We were up in San Francisco for my mom's 70th birthday this past weekend. Having been fortunate enough to live there for six years, any visit to SF these days requires hours of gastronomic plotting. Are we gonna go to our old favorites? Which new places are we going to try? Will we be able to get a coveted reservation at Slanted Door? Is it going to be warm enough for an ice cream treat at Mitchell's--oh, alright, I'll have it even if it's foggy!
This particular weekend, we opted to go for some old standby's AND venture out to a couple of new (to us) places. Why is it that San Francisco takes its food so seriously and that the restaurants there are always cutting edge, interesting and so darn good? There's no denying the food scene in LA has gotten a lot better over the years--but San Francisco is always a step ahead. From paving the way for organic, seasonal and local eating, to embracing filtered water and banning bottled water in restaurants, San Francisco has always been ahead of the curve. It is truly a food lover's paradise. And this weekend of meals was no exception. Almost makes me want to move back. Almost (sorry Doug).
Friday Dinner: Nettie's Crab Shack
Any restaurant that has the word "crab" in its name is right up my family's alley. Plus, even grumpy Michael Bauer gives it a thumbs up. So, it was a no-brainer to give this Cow Hollow eatery a try for our first meal straight from the airport. Nettie's did not disappoint.
The place has a great Cape Cod vibe to it--big wood tables, old plank floors and big picture windows. The menu is--no surprise here--seafood centric. Very similar to Blue Plate Oysterette but with a crab twist. We started with some type of east coast Oysters. They were briny, creamy and delicious washed down with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Next it was Mussels with Fatted Calf Chorizo and herbs--boy were these good. So good we ordered a second bucket. The mussels were perfectly plump and sweet and the chorizo added a hint of salt and spice. I may have to try making this at home. We also had Manila Clams steamed and served in a buttery broth. A classic.
Finally it was on to the main attraction--crabs. They serve whole Dungeness Crabs two ways--steamed or roasted. We had one of each. Both were delicious but the roasted one was out of this world. The roasting and herbs added a depth of flavor to the crab that made the steamed one pale in comparison. The crabs were meaty and perfectly cooked. Silence prevailed as we all worked diligently to pry the meat out of their shells--I couldn't get the meat out fast enough for the kids.
But that wasn't all. The crabs came with some delicious sides as well. Roasted, Caramelized Cauliflower, Roasted Lemon Asparagus, Skillet Cornbread, Shoestring Fries and a simple Butter Lettuce Salad. Perfect accompaniments to the crabs.
If you're in SF and in the mood for a crab and seafood feed, this is the place to be. Just don't forget to take your crab bibs off on the way out.
Saturday Lunch: Nopalito
I have to give a shout-out to Jen-eye for this recommendation. One of my favorite casual restaurants in SF is Nopa (As in North of the Pan Handle--every little area of SF is considered a "neighborhood" and has a name. When we lived there, we joked that our neighborhood should be called Upper Safeway.). Nopa serves a lot of simple, seasonal food out of their wood-fired oven. Always crowded, always delicious.
Now, my friend Jen tells me, they've opened another place called Nopalito--a Mexican-inspired restaurant utilizing seasonal, organic and sustainable ingredients. Sold. After a fun visit to the Academy of Sciences (one of the best museums I've ever been to, by the way--the Rain Forest exhibit is spectacular), we headed to Nopalito for a late lunch.
We started with their agua fresca-inspired homemade beverages. I had the Mint-Bergamot Lemonade--unbelievably refreshing and mouthwateringly delicious! The combination of flavors--the subtle citrus essence of the bergamot, the crisp freshness of the mint and the tart lemonade--wow. I've never waxed so poetic about a non-alcoholic drink before but, trust me, this was ridiculously good. I'd go there again just for the lemonade!
Then it was on to sharing a Quesadilla Roja con Chicharron--fresh made chile-corn tortilla, crisp pork belly, salsa, cheese, onions and cilantro. After one bite I was bemoaning why we don't have places like this in LA. The quesadilla was an artful array of textures. The doughy tortilla, the melted cheese, the crispy bits of pork belly all bound together by the salsa peppered with fresh cilantro. So simple and so perfect.
Doug had the Torta de Chiloria--a shredded pork adobo sandwich with refried beans, cheese onions and avocado on a house made bun. A great rendition of the classic pulled-pork sandwich. The kids shared an amazing Carnitas--long braised pork, orange, bay leaf, cinnamon and beer cabbage salad, pickled jalapenos and tomatillo salsa. What was so unusual about this carnitas is that they serve the pork shoulder whole instead of shredded. So the outside is crisp but the meat falls apart with the touch of a fork. The kids couldn't keep us away from their carnitas!
Not everything was perfect. I ordered the Albondigas al Chilmole--grass fed beef meatballs, charred chiles, cumin, tomatillo, garlic, pickled red onion, bits of hard-boiled egg and rice. Apparently, this entire dish is defined by the smoky flavor of the charred chiles--the meatballs basically had a very burnt taste to them. We all agreed that this dish was not a winner.
But what happened next was very San Francisco. When the waiter noticed that I hadn't touched my meatballs, he apologized for not explaining that the meatballs might have been an acquired taste and immediately took it off the bill. Then he brought over some almond polveron cookies. A wonderful end to a wonderful meal.
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