous sodium levels.
Extra credit: Uoki K Sakai, a specialist Japanese grocer that's been open since 1906, carries a number of items imported from Hawaii.

Tags: snacks

Snacktion: La Cascada's Lentil Salad

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Sep. 21 2009 @ 9:00AM

T. Palmer

Name: Lentil Salad
Brand: La Cascada
Origin: Berkeley
Found at: Rainbow Grocery (1745 Folsom at 13th St.)
Cost: $3.99
Ingredients: Green lentils, red and yellow bell pepper, carrots, feta chese, balsamic onion, garlic, fresh parsley, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, fresh ground black pepper.
Calories per serving: Not listed
The word: This Mexican-and-more eatery offers a range of small salads and entrees
Tasting notes: The lentils are perfectly al dente and the flavor is simple and bright.
Buy it again? Yep.
Extra credit: Try the Thai burrito at La Cascada's two locations (2975 College Ave. at Ashby; 2164 Center at Oxford, Berkeley).

Snacktion: My Goodness Bar from Chocolate Visions

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion, Sweet Beat

Monday, Sep. 14 2009 @ 10:00AM

T. Palmer

Name: My Goodness Bar
Brand: Chocolate Visions
Origin: Scotts Valley
Found at: Fog City News (455 Market at Montgomery)
Cost: $6.95
Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate, honey roasted peanuts, salt, modified food starch, coconut.
Calories per serving: Not listed
The word: Lloyd and Lindy Martin's family-owned business makes custom chocolates for neighboring Santa Cruz County wineries in addition to their own Chocolate Visions truffles and bars.
Tasting notes: Dense and rich, only the tiniest square is needed to appreciate the flavors and not be totally bowled over. Heaven help the person who attempts to tackle this whole thing in one sitting.
Buy it again? My goodness, yes.
Extra credit: Fog City News has the most extensive and most interesting selection of premium chocolate bars in the area and often has special store-exclusive sets of chocolates crafted by the locally and internationally reknown.

Snacktion: La Graziosa's Peanut Butter Zebra

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Sep. 7 2009 @ 10:00AM

Name: Peanut Butter Zebra
Brand: La Graziosa
Origin: Vallejo
Found at: Faletti Foods (308 Broderick at Fell)
Cost: $6.49
Ingredients: Unbleached wheat flour, Guittard chocolate, peanut butter, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract.
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: A twist on the classic black and white, the Zebra is a peanut butter cookie that's been dipped halfway in dark Guittard chocolate.
Tasting notes: Nice 'n soft. Despite containing peanut halves, the Zebra aren't very peanut buttery, but the chocolate dipped part is sufficiently rich.
Buy it again? Yes.
Extra credit: The company's full trademarked name is La Graziosa, The Grateful Cookie.

Snacktion: Gold Rush Kettle Corn

By Tamara Palmer in Snacktion

Monday, Aug. 31 2009 @ 9:00AM

Name: Kettle Corn
Brand: Gold Rush
Origin: Benicia
Found at: Other Avenues (3930 Judah at 44th Ave.)
Cost: $3.99
Ingredients: Organic popcorn, organic expeller pressed soybean oil, organic evaporated cane juice, sea salt.
Calories per serving: 150
The word: From Bay Area farmers' markets to wide-screen distribution at retail spots like Whole Foods and Long's Drugs, Gold Rush kettle corn is a local, independent success story.
Tasting notes: In contrast to the many cloying kettle corn varieties on the market, these fat, addictive kernels hold a mercifully light and sweet glaze.
Buy it again? Mos def.
Extra credit: If sugar isn't on the agenda, Gold Rush's newer sea salted variety hits the spot.

Tags: food finds

Snacktion: 479° Chipotle Caramel + Almonds Popcorn

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Aug. 24 2009 @ 9:00AM

479popcorn.com

Name: Chipotle Caramel + Almonds
Brand: 479° Popcorn
Origin: San Francisco
Found at: Rainbow Grocery (1745 Folsom at 13th St.)
Cost: $5.99
Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic popcorn, organic almonds, organic agave syrup, organic butter, organic molasses, organic sunflower oil, organic coconut oil, organic spices (chipotle, ancho, cumin, allspice), sea salt, baking soda.
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: Jean Arnold uses organic heirloom kernels (and not that inbred mess that appears in your microwave bag) and hand grinds her own spices for her haute popcorn line.
Tasting notes: Mellowed out by the sweetness of the caramel and the natural fat in the almonds, the chipotle flavor is warm without being overtly spicy. Small, dense kernels pack a pleasing crunch. So pleasing, it isn't hard to inhale what appears to be a large box in one sitting.
Buy it again? Yes.
Extra credit: There's a danger that you'll find at least one of Arnold's eight flavors to be insatiably addictive. Even with our sweet tooth, it's the White Truffle + Cheddar for us, followed closely by this one.

Tags: food find

New People Introduces New Nibbles With Japanese Flair

By Tamara Palmer in Opening, Palmer, Snacktion

Friday, Aug. 21 2009 @ 2:50PM

We stopped by the recently-opened Japanese pop complex New People (1746 Post at Webster) and found it to be a feast for the eyes, especially if you have a thing for the Gothic Lolita look. On the ground floor, the tiny Café serves Blue Bottle Coffee, light meals (pork cutlet sandwiches, bento boxes, and curry) from Delica rf-1, and truffles from XOX.

There were also some new-to-us bites from indie S.F. kitchen Book of Tea, like the gobble-worthy kinako (soybean flour) and matcha green tea meringues, and organic popcorn spiced with curry, wasabi, and shichimi. We loved the latter's subtle heat and faint hints of mandarin orange peel and sesame. We also tried the Nutty Cake on the recommendation of a cashier, who confessed that he had eaten a whole display of them, and enjoyed its mild almond flavor and blend of walnut and chestnut chunks. These unique snacks (each $3) would be an ideal accompaniment to the anime and other modern Japanese films being screened by VIZ Cinema in the basement.

Snacktion: Orobello's Sourdough Classic Crackers

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Aug. 17 2009 @ 11:20AM

Name: Sourdough Classic Crackers
Brand: Orobello
Origin: South San Francisco/South Africa
Found at: Andronicos (1200 Irving at 14th Ave.)
Cost: $3.99
Ingredients: Unbleached wheat flour, expeller pressed palm oil, salt, expeler pressed vegetable oil, sugar, yeast, glucose, lactic acid, invert syrup, golden syrup, raising agents, malt extract, emulsifier, flour improver.
Calories per serving: 99
The word: With a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge emblazoned on the package, these South Africa-created, South San Francisco-distributed crackers are basically claiming to be the snack of our city.
Tasting notes: Deliciously crispy with substantial heft and a strong sourdough note, but are a bit dry when naked.
Buy it again? Yes.
Extra credit: Try them with sweet cream butter and an array of salts (Himalayan, truffle, etc.).

Snacktion: Bacon Potato Chips from the Streets of the Mission

By John Birdsall, SFoodie Editor in Pavement Cuisine, Snacktion

Monday, Aug. 10 2009 @ 12:13PM

J. Birdsall

Surprisingly delicate, with a subtle taste of bacon.

Name: Real Bacon Handmade Potato Chips

Brand: Who's Your Daddy

Origin: San Francisco

Found at: Um -- weekends, somewhere on the streets of the Mission.

Cost: $3 for a bag that weighed in at just over 2 ounces on our kitchen scale. Bill told us he doesn't weigh the chips, just packs them into the bags.

Ingredients: Not listed. We're guesing russets, bacon, salt, and oil.

J. Birdsall
Back story: Earlier this summer, street-food vendor Bill (last name withheld for obvious reasons) had an epiphany: Slice spuds, and fry them in oil bobbing with bacon slices. WYD bacon potato chips made their first appearance in Dolores Park on July 3rd. Bill told us he was overwhelmed by the response.

Tasting notes: Extraordinarily delicate -- the chips are thin as a Fast Pass, which allows them to go deliciously brown during frying. Definitely not greasy (well, not excessively so), with moderate salt and a thoroughly subtle hog smokiness. Each bag contains both a big hunk and tiny, frizzled pieces of bacon. but despite the double-pork goodness, the taste is subtler than a lot of chocolaty bacon sweets we've choked down (only to revisit as bacon burps).

Buy 'em again?: First chance we get.

Extra credit: Part of the new wave of underground Mission street vendors, Who's Your Daddy is cagey about broadcasting its whereabouts. Follow WYD's Twitter updates to find out where you can score. Bill told us his Web site should go live any minute now -- we'll update to let you know when.

Tags: food finds

Snacktion: The Food Mill's Peanut Butter Bars

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Aug. 3 2009 @ 9:00AM

Name: Peanut Butter Bars
Brand: The Food Mill
Origin: Oakland
Found at: Other Avenues (3930 Judah at 44th Ave.)
Cost: $2.49
Ingredients: Stone ground organically grown whole wheat flour, dark brown sugar, fresh peanut butter, honey, fresh eggs, unbleached flour, canola oil, soda
Calories per serving: 90
The word: The bag's No Preservatives promise (as well as the fact that The Food Mill has been in business since 1933) seemed to guarantee that these would be a safe purchase.
Tasting notes: The first bite wasn't too good -- somehow, we expected more from a cookie than a bland, health bar flavor, but the taste improved with subsequent bites. The texture was pleasingly soft, but also a bit on the dry side.
Buy it again? Not quite sweet enough for us, so we'd probably go for The Food Mill's honey and fruit bars instead. Or head straight for the sunflower and sesame or ginger versions for something more savory. But then again, we probably shouldn't have purchased these when we were really in the mood for dessert.
Extra credit: Visit The Food Mill's retail store (3033 MacArthur at Maple, Oakland) to explore the company's full product line, not to mention other health foods and supplements from several manufacturers.

Tags: food find

Snacktion: Salty Pepper Somersaults

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Jul. 27 2009 @ 10:39AM

Name: Salty Pepper Somersaults
Brand: Somersault Snack Co.
Origin: Berkeley
Found at: The Good Life (448 Cortland at Gates)
Cost: $1.79
Ingredients: Sunflower seeds, wheat flour, seasoning, whole wheat flour, sesame seeds, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed high oleic sunflower oil, chicory root fiber, evaporated cane juice, modified food starch, sea salt.
Calories per serving: 160
The word: These pirate-themed nuggets are the latest weapon in the war against the evil fats and chemical weirdness of potato chips.
Tasting notes: A satisfying crunch, followed by the discovery of whole sunflower seeds in the middle. They're thankfully not over-seasoned, so the flavors of the grains really come through.
Buy it again? Sure, especially when we're feeling too guilty to buy chips.
Extra credit: Somersaults are also available in S.S. Sea Salt and Chez Cocoa flavors.

Snacktion: Tortilla Slaw from the Good Life

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Jul. 20 2009 @ 1:05PM

Name: Tortilla Slaw
Brand: The Good Life
Origin: San Francisco
Found at: The Good Life (448 Cortland at Gates)
Cost: $5.49/lb
Ingredients: Cabbage, carrots, celery, feta cheese, tortilla chips.
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: An all-American picnic treat goes south of the border.
Tasting notes: Creamy without being soggy, and surprisingly flavorful despite its few ingredients, this kicks regular cole slaw's ass.
Buy it again? Yes, and will probably try to duplicate the recipe at home first.
Extra credit: This is just one of many yummy items in the Good Life deli case.

Tags: Bernal Heights

Snacktion: Bean and Cheese Pupusas from Casa Sanchez

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Friday, Jul. 17 2009 @ 10:00AM

Name: Bean and Cheese Pupusas
Brand: Casa Sanchez
Origin: South San Francisco
Found at: Andronicos (1200 Irving at 14th Ave.)
Cost: $4.99
Ingredients: Corn flour, pinto beans, jack cheese, canola oil, onions, cumin, paprika.
Calories per serving: 174
The word: Originally an invention from El Salvador some 3,000 years ago, pupusas are now a regular presence on these shores. They're sometimes mistaken for Mexican creations.
Tasting notes: Yummy and definitely filling, if a bit dry. They're better when you add condiments.
Buy it again? Yes.
Extra credit: Try them with Casa Sanchez's addictively thick and crispy tortilla chips and hot salsa.

Snacktion: Trader Joe's Dried Rambutan

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Tuesday, Jul. 7 2009 @ 6:30PM

Name: Dried Rambutan
Brand: Trader Joe's
Origin: Thailand
Found at: Trader Joe's (265 Winston at 20th Ave.)
Cost: $3.29
Ingredients: Rambutan.
Calories per serving: 150
The word: A fleshier, spikier, and all-around sassier cousin to lychee, rambutan is one of the scariest looking, yet sweetest tasting fruits around.
Tasting notes: Since the rambutan are freeze-dried, they end up tasting a bit dry and mealy. But there's something at least somewhat addicting about the crunch.
Buy it again? Only in a moment of weakness.
Extra credit: Try fresh rambutan at Berkeley Bowl (2020 Oregon St. at Adeline, Berkeley).

Snacktion: Buttons and Bows from Marsha's Marvelous

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Wednesday, Jul. 1 2009 @ 9:00AM

Name: Buttons and Bows Pasta Salad
Brand: Marsha's Marvelous
Origin: South San Francisco
Found at: Other Avenues (3930 Judah at 45th Ave.)
Cost: $3.89
Ingredients: Semolina pasta, canola and olive oil, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, balsamic vinegar, green onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, parsley, herbs and spices.
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: Marsha's has been a local food service provider for more than 20 years and recently started offering some of its no-preservatives soups, salads, and meals for retail sale.
Tasting notes: The opposite of all those soggy pasta salads, this has wonderful crunch and fresh flavor.
Buy it again? Yes.
Extra credit: Marsha's also makes burrito-like "Wrapps" in intriguing varieties like "Manila," "Gaza," and "Indonesian."

Snacktion: Candycap Mushroom Cheesecake from San Francisco Cheesequake

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion, Sweet Beat

Wednesday, Jun. 24 2009 @ 8:00AM

Name: Candycap Mushroom Cheesecake with Pecan Shortbread Crust
Brand: San Francisco Cheesequake
Origin: San Francisco
Found at: Blue Fog Market (2794 California at Divisadero)
Cost: $9.99
Ingredients: Cream cheese, sugar, golden brown sugar, flour, butter, whole fresh eggs, pecans, candycap mushrooms, bourbon vanilla bean, kosher salt.
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: Peter Rizo makes cheesecake with surprising flavors. The candycap is a real live mushroom, a West Coast native with a weirdly sweet smell and a taste like butterscotch.
Tasting notes: We expected to bite into chunks of 'shroom, and were happy to find it blended into the batter instead. It's really not a radical flavor, and it works.
Buy it again? We really shouldn't, but we know we will.
Extra credit: San Francisco Cheesequake's other oddities include Chartreuse, masala spiced, chanterelles-apricot brandy, and Gorgonzola-poached pear cheesecakes.

Tags: food finds

Snacktion: Pineapple Pasteles from Elisa's Café

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Tuesday, Jun. 16 2009 @ 1:15PM

Name: Pineapple Pasteles
Brand: Elisa's Café
Origin: San Francisco
Found at: Rainbow Grocery (1745 Folsom at Division)
Cost: $4.29
Ingredients: Organic sugar, organic flour, organic salt, organic pineapple, organic cinnamon, soybean oil, olive oil
Calories per serving: Not listed, which must mean they have no calories, right?
The word: Pasteles are made with a wide array of fillings that are often savory, but here they take on a simple, sweet twist.
Tasting notes: These are clean, light, and nicely flaky -- even with the absence of butter.
Buy it again? Yes, and will maybe buy two next time. They went quick.
Extra credit: Try them in person at Elisa's Café (4901 Mission at France), a Nicaraguan restaurant in the Excelsior.

Tags: Excelsior

Snacktion: Zesty Bhel from Bombay Spice House in Berkeley

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, Jun. 8 2009 @ 4:20PM

Name: Bhel
Brand: Zesty Sweets and Snacks
Origin: Milpitas
Found at: Bombay Spice House (1036 University at San Pablo, Berkeley)
Cost: $3.29
Ingredients: Murmura, sev, papdi, spices, salt, oil
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: Ubiquitous in India but still a novelty here, bhel is puffed, spice rice.
Tasting notes: Apart from the texture, it's about as far from Rice Krispies as you can get, especially the suggestion of lingering heat. The flavor alone packs a ton of snap, crackle, and pop.
Buy it again? Yes, and we also want to try Zesty's other mixes, especially the spicy chana.
Extra credit: If you've never been, Bombay Spice House is an intriguing shop carrying a lot more than just spices. Seek out a huge array of Snacktion items as well as fragrant beauty products.

Tags: food finds

Snacktion: Botanas Felicitas' Pepitas Con Chile

By Tamara Palmer in Palmer, Snacktion

Monday, May. 25 2009 @ 9:00AM

Name: Pepitas Con Chile
Brand: Botanas Felicitas
Origin: San Francisco
Found at: Rainbow Grocery (1175 Folsom at Division)
Cost: $2.49
Ingredients: Oven-roasted organic pumpkin seeds, organic chile de arbol, organic lime juice, salt
Calories per serving: Not listed.
The word: Spicy nuts, plain and simple.
Tasting notes: The chile is zingy, but not overbearing unless you shove a ton of these in your mouth all at once, as SFoodie is wont to do.
Buy it again? Yes, but will probably try the lime variety first.
Extra credit: Botanas Felicitas operates out of La Cocina, an incubator kitchen in the Mission that provides kitchen space and entrepreneurial training for minority women in the Bay Area.