High Summer Garden

Zebra Heirloom Tomato.

Robin's raised bed: notice the GIGANTIC winter squash, below the leaves. There's another gargantuan specimen, out of shot, to the right. 

It's high summer in Vallejo, and for the next month or so, we'll have high temps in the 80s if not higher, thus, those who had the forethought (like Robin's buddy Bruce, who lets her grow some stuff in his backyard) to plant stuff like tomato, chile and okra are starting to have bumper crops.

Apples. Seems early, but we've had plenty of sun and rain.

Grape leaves. Bruce had Acai berries (very minimal yield) growing here last year. Already looking like autumn.

Swiss Chard. Love that light through the leaves. Picked quite a bit of this with my bare hands, then cleaned & cooked some of it, mainly the stems, which will be part of my lunch tomorrow. Huzzah!

Melon & chives.

Another heirloom melon.

The person who previously owned this property planted close to a hundred rose bushes.

Blackberries have been ripe enought to pick and eat all this month. Will be for another 60 days at least.

Chile peppers, probably serranos.

I'm guessing Anaheims.

Purple Jalapenos.

Garlic Chives in front of a field of squash.

Amaranth. I first read about this plant, many many years ago in the Whole Earth Catalog.

I can't emphasize how many gorgeous tomato plants are out there.

La Gran Chiquita, Richmond

If you're heading north on 23rd in Richmond, you can't miss this lime green and orange building, right where the congestion gets thick. Good place to stop for a snack, because this is one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area.

Nopales. This Ala Carte side dish ($2) is a perfect vegetable accompaniement to any meal here. Highly delicious & nutritious.

Pork shank (chamorros) plate. So much meat we couldn't finish it. Absolutely fantastic rice and beans made from scratch using stock. Extremely fresh pico de gallo. Oh yeah, did I mention the in house made yellow corn tortillas? Scroll down.

 Above and below: the Huitlacoche (a fungus that grows on corn) and squash blossom quesadilla, perfectly in season right now, and this is the only restaurant I know of in the Bay Area that serves this dish.

Well, Robin and I discovered this gem of a Mexican restaurant in Richmond about a month ago, and I wish I had taken photos the first time, but we'll certainly be going back. We're talking first-rate Mole Poblano & Barbacoa (lamb version), plus we got guacamole and some nopales to die for, plus a top-notch array of salsas and in house made tortillas. Last time we were there the highlight was the Huitlacoche (nutty-tasting corn fungus!!!) quesadillas  served also with squash blossoms. Here's just a preview, we'll definitely be heading back. 

RN74: French Restaurant and Wine Bar, San Francisco

PÂTÉ DE FOIE GRAS at RN74. 

POMME FONDUE BEIGNETS with époisses, green garlic crème, chive blossom. 

Elegant Contemporary French on the ground floor of a sleek modern skyscraper close to the Trans Bay Terminal, with decor meant to evoke a French train station (without people chain-smoking Gauloises). I count myself as very fortunate that I have friends who know about restaurants of such high caliber, and even more blessed for their generosity and bonhomie. Given that we dined the day after the horrific Bastille Day attacks in Nice, I am truly impressed with the professionalism of the RN74 staff: they created an atmosphere that was convivial & exciting.  

Our glasses with fine selections of red and white wines from Burgundy.

Lamb Rib Special.

Utterly superb.

WHIPPED BURRATA TOAST with macerated stone fruit, mustard seed, plum gastrique. 

We ordered mostly appetizers, a mix of very rich selections, and lighter ones such as this.

SMOKED BONE MARROW, with vadouvan butter, oxtail marmalade, lemon confit. 

We loved this so much, we ordered it a second time.

PÂTÉ DE FOIE GRAS
yellow peach, honey butter, marcona almond. 

We ordered a number of other items including the Pasta with Uni, Guanciale & Clams, Escargot Croissants, Rabbit Terrine, & the Duck Wings Ala Orange. All the wines we tried were exquisite, and the final selection chosen by my friend Mike, in consultation with the Sommelier, was beyond words: a pinot noir with layers, multiple floral notes playing polyphonous counterpoint. 

RN74

301 Mission

San Francisco

(415) 543-7474

http://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/san-francisco-bay-area/rn74/#menus

East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Alameda

Prawns & scallops with snow peas at East Ocean, 3/30/2018.

Oysters with scallion & ginger. 

Mushrooms in oyster sauce.

Chinese broccoli & garlic

Eggplant with seafood.

Sauteed mushrooms.

Oysters, garlic, scallions.

Roast duck with plum sauce.

Fantastic Hong Kong Style restaurant in Alameda: they do classic Dim Sum, but then for dinner, East Ocean kicks into gear with their Cantonese seafood classics. Usually this place is packed, but we got there on a weekday right after 5pm.

Scallops With Chinese Greens.

Scallops seared with scallion, chiles, garlic, ginger, mushrooms. Sublime blend of texture and flavor. Masterful.

Oysters with Ginger & Scallions (stir-fry).

Oysters, scallions, ginger, garlic. Celestial.

Poki Time: on Lombard in SF

Great new Poki place on Lombard, a local chain with a few other stores. Huge wave of the future. Very simple: you pick a 2 scoop or 3 scoop bowl (depending on how much fish you want). The base you choose from white rice, brown rice, kale, mixed greens, or half and half. Then you pick your fish--I chose Ahi Tuna, Spicy Tuna and Yellow Tail. There's also cooked crab and shrimp. There's a ton of free toppings to choose from and we picked edamame, carrots, seaweed salad, scallions, cucumber, and salmon roe. Everything was fresh as could be and spot on. I left feeling high from the buzz from all this great food.