Plowing Down

Sometimes a meal is so good, it simultaneously makes you want to go out more and cook at home more. Such is the case with the breakfast that I enjoyed yesterday at new Portrero Hill breakfastery, Plow.

The only two meals they serve are breakfast and lunch. One menu. All day.

It's so simple.

Each meal is painstakingly prepared to order as you sip delicious coffee or tea. It's the opposite of fast food, but it's not slow food either. It's good food, done well.

While we were waiting for our meals, I had a chance to browse the cookbooks on their shelves. Tartine Bread, Five Points' Brunch, Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food. I could have been staring at my own bookshelf.

I ordered The Plow, which is a little bit of everything. When my plate arrived, I knew I was in for a treat. It was so beautifully and unpretentiously presented, with each element getting equal real estate. 2 eggs over easy, house-made pork sausage, crispy potatoes, and lemon ricotta pancakes. Not a big stack of pancakes that has you moaning and groaning an hour later, just 2 small but perfect pancakes, and a little syrup for extra sweetness.

My husband got the Fried Egg Sandwich: fried eggs, Grafton cheddar, Nueske Bacon, frisee, aioli. And he ordered a side of one pancake.

A nice extra touch was the Youk's Hot Sauce.

After our meal, we walked out into the sunny day and were greeted with this view. It doesn't get much better than that.

Duck Duck Goose

OK, so we don't have Hot Doug's, but we do have Rosamunde Sausage Grill, now with a new location in the Mission.

Pictured here is the Duck & Fig sausage that I enjoyed recently for lunch. The man behind the counter recommended grilled onions and mango chutney on the bread, with a little squirt of Dijon to finish. If there is anything that I have learned in all of my years of eating out, you always listen to the man behind the counter. Mmmm mmm.

Doggone

Sorry for the unexpected break. My camera broke, and we got a new puppy (actually 2 new puppies) - so lately my food prep has mostly been in the canine category. 2 puppies = crazy times, but also a whole lot of fun.

My generous friend Kristina lent me her camera, so there will be some posts to follow.

Lately I have been enjoying some food on the cheap - Kingdom of Dumpling in the Sunset for Xiao Long Bao, Rosamunde Sausage Grill in the Mission for Pheasant/Pork/Cherry sausage, and Pica Pica for meat-stuffed arepas and empanadas. Dinner for $10-15 that I don't have to make myself? Bring it on.

Mochi, Mo-chi-chi

I have great friends - have I mentioned this before? Let me give you an example - Friday afternoon, I received a text from my friend Kristina saying "Mochi? Want me to pick some up for you?"

Of course, there is only one answer to this question. It is a resounding Y-E-S!

She informed me that the occasion for this little field trip was to celebrate National Donut Day. National Donut Day! Now there's a holiday that warrants a celebration!

We happen to have an amazing source for mochi and manju in the city, Benkyodo in Japantown. It is a pretty unassuming little shop, with a funny little diner-type counter in one corner, but let me assure you, anyone who loves mochi has at one point made the pilgrimage there. A lot of places in Japantown sell pre-packaged mochi, and they are nothing like the fresh ones at Benkyodo. I remember the first time I bit into one of the strawberry mochi with its smooth and soft gummy exterior, and sweet strawberry filling - heaven. I was forever spoiled.

The amazingly soft casing of the mochi is made by pounding rice in a huge mortar. It is pulverized until it forms a soft pillow of glutenous goodness. It's long and difficult work and the equipment is hard to come by - so unless you inherit a business, it's pretty unlikely that the average person is going to say "Hey, I think I'll open up a mochi shop". Hopefully Benkyodo will stay around forever, or the prospect of having fresh mochi in our city will probably die out.

A fun tidbit about mochi that I stole off the internet:

"Mochi is very sticky and somewhat tricky to eat. After each new year, it is reported in the Japanese media how many people die from choking on mochi. The victims are usually elderly. Because it is so sticky, it is difficult to dislodge via the Heimlich maneuver. In the Japanese comedy film Tampopo, a house vacuum is used to suck it out. (Some lifesaving experts say that a vacuum cleaner is actually efficient for stuck mochi.[1])" - Wikepedia

Enjoy these lovely treats...at your own risk!! :)

So the sampling above is 4 out of the 6 mochi and manju that I was given. You have to eat them quickly or they will go stale - in the first couple of days. No problem, I had it covered! I like them for breakfast with a hot mug of genmaicha tea. The flavors were red bean, white bean, apple, and a donut filled with red bean. Deeeeeelicious. I love how they are expanding their flavors from the traditional to include something a little trendy.

Asian desserts are typically not very sweet (think of Green Tea and Red Bean ice cream). So if the idea of red bean paste inside a donut seems weird to you, it is, a little. It takes some getting used to, but personally, I like it. Mochi and manju are the perfect size, too - about the size of a donut hole. But because the filling is very dense, you can only eat a few at a time - 2 or 3 is about right. Many Japanese restaurants serve ice cream mochi in green tea, mango, chocolate and strawberry flavors. You can even get them frozen from Trader Joe's and other grocery stores.

Next time you are going to a dinner party or pot luck, think about bringing some mochi. They're excellent finger food and are meant to be shared with friends! (Thank you, my friend!)

All Together Now

Real estate is expensive. In San Francisco, it is ridiculously expensive. During this recession, I have seen so many small businesses close because they can no longer afford to pay their rent. But in such an economy, where to go with your wonderful food idea, such as 7 different kinds of ramen, or bacon-wrapped hot dogs? Some resourceful vendors have gone the food cart route, either selling off of an actual cart or getting some kind of mobile vehicle that could double as a makeshift kitchen.

But the food cart business is not for everyone, and there are permits required with that as well. Enter a new idea: the multi-tenant indoor market. 331 Cortland in Bernal Heights is such a place.

Inside is an eclectic mix of 6 vendors. The first thing that you see is a knife-sharpening operation. It is sort of an odd choice, maybe something you would expect to see in medieval times (Ye Olde Ironsmith). Next is Della Terra Organics fruit stand, with the most impossibly beautiful fruits and vegetables and a good sense of humor.

The midddle of the space houses my two favorite vendors, El Poreno empanadas, and Ichi Lucky Cat Japanese Deli. I could easily spend an afternoon running back and forth between these two, sampling different things each time. Toro nigiri, wild mushroom empanada, Shiso Pesto Pasta, beef empanada...and on and on.

The last two vendors are Wholesale Bakery and Paulie's, which sells pickled goods and pre-made salads and sandwiches. More to discover next time! I am having a bad case of neighborhood envy - how easy would it be to make dinner every night with so much variety right at your disposal, and within walking distance? Here's to hoping that more communities follow suit.

Vanilla Rice

Rice pudding. That most comfortable of comfort desserts - it speaks to us of grandmother's kitchen, wholesome ingredients, and the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Last night I had the opportunity to check out San Francisco's one and only rice pudding shop, Loving Cup. They make made-to-order frozen yogurt (you choose the base and they mix in the ingredients with a fancy drill-like machine), smoothies, and they have about 5 flavors of rice putting to choose from. Yesterday's flavors were Cinnamon Raisin, Lemon Vanilla, Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Coconut. Just like in an ice cream parlor, they will let you taste them all on tiny tasting spoons.

We decided to go with the classic - Cinnamon Raisin. Oh, was it good. The small size, which we split, was huge and heavy, but we had no problem polishing it off. I know that some people don't like the taste of rice pudding, but I think it's great - it tastes like love feels: warm, filling, and happy.

My dream is to visit Rice to Riches in NYC - that place is the mecca for all people who love rice pudding, with their exotic flavors like Green Tea, French Toast and Passionfruit. But until I get there, it's so nice to know that I can find that taste of home in my very own city.

Pho-nomenal

Whoa. Is it possible that I have never blogged about one of my favorite foods, pho?

I love pho. I love the broth. I love the meat. I love the noodles, I love the plate of aromatics. I love squeezing hot sauce into the bowl. And until a few weeks ago, all I knew was beef pho.

Then my friend Phyllis introduced me to the 5 Spice Chicken Pho at Pho Phu Quoc (PPQ), a place on 19th and Irving in the Sunset where I had been many times, but until a couple of weeks ago had no idea that they were cooking up this treasure in the kitchen.

What makes the 5 Spice Chicken Pho unique is that the meat comes on the side. The chicken is so so so good, it makes me sad when I start on my last piece, because I know that soon it will be gone. I give it a gentle dunk in the broth and take small bites to make it last.

Good pho places are not fancy. They will usually be no frills, but full of people, all of the time. The wait staff will usually be abrupt. The broth and the noodles have to be just right, and the aromatics have to be super-fresh.

Pho is messy. I always end up with some on my shirt. But there is nothing better than that steaming bowl arriving at your table, and getting your face close to the bowl as you slurp away, just like everyone at every other table is doing. On a cold day, on a warm day - every day is a good day for pho.

Look What the Easter Bunny Laid in My Basket

I realize that the title of this post sounds dirty. Or disgusting. But the important thing is that you are looking at one of the most scrumptious chocolates ever to slip down my gullet. It is from Chocolate Covered, the tiny chocolate emporium on 24th Street in Noe Valley.

I don't know what it is - the gooey caramel, the huge, crunchy walnut, the dark, dark chocolate, the generous sprinkling of coarse salt on the top, or the combination, but it is like a little nugget from heaven. The first time I had one, I was driving and nearly had an accident because I was so enraptured. And by enraptured, I mean moaning and groaning with pleasure. Unfortunately, I was not alone. I cannot apologize enough for my public display of lewdness (or the many near-accidents I am sure I caused), but this chocolate swept me off my feet and left me weak in the knees and begging for more.

(Marilyn Monroe voice): Thanks, Easter Bunny. *wink*

Put Your Mouth Where Your Money Is

Well, a childhood dream is finally being realized - I am going to be on television. At the prompting of some friends, most notably my friend Spring, I filled out an application to be on the local public television show "Check, Please! Bay Area". I've been watching it for years - the premise is that 3 people pick their favorite restaurant, which the other two have to visit, and they meet in a round-table format to discuss their experiences. The discussion is moderated by a host, Leslie Sbrocco, who knows a little bit about each restaurant and asks specific questions about dishes, ambiance, and wine.

I filled out an application a few weeks ago, and was delighted when I got a phone call from the associate producer at KQED. We did a short phone interview, and the next day I went in for an in-person interview at the station (exciting!). I thought I would help them out by putting together a packet of information about the restaurant, my take on it (Yelp review and a blog post from a couple of years ago), and some information about me (resume). Well, the combination of things seemed to do the trick, because they called last week and said that I'd been chosen as a guest!

Now I have 2 weeks to go to the other 2 restaurants, as well as the one that I chose, and write reviews which I will submit to the program so that they can get ready for taping. We tape on Feb 23rd, which will be about a 3 hour process. All of the restaurants are visited anonymously, and then they will go back and interview the owner, film the restaurant in action, and highlight a few dishes that we discussed. When it is all finished, they will air the program and also publish it on the blog.

I am very very excited to have a chance to do something that I love - talking about food with others. I realized as I was gushing on and on during the interview that it really is my passion. I just hope that my enthusiasm translates to the small screen!

Mini-Me!

What a treat - my friend Jude visited the new cupcake shop Mission Minis and brought me 2 of them to sample. Delicious!

Mission Minis is so smart - offering a variety of unusual and traditional flavors...Ruby Red Velvet to Cinnamon Horchata...and all minis for $1 apiece! Everyone else seems to have cornered the market on the $3 cupcake, which in this economy feels like a once-in-awhile luxury. But $1? That's an everyday price in the size of a guiltless treat.

Bravo to Mission Minis to finding a new niche in a cupcake-saturated city.

Leggo my Bagel

I love a place that has their own mural, depicting people in an urban setting enjoying their product. Such is the case with House of Bagels, one of the few decent bagel places in San Francisco.

It's not exactly H & H, but this is as close as you'll probably get on the West Coast. They have a good crust, a good chew, and sometimes they are still warm when you get them. Great flavors, including the classics like Egg and Sesame, and one that was new to me and my favorite, Corn.

The place definitely has an East Coast feel - no frills, no nonsense, a little cheek (note the Ramones T-shirt on the employee - yay!). They also do deli sandwiches and carry some of my favorite items like whitefish and chopped liver. The best flashback to NYC came to me when I was browsing while waiting for my order...the black and white cookie! The symbol of unity, elevated to mythic status by Seinfeld, and a treat loved by almost all people. Where there is the black and white cookie, things must be all right in the world. At least for a few sugary moments.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

It sounds so happy, crunchy, hippie-dippy: Rainbow Grocery. A large, neighborhood cooperative with a long history, a place where every food item is bought with a conscience, where the business is owned and run by the workers, in a democracy. You might expect to find Wavy Gravy greeting you at the front door like a Wal-Mart greeter. A place to go after your yoga class to buy spelt bread and gluten-free pumpkin pie. Who doesn't like rainbows?

And basically, it is all of these things. Until coupon day. When it becomes anarchy.

In 2003, Rainbow started putting 20% off coupons in the back of the phonebook to increase the sales on their slow days. They picked a few months out of the year, and made the coupons valid for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Little did they know what mayhem this would cause - people in San Francisco are dead serious about their health food, and at 20% savings, this is practically like inviting a stampede.

It seems like all of that yogic meditation goes right out the window, and people are stepping on their neighbors' Birkenstocks just to get the last bit of oat bran and bleach-free tampons.

Nonetheless, 20% is a pretty big deal, especially in this economy. So it's worth it to go to Rainbow on coupon day, if you have a strategy. My friend Kristina and I are working on a Rainbow Survival Guide that is sure to make us millions (or at least millions of agave-sweetened soft drinks). We will accept payment in cash or Rainbow coupons.

1. Do not park your car in the garage. You may never leave, or at least pop a vein in anger at the clusterfuck that you are guaranteed to find yourself in the middle of. You might be tempted to throw your vine-ripened organic tomatoes at people's heads - don't do it. Park on the street and walk.

2. Go with a friend. It will help you keep your sanity and focus as you slowly lose your mind.

3. Do the Cart Park. That is, get a cart, but then park it somewhere near where you need your supplies. Dart to and fro, stopping back at the cart every once in awhile to drop things off. This will make your experience exponentially faster and less frustrating.

4. Make a list, and stick to it. Otherwise you will find yourself buying some of the weirdest things you have ever heard of, which you will discover taste like the cardboard box they are packaged in. They will be doomed to the back of your cupboard, because you will refuse to throw something away that you paid $8 for.

5. Learn the nuances of buying in bulk. It's one of the best things about shopping at Rainbow, and everyone knows this, so the area is swarming with people, who tend to get cranky. Fill up your bag, memorize the bin number, write this number on a twist tie, and twist it around the bag with the number showing clearly. Don't take more than you need and then put the rest back. That's just gross. Do not sample. It's not a bowl of chex mix at a bar.

5. Bring your own bags. Otherwise, you will get the "look" as you reach for a paper shopping bag, which means that you are resource-draining, consciousless n00b.

All of that said, they do have amazing products, from the bulk foods, to produce, to beauty and health products. I don't know where else I would find pearlized barley and coconut oil, or raw milk and 10 types of firm tofu. And I always see things that arouse my curiosity - which is a rare occurrence at regular chain grocery store. Being inspired by good, wholesome food, at a significant saving to boot, is definitely worth the effort.

Waiter, There's a Soup in my Dumpling

The pleasure of eating xiao long bao requires concentration and coordination. But oh, the reward.

Eat Brownies, Save Bunnies!

Today was the SF Vegan Bakesale, which took place in the Castro on this crisp and sunny December afternoon. I missed the last one, and was dying to check it out, not only for the delicious baked goods but because one of the sponsors is Vegansaurus, a wonderful blog written by my friend Laura & her crew. Yes, I will gladly save my pennies and buy brownies and cookies for a friend - that's just the kind of generous person that I am.

There was a good sized crowd and a lot to choose from, with prices ranging from about $1.50 - 5.00, all to benefit Save a Bunny and the Food Environment Project.

And there were real, live bunnies! I actually got into the bunny cage to pet them - so very very cute. Yes, in case you were wondering, I was in the bunny cage when I took this picture. Living on the edge, I am!

With so much to choose from, it was hard to decide, but having these nice take-away boxes made it that much easier. In the box are (clockwise from upper left): Ginger-Apple Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie, and an Apple Oatmeal Bar. And can I just say, yum.

I am inspired to learn to bake some vegan treats, and it will be a real challenge on me, since I am so dependent on butter and eggs and milk in my baking. Even powdered sugar is off limits, because most commercial powdered sugars are filtered through charcoal made out of bone. But with books out there like Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and a little creativity, I am excited to see what comes out.

What I came away with most of all is a warm feeling for those that believe in causes and are out there doing something about them. While most of us are running around getting our Christmas decorations and presents, these guys are giving up their Saturday to raise money for an important cause. It is a great reminder of what "giving" is really all about.

Keep on Truckin'

One of the things that I have noticed about San Francisco is that when we hit on a trend, we hit it hard. Sometimes it is a particular food (mac 'n cheese X 1,000 different ways), food style (comfort/Southern food, Vietnamese sandwiches), or a way of eating. Kitchenette introduced the back-of-a-warehouse no-frills experience, and restaurants like Farmer Brown are offering walk up windows like Little Skillet to appeal to people who want a freshly cooked meal, but don't necessarily want to commit to a sit-down restaurant.

One of the biggest trends to emerge, seemingly overnight, is the gourmet food truck. Food trucks have long been a familiar sight in neighborhoods like the Mission, mostly in the form of taco trucks. El Tonayense Taco truck is probably the most well known, and it is a great place to get a tasty, cheap meal. Also in the Mission are the Tamale Lady, and the Bacon Dog Cart, enjoyed by many a late-night reveler looking for some sustenance.

Well, somehow someone came up with the bright idea to take high level food and sell it on the street, and thus was born the Creme Brulee cart, the Magic Curry cart, the Chai cart, the Sexy Soup cart, the Gumbo cart, the Lumpia cart, the Evil Jerk cart, the Bahn Mi cart, the Salumi cart, and Spencer-on-the-Go (pictured above), the take-away version of the lovely Chez Spencer restaurant. Word has it that there is a Ramen cart in the works.

Does it work? Sometimes, yes. It is debatable about whether you can really take highbrow food and make it something that the man-on-the-street is going to feel comfortable about in the long term - after all, there is a huge difference between a $2 taco and a $10 sandwich. Does the $2 want to make the $8 to pay for all of those high-quality ingredients? And if you spend $10 on a sandwich, do you really feel that smug standing there leaning over the sidewalk while you try not to spill on your work clothes? I mean, for that much money, you could be sitting at a table with a real napkin in your lap.

Cart culture is pretty new to San Francisco, so we run the risk of sounding like Bubba in Forest Gump with our plethora of cartness: Coconut Shrimp, Fried Shrimp, Grilled Shrimp. We're a little cart-crazy now, but our selection is kind of strange and disjointed - a creme brulee cart? really? Other cultures have fully embraced the cart culture, but they keep it strictly to street food, not 5 star dining food. Even in our own country, New York has us beat with its wonderful soup carts, Falafel carts (oh how I miss you at Broadway and 39th!), bagel carts, and the ever-present, iconic hot dog carts.

So, we'll see. I am not totally sold on the elitist cart idea, but I do have a curiosity (did someone say Pie Truck?), and Lord knows, I will never turn down the idea of a cheap lunch.

Pearl's Girl

On Tuesday night, I had to go down to Union Square to read some of my work at the SF Writers Workshop, so I dragged my friend Jay along for support. Being that both of us were strapped for cash that night, we stopped in for a cheap dinner at a place that has been on my list for ages: Pearl's Diner. The menu includes Beef burgers (made with Niman Ranch beef - I see this so often, that I have almost become immune to it, how sad!), Buffalo burgers, Turkey burgers, Veggie burgers, and of course the top of the line Kobe.

Now, I love Kobe beef - cooked, raw - it is really special. But ground up into a hamburger? Feh. I am not paying those extra dollars. Give me good old American ground beef with melted American cheese, onions, lettuce, ketchup, and a good bun.

Mmmm, that's what I'm talking about. The meat was so juicy that we had to use napkins to mop up the drips, and my hands smelled like hamburger and onion rings all night long. It was so good. I get what all of the fuss about this place is - and you really can't beat the satisfaction you get from a good burger.

Jujubes

Part of living in a place with a large Chinese community is that you often get to see produce that may be unfamiliar to you. We noticed jujubes, or red Chinese dates, at the Stonestown Farmers Market last week and didn't buy them - this time, my curiosity got the best of me and I bought a bag.

I got them home and had no idea what to do with them. There were no recipes online for fresh jujubes, only ones using dried ones. Finally I found an article that told me how to eat them - like an apple, skin and all.

They are about the size of a kumquat, and have a beautiful green/brown skin. The taste is similar to an apple, but not quite as sweet and more dry.

What a cool, portable little snack! And so pretty to display, too. I'll no longer attribute this name just to stick-to-your-teeth gummy candies - I will instead think of this lovely and rare fruit that I was so fortunate to come upon.

The Search for Dim Sum

On Columbus Day, we were celebrating the end of an epic weekend and were in dire need of some comfort food. Chinatown and dim sum seemed like just the thing. I had read reviews about the Good Mong Kok Bakery, which was supposed to have delicious and cheap dim sum. Well, if you look at the website, it's a little hard to tell what their business hours are. However, I do believe it was established in 1978.

Needless to say, it was closed. Which left us walking around Chinatown looking for a reasonable dim sum place (at 1:30pm on a holiday which was both late and on a questionable day of the week). Chinatown in San Francisco is a very weird place - at times, it seems like you have teleported straight to Hong Kong, and at times it seems like you are at Epcot Center, which puts you in danger of ending up at a bad, Westernized version of a Chinese restaurant while the locals happily slurp steaming delicious bowls of ramen somewhere else. But what an adventure to feel like a tourist in your own city, so we gave it a go and ended up at a dingy but ok-looking dim sum joint.

We loaded up on dumplings, which is just about all that they had anyway - pork, shrimp, vegetable, soup dumplings, and shark. Yes, shark!

They also had the soft and sticky filled noodles that I love, filled with shrimp. We passed on the beef. It was a little sad to only have soy sauce as a condiment, because these noodles are even better when swimming in a savory sauce.

Just in case we didn't have enough starch already, we got an order of fried noodles.

And of course, no dim sum meal would be complete without a sesame ball for dessert. If you have never had one of these, they are as decadent and addicting as a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Bean paste inside, dough outside, fried and coated with sesame seeds. They can be kind of greasy, but they never claimed to be a health food.

It was an ok place, but after having travelled to Hong Kong every year for 10+ years during my career, I got awfully spoiled by being taken to the best dim sum restaurants, and it didn't quite hit the spot. Of course, we kind of went the fast food route, whereas I would rather have dim sum in a sit down place, with some other dishes (like green vegetables) to balance out all of the decadence. After hoovering a fair amount of this food, you can't help but feel a little dirty afterwards, like after polishing off a bucket of chicken by yourself.

Afterwards, we stopped by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie factory, and had some warm cookies just off of the machines. It's a funny little place in an alley that you would never find unless you knew about it. They're a little cranky and do a little bit of the hard sell (50 cents for a photo!), but the cookies are good and they also make almond cookies which are outstanding and sell for about $4.00 for a big bag.

So, while we had a good time, I am still in search of that authentic dim sum experience that won't break the bank. To be continued, recommendations welcome!

Get in my Starbelly

So I have been absent for awhile, and I wasn't quite sure where to start - how do I chronicle all of the meals, trips, and recipes that have occurred over the past 2 months? I mean, when you love food as much as I do, you know this can add up to a lot.

Well, first I offered cheesecake, and now I am inviting you to lunch. Later, we'll go back into the kitchen and get cooking again. For now, I bring you Starbelly, a new-ish restaurant in the Castro, by people behind Beretta. Let's eat!

I believe that a great meal begins with something simple. In this case, just look at these beautiful roasted padron peppers with sea salt and olive oil. They are mostly mild, but every now and then one gives you a little bite - as if to say, well, what do you expect, we are peppers, after all. Apparently, they are common in Spain as tapas, but I had never had them there. What a treat - they are absolutely wonderful.

Next, a house-made chicken liver paté. (ooh look at me using the alt key to add the accent - fancy!!) Despite how humble it sounds to use chicken livers, this pate is flavorful, elegant, velvety, and satisfying. Again, simple ingredients, beautifully presented.

Next is the oyster poorboy (is it "poorboy" or "po-boy"? I have always thought the latter but "poorboy" is how it was listed on the menu - perhaps more PC, I don't know). I think that this is a hard sandwich to pull off if you do not have Cajun roots somewhere in your kitchen - a little spice is key, and this one, while well-prepared, is begging for some.

This sandwich, on the other hand, is very well seasoned. The meat is a house-made porchetta, which is a traditional Italian boneless pork which has been seasoned with herbs and spices and slow-cooked over a wood fire. It is tender and delicious, with thin white strips of fat appearing now and again for extra flavor. On top is a salsa verde and a salsa calabria, arugula and pork jus...a flavorful, lovely sandwich for a fall day.

And finally, dessert. Pot de creme, herbed cookies. Smooth with a side of crunchy.

One thing that Starbelly does absolutely right is that they have a huge beer list. Beer is the perfect pairing with this kind of food, and can be as varied as wine, so you can match it to the season or to your palate.

Often, we get asked by servers if we are in the food industry. I always laugh and say no, we are just really enthusiatic consumers. I suppose it is because we ask a lot of questions, treat the wait staff like equals rather than servants, and show a genuine curiosity about everything on our plates. We are fortunate to have friends in the restaurant business, so I think we have a pretty good appreciation for the behind the scenes stuff...and a distaste for when things are uninspired or pre-prepared.

All right, then. This was a good catch-up lunch - I feel reconnected and back on track. More to come.