scott matthew - white horse

i recently started to listening to scott matthew after knowing and seeing scott around brooklyn when i lived in new york. it's funny how you know someone in passing, have them as an acquaintance/friend and not know what they do or how amazing they are. (i think that was pretty common in new york) i'm obsessed with his album "there is an ocean that divides." scott's deep emotional connection to the music he creates reminds me of what sets apart truly great musicians from the rest.

waking up at 730 on a sunday

has some advantages..i went to the farmer's market in civic center this morning to shop for a few fruits, vegetables, and fresh flowers for the week. i love looking at what the vendor's have to offer, trying samples of fresh fruit, and getting amazing inexpensive wild flowers to liven up my kitchen.  there are definitely perks to getting all of this done before 10.

spring salad mix w edible flowers and wild shitake mushrooms

tamales bay + oyster obsession

its been quite awhile since i last posted on this food diary as i've been unusually busy with school, work, life, and "feeling settled" hasn't kicked in till recently.  i finally feel a bit of more stable and can call my new apartment, home so i'll be posting a lot more in the next few weeks.

this past weekend was great - carl and i took a drive up to tamales bay in point reyes where the oyster farms are all in full season and only an hour and a half from san francisco.  among the oyster farms that we debated on going to were tamales bay oyster company, hog island oysters, and pete's bbq oysters. of course by the time we got there - most oyster farms only offer the actual oysters, no utensils and a very BYOB(everything) style of service.  this is great if you have a group of friends and want to picnic on the farm, just make sure you pack wine, accouterments, and utensils. we ended up at pete's because they offered a full menu, beer/wine, bbq oysters, crab sandwiches, and even spare ribs.  we had a wonderful sampling of everything.

the view from where we had lunch - tamales bay

the drive up was great, eucalyptus trees and dill plants were growing everywhere and the smell of them filled the air.  check out nick's cove cottages - they had great cottages for rent on the water.

Sweets of Japan (Minamoto Kitchen)

Came across this interesting shop today, Minamoto Kitchen near the Embarcadero that sell Japanese pastries and sweets in interesting and colorful packaging.  The shop girls wore very crisp and bright uniforms and greeted you in Japanese when you walked through the door. 

We selected a shiso jelly and the attendant brought us a chilled one from the back.

Hans-Joachim Roedelius - Lieder Vom Steinfeld

A track that I came across while listening to Crooker's new mix. I instantly fell in love with the opening track that was used.  I did some research and found the actual song.  Its perfect for that sleepy, rainy day - which I feel like we are having a lot of right now.

Hans-Joachim Roedelius - Lieder Vom Steinfeld

workin' The Corner

My newest discovery is a restaurant called The Corner - located in the Mission district, right on 18th and Mission.  The owners of a restaurant two doors down called Weird Fish (they only serve fish for all you Pescetarians)- opened a wine bar that serves a specific but deliciously unique menu that ranges from items like slow cooked pork shank w poached egg to smoked butterfish and beef tongue.  They even serve Barbecue Pigs’ Feet & Deviled Egg Salad 5.00$ as an appetizer (OK! "how you gonna serve pigs feet w no collard greens?!" OK! Precious) The wine list is impressive, the menu is decently priced, and the atmosphere is warm yet cozy.  A perfect place for a first date or to meet my friend Conor from Ireland for dinner.

the Meat Plate - Lomo ((cured pork loin))
Bresaola ((air dried beef))
Speck ((cold-smoked pork))
with mustard, pickles, turkish dates, hard cooked egg & toast
& Roasted Cauliflower, Black-eyed Peas, Fregola

my friend Alex showed up and joined us which was a nice surprise

I am new to remembering to document my food before we eat - However, a slightly mangled entree that came out much prettier than this.  

Roasted young chicken 12.75$ potato purée, escarole, baby carrots, prunes & saba

Here is an exterior daytime shot of the restaurant I found online

the loin of donuts

So i was walking home last night from having a few drinks at The Cinch - a bar in the Tenderloin when I was stopped by the familiar smell of Bob's Donuts.  A San Francisco institution on Polk Street famous for their donuts, pastries, and extremely dense yet delicious bread pudding.  The best part is that Bob's is open till 3 AM, so you are always lured in when leaving a night of partying.  

My friend Michael and I made a quick stop to pick up a dessert for the walk home. 

my morning coffee

My local coffee shop, Ritual Coffee Roasters two doors down from my studio in the Mission district has the best coffee and pastries for that morning get up and go.  The team of employees are an eclectic mix of youthful 20 something baristas and part time musicians.  Their coffee is so good they charge 14.95$ for a bag of standard coffee beans.  

miss stone returns to the scene of the crime

My good friend Chris Stone took a break from all of his recent jet setting and Gaga goings to come to San Francisco for some thrifting, dim sum, brunching and of course partying.  I documented some of the places Chris took me to that he had missed over the years.

Chris at Dim Sum in the Richmond District which is famous for its plethora of Asian restaurants, mostly Chinese and Vietnamese, however there are a few Japanese and Korean restaurants as well.

Our friend Michael Magnan was in town playing a party called Booty Call

Danny at brunch at Boogaloo's - an amazing brunch spot in the Mission District