After a quick visit with Rembrandt and Van Gogh this evening, the Dessert Club went to dinner at Satsuma then headed over to London’s financial district to sample the Chocolate Fondant (aka Lava Cake) at Coq d’Argent.

They were no longer seating for dinner but after a bit of discussion with the hostess, (”we came all the way from San Francisco for your Fondant!”) they let us come in for dessert.

The cake was plated nicely and was rich with the requisite chocolate gooeyness but had a slightly doughy aftertaste which puts it firmly in the “tasty but not the second coming of JC” category.

Though the fondant itself wasn’t particularly memorable, I very much enjoyed a pleasantly sip-able glass of Tokaji, a Hungarian dessert wine I’d never tried before. It was fruity without being cloying, reminscent of a less potent Sauternes. Alas, being sleepy, tired and ever so slightly jet-lagged, I did not take the name of the maker or vintage.

Details…………..
Coq d’Argent
No1. Poultry (really!)
London EC2R 8EJ
Tel: 020 7395 5000

I’m back in London for work but I have to admit something to you. I’ve fallen in love.

I finally made it to the National Gallery today. I have been meaning to for awhile since it’s so close to my hotel and as it was otherwise drizzly and grey it seemed like a perfect day to spend in a museum. After wandering the many intersecting halls, I became completely riveted by the Van Gogh’s in Room 45.

I never really “got” Van Gogh before, wasn’t a fan, didn’t really see anything particularly special about his paintings. But perhaps that’s because I never saw them in real life and up close before. Seeing his paintings in person (within sneezing distance!) with its vivid thick active palette knife work was a visceral experience that was completely mesmerizing. His work is like a 3-dimensional visual manifestation of emotion that made me feel alive, joyful, manic and full of wonder. Two Crabs actually made me want to want to laugh out loud, the colors were so glorious and the layering and palette/brush work was just so precise.

Floating away from the Van Gogh’s on a complete and utter high, I came across the Rembrandt’s. And fell head over heels in love with his Self Portrait at 63. I feel disturbed and almost embarrased to look at him - long dead but painting himself to be remembered as he was. Not a great artist, but a flawed old man with tired, crinkled eyes, bulbous nose, the large almost clumsy looking hands folded.

Like the Van Gogh, Rembrandt’s paintings rejuvenate me because of my emotional response to the art. I feel a new awareness that I’m alive and how precious that simple fact is.

Seeing these more modern (compared to ancient) works have whetted my appetite to visit the British Museum again. I’ve been dreading and feeling almost oppressed by the monolith that is the BM but now I can’t wait to return after all these years. And I’m greatly looking forward to returning to the Nat Gallery for another visit later this week.

It’s wonderful that most museums in London are free, so if you have even a few minutes, you can dash in and get a quicky art fix. The Nat is open late on Wed nights so that’s when I’ll return to visit my guys.

…

But since this a food blog, you should know that I left the Nat Gallery and hungrily headed over to the Spaghetti House on Haymarket. I have to admit I didn’t have huge expectations of this chain restaurant but was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food.

While munching on a complementary saucer of mixed black olives marinated in olive oil and herbs I placed my order of Gamberoni in Saltini and Spaghetti Bolonese since they were out of the Pasta Vongole (clams in white wine) I originally wanted.

The shrimp appetizer came quickly and looked unimpressive to my California eye. Though described as “giant pacific shrimp”, they are small and lost nestled in their bed of fresh arugula. But when I began to eat them I was won over. Covered in a light batter, then quickly deep fried, they were delicately flavored with perfectly crispy tails. A pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon over the shrimp and arugula, I wolfed the rest down, glad I didn’t have to share them with anyone.

The pasta appeared shortly thereafter, its sauce aromatic with red wine and freshly grated parmesan. I’m surprised at how perfectly al dente it is. The bolonese sauce tastes homemade and the dish is warm and satisfying on this chilly evening.

Details……….
Spaghetti House (multiple locations)

A16 is the kind of neighborhood Italian restaurant I wish was closer to my home. Unaffected but real Italian cooking with fresh ingredients, wonderful desserts, an excellent winelist all served in an elegantly casual space.

Today we were in San Francisco to visit the newly renovated Asian Art Museum so we decided to come in for an early lunch. We split an order of Lamb & Pork meatballs in marinara and a homemade mixed Funghi (Mushroom) Pizza. While the meatballs were moist and delicious in their tangy marinara, the pizza was crust was overly charred. Dessert which we also split was excellent again. Ripe macerated peaches were served with honey semifreddo on a toasted brioche round.

After our museum visit and a meander through town, we stopped at AG Ferrari’s to stock up on a few pantry items. The cheeses were looking especially good that day, so we picked out a few to snack on. They were kind enough to slice up a portion of each and then wrap up the rest for us to take home. We tried the following:

• Brillo Divino: drunken goat cheese soaked in red wine. Excellent
• Tomino Boscaiolo Longo: a mild Piedmont cow’s milk cheese
• Caciocavallo: another mild cow’s milk cheese, this one was made in CA. Similar to mozzarella.
• 18mo. aged Gouda from the Netherlands. Delicious.

Details…………………..
A16
2355 Chestnut St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 771-2216 Make a Reservation
Website: www.a16sf.com

AG Ferrari Foods
Multiple locations
Website: www.agferrari.com/

Z and I had dinner at Satsuma, located near London’s theatre district. It’s another one of those clean lined, overly bright, hardwood floor and communal table + bench style restaurants that seem to be everywhere in London these days.

We had a leisurely, well priced, very good bento dinner with thick slices of tasty sashimi. The pic to the right is from this first meal.

Unfortunately, my second visit with friends a couple months later was not as good. The sashimi was less than fresh and service was horrid. It was also incredibly loud and completely packed even though it was only Wed night.

Since my 2 visits were so different, I would definitely give it another try. But if you see a substantial line forming inside the door, save yourself the trouble and head for an alternate dining spot and return to Satsuma some other time.

Details…………….

Satsuma
56 Wardour Street
Soho, London, W1D 4JG

I’m lucky to have friends that make me tasty breakfasts. A few weekends ago Shodashi made me Eggs Florentine with apple slices. This was served with a flute of fresh squeezed oj & splash of champagne. Thus fortified, we went off to play with our watercolors and mess around in her garden.

What a perfect Sunday.

We’ve been living in this location for almost 4 years now and we’re still discovering the restaurants in our neighborhood. Between busy schedules and sheer laziness, we’ve fallen into a rut of going to a handful of restaurants in the area when we can’t think of anywhere else to eat.

Oddly enough (until you remember we’re lazy) though we both love Thai food, we had not identified a place to be our standby, local, fallback Thai restaurant. If the craving struck, one of us would make a red or green curry at home or we’d or travel 5 to 10 miles to eat at the ever tasty Amarin Bankok Thai on Prospect Blvd, Chez Savon (Cambodian-Thai) in Campbell or the beautiful House of Siam in Downtown San Jose.

But today we decided it was time to branch out and start scoping out the closest Thai spots. So we started with Siam Square in Willow Glen.

Siam Square looks like a former diner which has been converted into a comfortable restaurant with comfy booths for tall people (which I’m not), glass topped tables and cloth napkins. The menu lists the standard Thai in America fare I’ve grown fond of over the years.

D and I ordered a number of dishes since the plan was to try enough to make our will-this-be-our-local-thai-spot? evaluation. We also wanted to go home with leftovers for dinner.

What We Ate

Angel Wings Appetizer
2 Hot boneless chicken wings, stuffed with chicken, vermicelli noodles and assorted veggies, breaded and lightly fried. These were a bit bland and could have used a bit more salt. It was accompanied by an overly sweet & sour cucumber dip. I usually love this Thai condiment, but this version was just too cloying. Still, the dish was tasty and satisfying.

Num Tok Nuer or Tangy Beef Salad
Slices of beef marinated in lime, chile, onions, rice powder, mint leaves and scallions over crisp iceberg lettuce. We ordered mild but it was still tinglingly spicy which we enjoyed. This was a refreshing salad and as both of us were getting over colds, the spicy chile and acidity of the lime made this a rather soothing dish. Soothing the way hot soup is when you’re not feeling well.

Pad Thai
I usually only order this dish once per restaurant, the first time I visit. If it’s amazingly good, I’ll get it again but it rarely is. This version was ok but I won’t be ordering it on our next visit. It had the requisite sweet and sour flavors, but the noodles were too dense and the accompanying chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts and nuts were minimal and boring. I like my pad thai full of goodies including egg, and the noodles should be light, almost a gossamer mass, full of flavor.

Siam Hor-Moke
This was the highlight of our meal and definitely why we’ll be returning to this restaurant. D and I are both big fans of Hoa (or Hor) Moke, usually a custardy curry dish of seafood, cabbage, galangal, and basil, steamed in a banana leaf or foil pouch. This one was not made with eggs but was chock full of prawns, tender calamari and white fish, steamed in a thick red curry sauce and served with a dollop of coconut cream. Very different from the hoa moke’s we’ve had before but totally delicious.

Panang Green Curry
A perennial favorite, this one was served with green beans and pork. This was also quite good though I think I’d get it with chicken next time as the pork was slightly tough.

In summary, we accomplished our tasks admirably. We have tons of leftovers and we’ve also found a solid Thai place close to home. We’ve had better Thai elsewhere but if the curries are any indication, further exploration of the menu should reveal promising comfort food to satisfy our after-work dinner cravings.

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DETAILS
Siam Square Thai Cuisine
1040 Willow St.
San Jose, CA
408-293-2268
Map

Lunch
M-F 11am-2:30pm
Dinner
M-Th 5pm-9:30pm
Fri 5pm-10:00pm
Sat 11:30am-10pm
Sun 4pm-9:30pm

Sorry for the long hiatus folks. First some kind of horrible flu/cold/cough knocked me out, then I was away in New Orleans on business from Sunday thru Wednesday night.

New Orleans is well known for its incredible food. Gumbos, jambalaya, seafood, muffaleta, beignets, boudin and more. Unfortunately, most of what I ate was barely edible, highly expensive convention food.

If the dried out croissant or cold cocktail bits weren’t enough to sustain me through the day, I’d order something from the expensive room service menu. Not exciting food, but solid sustenance after a full day of back-to-back meetings and evening cocktail parties.

Plus there’s definitely something satisfying, decadent and thoroughly enjoyable about ordering room service. I ordered a hot bowl of chicken soup my first night and ate it curled up in bed at midnight, crumbling crackers with abandon, knowing that I’d just move over to the fresh 2nd double bed to sleep. Crumbfree.

And my last afternoon there, I ordered the Turkey Club you see on the right, eating, packing and reading the NY Times before leaving for the airport.

While most of my culinary encounters were non-events (I only had 3 real meals in 4 days) I am happy to recommend Cafe Adelaide, an offshoot of the famous Commander’s Palace Restaurant of New Orleans. It’s located on the first floor of the Loews Hotel. I had a delicious entree of Pompano filet with oyster mushrooms, applewood bacon & gnocchi; for dessert, cappuccino mousse semifreddo with 3 little beignets dusted with sugar.

I’m hopeful that my next trip to New Orleans will be at a more leisurely pace and that I’ll have a real chance to sample some of the great flavors and dishes of this charming city.

Cafe Adelaide
Loews Hotel
600 Polydras Blvd
New Orleans, LA
$$$

On Friday, D & I went to Bouchon in Yountville for lunch with his mother & J, an old family friend and stage manager for the current production of Miss Saigon.

It was one of those typical Northern California winter afternoons, mostly drizzly & gray with intermittent bursts of sunshine through the clouds. We were greatly looking forward to our lunch and were happy to find the bistro quite empty at noon.

Not for long. By the time we started in on our appetizers, the place was bustling with people. The space was warm and convivial and the food was delicious - the perfect place to have our last lunch of the year.

What We Ate

Starters:

- Mixed Fresh Oysters (1/2 Dozen): Slurp back a smooth, quivering mouthful of oyster together with its cold, slightly briny juices. Chew slightly to release that fresh ocean flavor. Swallow.
- Pate de Campagne: Served with 3 toasted slices of thick crusty bread, cornichons, thinly sliced radishes and watercress. Mmmm.
- Onion Soup: Not as oniony as some I’ve had but this one had a deep, flavorful stock fragrant with thyme, just the way I like it.

Main Courses:

Saumon au Poireaux

Sauteed Atlantic salmon with melted leeks & sauce beurre blanc
You can see from the pictures below that they take great care in *not* overcooking their fish. The top 1/3 of the salmon was not quite raw but just warmed over. The sauce was delicious, not at all heavy and a perfect accompanyment to the salmon.

Skate Wing w/Savoy Cabbage, bacon lardons & mustard creme fraiche
One of the specials of the day and I thought it was the best dish at our table. The skate was cooked with it’s cartilage on to keep it moist. When brought to the table, a waiter carefully removed the bones then reconstructed the toppings for a perfect presentation. The sauce was killer and I must replicate it as soon as possible.

Truite aux Amandes

Pan roasted trout with almonds, brown butter & haricort verts.
The most delicately flavored of all our dishes. Still good, but with all the sauce action going around it was a bit bland in comparison.

Moules au Safran et a la Moutarde

Maine bouchot mussels steamed in white wine, mustard & saffron, served with french fries.
The mussels were unlike any I’ve had before. They were small and plump with excellent texture, not chewy at all. They don’t skimp on serving sizes here. The bowl was overflowing with mussels and the broth was delicious. When I was done eating, I put the pot in the middle of the table and we all sopped up that saucy goodness with bits of bread.

Dessert:

Profiteroles w/vanilla ice creme and chocolate sauce: Good, but nothing special.
Orange infused Pot de Creme: Absolutely delicious, with wonderful texture though we didn’t notice any orange at all.
Cappucino & Coffee
…

Details
Bouchon
6534 Washington St.
Yountville, CA 94599
tel: 707.944.8037
http://www.bouchonbistro.com

It was time to catch up with my sister who went to Oregon for a couple months follwed by 3 weeks in New Zealand for a well-deserved vacation. So I drove up to her place in Oakland Saturday morning and we went on a hike in Joaquin Miller Park in the Oakland hills.

It’s a short hike, mostly easy but with some stretches of moderate uphill climbing. I couldn’t believe how out of shape I was. Generally, I don’t notice this much because I’m sitting around all day and not exerting a lot of energy. But it was really clear during the hike that I’m badly out of shape. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath and was sweating profusely while my sister was fresh as a daisy and could easily carry on the conversation while I puffed and panted behind her.

Still, it was great to be with her and hear about how things are going and how her various trips went. Neither of us were very good with the trail map. Generally, we used it to try to figure out where we were, so that we could then attempt to figure out which way we should go. But since we couldn’t place ourselves on the map, it was generally difficult to figure out which way to go next. So we ended up wandering about in a semi-purposeful manner, consulting the map at strategic locations (whenever there was a fork in the road), making vain attempts to figure out where we were and where we wanted to go, giving up and just taking what seemed to be the most promising route. I think we covered most of the major trails that way. It was a short loop (about 3 miles) so it was a fairly quick hike.

I presume there’s a metaphor about life there, but I’ll leave that to you.

Afterwards, G took me to very yummy Mexican place for lunch, La Cenaduria de Ana Rosa: Donde el sabor perdura al estilo Autlense. The small, narrow but deep room was full of men (one or 2 with a female partner), each table covered with delicious looking platters. I saw huge langustines split open with what looked like bubbling white cheese on top, big bowls of hot red broth heaped full of meats. I couldn’t identify much of what I saw, but I couldn’t wait to dig in.

We were lucky to get a seat right away (the restaurant was otherwise packed) and started munching on thick corn tortilla chips with salsa and very addictive refried beans while perusing their 2 page menu. Unfortunately, making a selection was difficult.

Everything sounded good and I was feeling adventurous but I have this little hangup of wanting to try something I’ve had before whenever I eat at a new place. This helps me set it in context and put the restaurant on a sliding scale of similar places I’ve been in the past. For example, I almost always order Pad Thai at a new Thai place, though I don’t always order it at places I’ve been.

My current Mexican food obsession is to find the most exquisite tamales, so I knew off the bat I’d order their chicken and pork tamales. Alas, the kitchen only had chicken that day so I got that along with fish ceviche. I was also tempted to order a soup and torta but my better sense kicked in and I stopped there. My sister ordered 2 tacos, grilled chicken and beef.

The food was very fresh and flavorful. I loved my ceviche which came mounded on 3 crisp, round corn tortillas. It contained generous amounts of white fish with just enough diced tomato, sweet red onion and cilantro to keep it full of texture and flavor. I squeezed a lime over them for extra zing. The masa of the tamale was good, light and almost fluffy rather than dense and pasty but my search for the perfect tamale continues. Don’t get me wrong though. These were still good enough that I purchased a few extra to take home and stash away in my freezer.

G’s 2 tacos were quite excellent. The meats actually tasted like chicken and full flavored steak with a smoky, slightly bitter tang from the grilling. They were wrapped in thick, almost fluffy corn tortillas that reminded me of pancakes in texture and color.

The dishes were so fresh and alive at this little place in Oakland, it reminds me that I’ll have to explore our Mexican shops in San Jose in hopes of finding something equivalent closer to home. Life is too short not to eat good Mexican food!

Details
La Cenaduria de Ana Rosa
4806 International Blvd. (at 48th Ave.)
Oakland, CA
510-261-8696
Busy street parking only.

On our way home from cat/plant sitting duties for some out-of-town friends, we stopped by Yiassoo’s in Cupertino and had their Super Gyros ($5.95). We’ve been there once before, but neither of us remembered how delicious their Gyros are. The hot, grilled pitas are stuffed with a large mound of sliced, seasoned beef, feta cheese, sweet white onion, diced tomatoes and a tangy yogurt sauce.

Totally delicious.

I believe Yiassoo’s is a small chain in the Bay Area so if you’re lucky there may be one close to you..