My Dishcrawl adventure in the Island

It was my first. First time to host a dishcrawl. Probably my first time doing anything like this. It took me more than a month of planning, talking, emailing, researching, tweeting and facebooking and finally the day has arrived. Dishcrawl time and what better place to do it is in my hometown, Alameda. What the heck is Dishcrawl anyway? It's a fun social experience where diners go to 4 different restaurants in one night and taste specialty dishes from each restaurant. It's like a pub crawl but with food.

First stop: Angela's Bar and Bistro

It was a night full of amazing food, great conversations, new friends and a little bit of Bacon.
I know that I've learned my lesson from the last Dishcrawl to pace myself but sometimes it's just hard to control yourself especially if there are chicken wings, mac and cheese, bacon caramel bread pudding and so much more infront of you.

Crawling to our second stop

There were 40 of us dishcrawlers who met at Angela's Bistro and Bar for our first stop. I chose this restaurant as the first stop since I know they have a great bar, nice ambiance and it's located near the historic Alameda Theater. Not to mention, they've already won Best in Alameda, Best Chef and Best Prix-Fixe menu before in Alameda magazine.

Once people checked in, I've asked them to write their names on a sticker as well as their final meal they want to eat on earth. For me, it was a nice and crispy Pork Belly with a lot of fat! It's the final meal so I don't care about calories and Lipitor. I think it helped create conversations as well as connections. The popular meals I saw were oysters, bacon and cheesecake. The first meal we had at Angela's was a trio of meatball slider, their house salad and Lobster Arancini. I thought it was pretty decent. I loved the Arancini and it's chipotle-tarragon sauce. Their salad was fresh and the dressing was not bad.

Lobster Arancini, House salad and a Meatball slider

Then we crawled to PS eatery also known as Park Street Eatery. This restaurant just opened last November of 2012. I chose this restaurant mainly because they have great comfort food and it's a perfect hang-out place where diners can relax, drink some local beer and eat delicious food.
David, the owner, welcomed us and talked a little bit of history about his background and his restaurant. At this restaurant, we inhaled their famous mac and cheese, their crispy fried chicken wings with buffalo sauce and their drunken beef with garlic noodles. Along with that, the restaurant offered drink specials as well as beer flights for $5 which I thought was a great deal and a good pairing for the food we ate.
I really enjoyed the food here. It is very comforting and the place itself is just perfect for a night out with friends.  

at PS (Park Street) Eatery

Dishcrawl at PS Eatery

Menu for PS Eatery

Two blocks of crawling away from PS eatery we ended up at this cute little restaurant called Sidestreet Pho. This restaurant just opened last February of 2013. When we got there, the husband and wife team, Hanh and Minh shared their stories of inspiration about their restaurant. It was pretty amazing to hear their stories and I think it really added to the experience and even made the food we ate taste better.
I have to say they have the most beautifully plated dishes of the night. We had a seafood salad with grilled calamari and shrimp, sugarcane shrimp and their wok-fried clear noodle with meat and seafood.
I have one person who is allergic to shellfish and they even made a special dish for him which I thought is great considering all components of this dish contained shellfish. I love all of it. Even though I was almost full coming here, I finished my plate and enjoyed it.

Owners, Minh and Hanh talked about their inspiration for their restaurant

Most beautiful dish of the night from Sidestreet Pho

For our last and final stop we ended up next door at Cafe Q. They have been opened for a year now since January of 2012. Their food is great and their desserts are even better. I can probably say the best in the island. As the dishcrawlers sat down I gave them a surprise chunky treat from our friends from Pave Consulting. We all got to take home a sample of their bacon caramel popcorn. I thought it was a nice token for this dishcrawl plus they get to taste this addicting snack. Once we've all settled, Jesse Branstetter who is a part owner of the restaurant talked to us about his background and details about the restaurant and how he got involved. Our surprise guest Minh, from Sidestreet Pho was also there since he is a part owner of the restaurant. The last meal we had was their orange panna cotta, caramelized banana cake and bacon caramel bread pudding. They were all amazing. The crowd favorite was the bacon caramel bread pudding. We definitely ended on a sweet and salty note with our bellies full.

The killer dessert: Bacon Caramel Bread Pudding

Orange Panna Cotta and Caramelized Banana cake

All in all, it was a great event. Most restaurants I chose were new and I know they serve great food. I want people to try it and discover how great they are and hopefully come back to try more dishes from them.

Me with Jesse and Minh of Cafe Q

To see more photos from the event check out the Dishcrawl Oakland FB page.

Also, check out the articles published about this Dishcrawl:
Berkleyside Nosh
Alameda Journal

Corned Beef Sinigang! Your Feast for St. Patrick's Day

 St. Patrick's day is just around the corner. Yet another reason to drink beer, wear green and eat corned beef. Although when I did my research, people from Ireland don't really eat corned beef and cabbage. Wiki notes that it just became popular in the US after Irish immigrants ate corned beef instead of pork. Probably it's cheaper back then but because of that, corned beef is always associated with St. Patrick's day

Corned beef is a salt cured beef product which is marinated in different spices. It is one of my favorite dishes when I was growing up. My understanding of corned beef was always the canned meat that you fry with onions, tomatoes and potatoes served with garlic rice and topped with egg. I eat that for breakfast at least once a week back home. When I came here in the US, that's really when I tried the real thing which is totally different. No comment on which one I prefer.

The first time I've eaten Corned Beef Sinigang was back in the Philippines in this restaurant called Sentro 1771 (Check their menu and see what other amazing food they are coming up with). You can say it inspired me to make this dish. I didn't really know what to expect but when I tasted it, it works. Sinigang is a tamarind based soup and usually uses pork or shrimp. The sour component works well with the salty taste of the corned beef. The chili added that extra kick that will make you want to stuff more rice in your mouth.

Here's what you need:

• 2-3 lbs. of Corned beef. (Got mine from Trader Joes)
• 1 Cabbage (cut in quarters then halved)
• 1 lb. of Green beans/Haricots verts
• 3 Roma Tomatoes (quartered)
• 1 medium Onion (quartered)
• 3 Chili Peppers such as Jalapeno or Serrano
• 1 package of Sinigang mix (I used Sinigang with Taro/Gabi but you can use any) Found at your Asian Supermarket
• 1 tbsp. of Fish sauce

 1. First, cut the beef into 2 inch cubes.

2. In a large pot, boil the meat in 4 cups of water or until all meat is submerged. Add onions and tomatoes. You don't really have to be particular when chopping the onions and tomatoes since it will be really soft and we will strain the soup later anyways. We just want the flavor of it for the broth.

3. Simmer for about 2 hours. Once the meat is tender, add the Sinigang soup mix and simmer for another 15 minutes.

4. Transfer the meat into the serving dish (We are not done yet we just want to separate the meat and the veggies so that it's easy to mix in the pot). Put the cabbage first and cook for 5 minutes. Take it out and arrange together with the meat. Then cook your green beans for 2 minutes. Take it out and transfer to your serving dish. Add a little bit of water to the pot if needed. Add fish sauce to your liking. Strain the sauce and pour over your serving dish. Serve with rice.

 
Tips: To properly enjoy this, it's best served with steamed rice and a fish sauce. Spoon over some of the soup over the rice and drizzle some fish sauce over the meat and the rice.

If you are planning to store some of it, it's better to separate the soup from the meat and veggies so that the veggies won't be over cooked when reheating. Microwave the meat and soup then just add the veggies.

Fremont Diner - A Sonoma Pit Stop

Me and my wife only have 3 hours to spare in Sonoma so I have to think of a way to make the most out of it. Two spots came into my mind: Fremont Diner and Cornerstone. I've read about Fremont Diner on magazines and online publications and the reviews were great. And so, we drove 49 miles to Sonoma to check this place out.

Looking from the outside it doesn't seem that much. It looks like an ordinary diner and the signage appears old. When you step inside though, it's far from ordinary. It feels like your in an antique fair. It definitely has character. You'll notice rusted decor, classic posters, vintage cabinets and they even use county fair drinking jars for water. The tables are wooden picnic tables similar to those in your local parks but it's painted in a blue-greenish color. It feels like your eating outdoors which is basically true since the dining area is outside and is covered with a tent. The tent is somewhat transparent which is nice given that it's right beside a vineyard. The place is also fit for families. There's ample amount of space for the little ones to wonder. So we can say that the ambiance is great now I'm excited to taste if the food is legit.

Looking at the menu, you'll notice that it's dominantly Southern comfort food with a California-Mexican influence. There were Biscuits and Gravy, Shrimp and Grits, Hangtown Fry and Huevos Rancheros to name a few. Our server suggested Chicken and Waffles and the Black Pepper Brisket Hash. And so we listened, and both were amazing! I was surprised with the amount of chicken. There are 4 pieces of meat which I think makes the dish share-able. The waffle was okay but the chicken was the star.  It was crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside. The seasoning was spot on as well. My favorite though was the smoked black pepper brisket hash. The meat was amazing. It's smoky, peppery and very flavorful. It comes with a sunny side up fried egg, some sage and caramelized onions and potatoes. The combination is just perfect. They also serve Four Barrel coffee which is refillable. That really added up and scored more points on my book.

I just love this restaurant. Their menu even showcased the local farms that supplies their food. They also have a backyard farm where we actually saw their chickens eating baguettes. That probably explains why the eggs and the chicken were delicious. Can't get any fresher than that. I must say, I highly recommend this place. If you are ever in the Napa - Sonoma area, this is a must-eat restaurant. Start your day here before heading out to the wineries, or maybe go after being intoxicated. I think it has a lot to offer and I'd drive 49 miles again to eat at this restaurant.

Fremont Diner
2698 Fremont Drive, Sonoma, CA
707-938-7370
http://thefremontdiner.com/

Rosamunde opens in Oakland

Nuernberger bratwurst - Savory pork sausage with sweet peppers and grilled onions

It was a sausage fest last Wednesday night in Oakland. Rosamunde has finally arrived on the other side of the bay and people got excited about it. This is their 4th location ( 2 in SF, 1 in Brooklyn) and I'm glad I don't have to cross the bay to get some fine sausages. The restaurant is right beside my favorite sausage shop, Taylor's. It's where I get my Longanisa and Pork belly fix. I even heard a rumor that you can buy any sausage at Taylor's and their next door neighbor will cook it for you.

45 minute sausage line

Their opening party was a success. I didn't expect that it's going to be that packed. Average wait time to get your sausages is about 45 minutes. I guess people got really excited and can't wait till the next day to beat the crowd including myself. Their sausages were amazing and you can choose 2 toppings to go with it for $6. That night they were featuring 2  beers from Linden Street Brewery for just $1. Aside from that they also have about 16 beers on tap.

Rosamunde is a great addition to the neighborhood. I have to say, Old Oakland is going to be big this year.  Miss Ollie's recently opened as well which gives the place some Caribbean flair, there's Cosecha which serves amazing authentic Mexican food, Borgo Italia opened a few months back and local shops like Umami mart. I love what's happening in Oakland and I'm glad I work just a couple blocks up.  

Wild boar sausage with apples, cranberries and spice

Rosamunde Sausage and Grill
911 Washington Street
inside Swan's Marketplace
Oakland, CA 94607
510-338-3108
http://www.facebook.com/RosamundeSausageGrillSF

Benchmark Pizzeria

Great staff of Benchmark Pizzeria

Here are the photos I took at this cute little pizzeria in Kensington for an article for Berkleyside. Here's the link: http://www.berkeleyside.com/2012/12/11/cozy-space-wood-fired-pizza-comes-to-kensington/

I'll let the photos do the talking.

beer and wine on tap

900 F

Bacon. Brussels sprouts

Lovely couple Peter and Melissa of Benchmark Pizzeria

I never knew Kensington existed before I came to this restaurant. It's right between Berkeley and Richmond. If for any reason I need to go to this city, Benchmark would be a good one.

One Pot Dinner: Kale, Tofu and Sausage

It's Winter time or probably just Fall. Whatever season it is, when December comes you'll see a lot of greens at the market. Whether it's collard greens or kale, it becomes part of our diet during this holiday season. I adapted this recipe here:  http://savorysweetlife.com/2012/05/kale-mabo-tofu/. It looked good so I decided to try it and give my own interpretation of it. I added some porkyness to the dish by browning some Italian sausage. I think it worked well. You can probably substitute it with the sausage of your choice. Maybe Longganisa?

I think this is a pretty basic and simple recipe. It's all about just cooking the tofu and sausage and mixing them all together with kale. The only tip I would give is that when you brown the sausage, there is a time where you don't want to touch it so that it devlops that crispy caramel flavor. I would say leave it for 3 minutes on medium heat without touching it that way there would be those crispy parts.

Ingredients:

·       2 tbsp. vegetable/olive oil

·       1 tbsp. minced ginger

·       1 tbsp. minced garlic

·       1 tsp. red chili flakes (optional)

·       half of a medium red onion, diced

·       1 pound Italian Pork sausage

·       1 package firm tofu, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

·       2 tbsp. oyster flavor sauce

·       1 tbsp. soy sauce

·       1 cup chicken broth

·       4 cups baby kale leaves (chopped)

·       2 tbsp. chopped scallions/green onions

Instructions:

1.     Add 1 tbsp. vegetable oil to a large skillet heat on medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned. (Make sure to remove the casing of the sausage and break it down while cooking it. I also leave it about 2-3 minutes without touching it so that there will be some crispy parts – The best part J). Set aside

2.      Cook Tofu. What I did was to bake it until crispy. 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping it halfway through. You can also fry it if you want. Set aside.

  

3.      Using the same pan where you cooked the sausage, heat it on medium heat and add remaining oil. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for about a minute, just enough to soften the garlic and for it to be aromatic. Add chili flakes and onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until onions are soft.

4.       Add Pork, mix. Add Tofu, mix well. 

5.       Add soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix and cook for about 2 minutes.

6.       Stir in the chicken broth. 

7.      When the broth begins to bubble in a light simmer, add the kale. You may want to add kale in batches so your pan is not crowded.

8.      Once, wilted. Turn off heat. Serve with steamed rice, brown rice or quinoa. I did mine with Red quinoa! Garnish with scallions J

Golden Summer cocktail

I know I know, Summer is over. But who cares? We can still feel and taste Summer even if it's fall right? This drink lets you taste the freshness of the basil and lemon while honey gives its golden SF color! I think you can enjoy this drink all year round. As long as you have the ingredients plus the right mood you are set. 

Nice to meet you Jack

I based this recipe from a whiskey sour which is lemon juice, simple syrup plus your favorite whiskey. Since I have a Basil plant I decided to add it for freshness then I used honey instead of simple syrup since I was lazy to make one. I think the honey gives a great golden color. The only thing I recommend you to do is to stir the honey and lemon juice first so that the honey will thin out a bit then add the whiskey, ice and basil leaves. You also want to shake it about 20 seconds on your cocktail shaker just until your hands get cold. Since honey is sticky you want to really shake that thing like you mean it.




Liquid Gold



Slicing the lemon: I got this tip on a cooking demo at Jack London Square. If you don't have a lemon squeezer and you want to get less seeds, when you squeeze the lemon, don't cut the lemon in the middle. Most seeds are in the middle so if you cut it on the sides, you'll get less. Sometimes you'll still get some seeds but it will be easier to get rid off if you do it this way.

Another tip I got just by observing the bartenders is to slap your herbs before garnishing it. So before putting a basil leaf as a garnish, slap it just to release the aroma and drop it on your cocktail.

There you go! This is my first cocktail post! I know my blog is all about food and bites but sometimes you just need a good cocktail to enjoy your food and tickle those tastebuds. Try it out and tell me what you think. I almost got tempted to add a couple slices of jalapeno before shaking it to give it a good kick. Maybe you should try it?