by Sam Tackeff | Feb 4, 2010 | Restaurants
After writing about Cheeseboard Pizza, I received several recommendations that Arizmendi bakery, located in the Sunset District, semi-sibling of Cheeseboard had better pizza, so I thought I’d take a trek out there to investigate. (In the beginning, the Cheeseboard collective shared their business model and recipes with Arizmendi, and many of their tasty goodies are identical).
My thoughts:
(Based on one slice of pizza, which is frankly bad journalism and against blogging etiquette. But, I’ve corroborated the story with other Cheeseboard and Arizmendi eaters who seemed to agree with my observations, so please take this as you will.)
This particular pizza at Arizmendi was topped with spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic oil, parsley and parmesan. From a flavor perspective, the pizza was very satisfactory, even with my slightly dulled tastebuds. You really can’t go wrong here with these high quality ingredients.
:: The main difference, it seems, is in the crust – Arizmendi’s crust seems to be slightly thicker and puffier at the edge, more dry, and more crispy. While it’s only my preference, and I’m sure many differ on this opinion, I prefer Cheeseboard’s thinner, slightly chewier crust.
:: Another difference has to do with volume and sales. When I arrived at Arizmendi (9th Avenue between Irving and Judah in Sunset), there were fewer people than normally at Cheeseboard, and most people were eating shortbread, scones, and a variety of other sumptuous looking pastries, but not actually pizza. I saw a few pizzas hanging out on the counter, including one lone slice, which I was hoping and praying that I wouldn’t be served. Fortunately, a new pizza came out of the oven for me, and I was given a fresh slice. I think, that based on the volume of people actually ordering pizza at cheeseboard, the pizzas are simply going to be fresher due to the timing of dough creation, pizza creation, etc. – even by a few minutes, which, in my opinion, does make a difference.
:: The last difference: a slice at Arizmendi costs $2.25. A slice at Cheeseboard is $2.50. But, at Cheeseboard you get an extra almost half slice, which is well worth both worth the quarter and the added satisfaction. This alone is enough for Cheeseboard to win out in my boat.
That said, in a pinch, if you can’t get over to Berkeley, Arizmendi is still serving a quality pizza that I’d be more than willing to eat again and again. I’m only sorry I didn’t take more of their pastry things to go. Everything looked stellar.
Arizmendi Bakery
http://www.arizmendibakery.org/
1331 9th Avenue
Between Irving and Judah
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 566-3117
by Sam Tackeff | Jan 28, 2010 | Cheese, Restaurants, Vegetables
I’ve only eaten about twenty pizzas at Cheeseboard this year. Yes, that’s right, I said twenty pizzas. And it’s a modest estimate. Now, if you’ve seen me recently, you will notice that I’m more than twenty pizzas thinner (a loose pizza to pound estimate) than last year, so it’s safe to say that this pizza has fit in perfectly fine with my healthy diet.
I’m a sucker for neighborhood food, and the pizza from Cheeseboard certainly qualifies. Cheeseboard is a co-op that has been going strong for decades. Most of my friends who grew up in Berkeley in the 80’s and 90’s have a parent or two who has been a part the collective. There is no boss, manager, or employees – it is worker owned. What does this mean practically?
Delicious pizza, of the freshest ingredients, served up by happy people who are integrally connected to the food. There is real stake in this product, and it shows.
Yes, I travel for my pizza. I love heading over the bridge to Berkeley – less than an hour from SF on public transit, including the short walk from BART. It’s peaceful, friendly, and let’s me get my hippy on.
The pizza at Cheeseboard is made fresh, from some of the highest quality ingredients. They are thin and crispy, and topped with the finest cheeses, including gruyere, goat cheese, feta, montalban, fresh mozzerella, to name a few. They are also topped with seasonal and local vegetables – and they are vegetarian, although even a devout carnivore would hardly notice the absence of meat.
This particular pizza was cremini mushroom, onion, mozzarella, and ricotta salata, topped with an arugula salad dressed in a lemony vinaigrette. Salad on a pizza? Light, refreshing, and balanced. Trust me, it’s wonderful.
Things to know about Cheeseboard:
There will be a line. It goes incredibly quickly, and it is worth it.
1. One pizza a day. No choices, you get what they have. (Part of the reason the line goes so quickly.)You can see what the pizza of the day is on their website, or by following (the unofficial, but totally reliable pizza of the day) on twitter. Or head in to be surprised. They have a few pizzas in heavier rotation, and particular favorites include:
** Roasted potatoes, onions, chile passilla, mozzarella and feta cheese, garlic olive oil, cilantro, key lime.
** Roasted cauliflower, caramelized onions, mozzarella and Montalban cheese, pistachios, garlic olive oil, fresh herbs
** Fresh corn and chile pasilla, onions, feta and mozzarella cheeses, garlic olive oil, cilantro and Mexican key lime.
There is also a salad of the day, and usually a fresh cookie, the best being the gingerbread cookie. They also offer a variety of tasty adult beverages, as well as kid friendly beverages, all of which of the all-natural and delicious variety.
This particular salad was mixed baby greens with blue cheese and walnuts, with a balsamic vinaigrette. One of my favorites. (I also have a particular fondness for coleslaw day.)
2. Cash only. The pizza is inexpensive – 20 dollars for a whole pizza, including tax and tip. You can also purchase by the slice ($2.50), or by half pizza, 3/4 pizza, etc. My advice for the best date? Take a 20 dollar bill, and you can get a half pizza ($10), a small salad ($3.50), a cookie ($2.00), maybe a drink, and a couple of dollars to tip the musicians.
Prepare in advance, or if need be, head down to the ATM – one a block away is Bank of America, but there is a Wells Fargo ATM a few blocks away in Andronico’s.
3. Live Music! The music is great, mostly jazz, and makes for a festive mood. Don’t forget to tip the musicians! They appreciate it! Yesterday was a smashing performance by The California Honeydrops – I polished off an extra slice of pizza just to hear some more of their music. (There were three more musicians jamming out of the photo…)
4. Don’t forget to head next door! Pick up some cheese to go! Next door at the Cheeseboard, you can immerse yourself in cheese heaven – and be sure to check out the discount cheese basket hanging from the counter (maybe I shouldn’t have shared that secret), and their selection of tasty breads and pastries. You can also purchase pizza from next door here to go, if the line at the pizza place looks impossible.
Berkeley Cheeseboard Pizza
(The Cheeseboard Collective)
Web: http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/
1512 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley.
Phone: 510-549-3055
Unofficial Twitter: http://twitter.com/cheeseboard
How to get there: A short walk from Downtown Berkeley Bart down Shattuck- (about 12 minutes) Just have someone point you towards the “Gourmet Ghetto”.
by Sam Tackeff | Dec 31, 2009 | Restaurants
I took myself on a date yesterday afternoon. I wore my bright new red coat, which is great for confidence, and headed out on the town. And by on the town, I mean that I had some errands to run. And by errands, I mean shopping.
Fortunately it was a very nice afternoon in the bay, and I ended up walking from my little corner of Noe Valley past Dolores Park, and down to Church and Market with no real target in mind. I hopped on the J-Church and headed into the Embarcadero to wander through the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building is the ideal spot for wandering, because if you get bored you can walk outside and sit watching the cars shuttle by on the bay bridge, or you can just eat samples all afternoon.
I spent some time in Sur La Table, testing out some Shun and Global knives, and a tiny part of me wishing I could be a chef and get sponsored by one of these companies and receive a nice shiny set of my own, all for free. Alas, that’s probably not a good enough reason to become a chef…
I was also happy to see Mariposa Baking Company has set up shop in the Ferry Building – tasty gluten free treats that won’t make you miss the gluten laden stuff.
This time I passed up the sweet stuff, and opted to finally sit down and try a bite at Il Cane Rosso, the joint venture of Daniel Patterson (the chef and owner of Coi) and Lauren Kiino (who headed the kitchen at Delfina). Il Cane Rosso is what I like to call slow fast food – where you order your local, organic, and seasonal food, and sit down to eat it in a casual setting with no real table service. I actually love eating this way – I’m particularly fussy about the quality of my food, but have no desire to eat every day in a formal setting. Perhaps why I love Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc so much.
After reading John Birdsall’s review in SF Weekly, Sandy of Foodhoe’s Foraging’s write up, and seeing Haas of No Salad As A Meal’s write up and beautiful photos I knew I had to stop by immediately even if just for a quick bite.
One of my favorite things about this little restaurant is the way it looks. Namely, I’d love to have a kitchen in my own home that looks like this – gray concrete floors (yes, I’m a concrete lover), wooden paneling of real wood, shiny silver appliances, open shelves, and those red metal accent beams and sweeping high ceilings… A girl can dream. But I also quite enjoy the seasonal accents like the squash and corn here. I try to do this regularly in my own kitchen before eating said accents.
I love this big squash! Can’t you see it roasted with a big cheesy strata inside it?
And also, I need to give a nod to their selection of drinks. I’m not really a soda drinker, but their selection even had me debating – Fentimans botanically brewed sodas are mighty tasty.
Finally I opted for the soup of the day, the “Long & Bailey Pork and Lentil Soup” ($6). I know, all I ate was one soup, and I’m passing judgment? Shame on me! But let me tell you, this soup was pretty near perfect. It had the right balance of stuff to flavorful broth that was perfectly seasoned. The lentils were tender but still had a nice bite and weren’t falling apart. The long and bailey pork was cubed in bite size pieces that were melt in your mouth and so darn savory. The difference between this stuff and the conventional is like two completely different animals. It was the perfect afternoon treat.
And yet I managed to only get one measly picture of the soup, fogging my lens to boot. Bad food blogger! I’ll be back soon for a more thorough tasting. Although lunch is generally the perfect time to go, their three course tasting dinner is $25 dollars, and if anything like lunch, is pretty much a steal.
Just as I was getting up to go they were closing their doors for a brief break between lunch and dinner. I contemplating staying for round two, but I had places to go and things to do. I’ll be back, sooner, rather than later.
Il Cane Rosso, open daily for lunch and dinner, breakfasts on Saturdays and Sundays
One Ferry Building #41
San Francisco
Phone: 415.391.7599
www.canerossosf.com
by Sam Tackeff | Dec 21, 2009 | Restaurants
Last week I went to a holiday party shindig at Cattlemans’ Steakhouse, a fairly run of the mill steakhouse chain that while I wouldn’t necessarily head to on my own, was perfectly content to eat at when the food was free. We had various crudites, shrimp with dipping sauce, and split a new york strip steak. I topped my baked potato with the ranch style beans and left with a happy tummy. And yet I didn’t actually manage to take any photos of the food – but I did snap a photo of the wall decorations (above) to give you an idea of the ambiance. I also shot one of the ice cream dishes that were full of butter. (Large water glasses left in for scale.) There were a couple of these on each table. Now that’s a lotta butter!!!
by Sam Tackeff | Nov 4, 2009 | Books, Restaurants
My mom was in town this weekend, and this being her first trip to San Francisco in over twenty five years meant only one thing – GLORIOUS FEASTING! My parents are to thank for my love of fine dining. Some of my earliest memories are eating at great restaurants – as a toddler I whisked away into the kitchen by smitten waiters on a trip to Germany, as a preschooler I impressed the kitchen staff in Montreal and Paris with my french ordering skills and passionate love of escargot, who often sent me Amuse and samples of desserts as rewards. Then there the day that I asked for the *second* lobster with my family in Ogunquit, Maine (I was five). And those few years of obsession with filet mignon before the age of ten ensured that I wasn’t a cheap date – but I can’t thank them enough for indulging me.
So when my mom finally planned her trip out here, it was my greatest pleasure to plan a weekend of voracious eating and drinking some of my favorites in the city. This included:
:: Coffee at Philz – one of the best caffeine injections in the city (I favor the Mocha Tesora)
:: Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Fudge (berry sorbet for me) at Bi-Rite Creamery
:: Shrimp and pork wonton soup, crispy imperial rolls, and grilled tiger prawns over rice noodles at the Slanted Door
:: a Macaron from Miette (I chose pistachio, she had rose)
:: a trip to Cheeseboard Pizza in Berkeley for some live jazz, the last heirloom tomato pizza of the season, and a gingerbread cookie
:: An animal style cheeseburger, fries, and a vanilla shake from In-N-Out.
The most exciting meal however, in retrospective honor of his new cookbook, was an impromptu trip to Thomas Keller’s “casual eatery” Ad Hoc, in Yountville. Or shall I say, and Ad Hoc trip to Ad Hoc? Sorry guys, I had to. Ad Hoc is the perfect spot to eat Keller’s phenomenal food, with limited negative effect on your piggy bank. The four course meal comes in at $49 a person, and you certainly don’t leave hungry. Our dinner at Ad Hoc was one of the few meals I’ve had in the past several years that I’ve enjoyed so thoroughly from start to finish, down to the smallest details. The food was impeccable, the waitstaff (all of whom have been on staff for two years or more) were kind, attentive, and with good humor, and our fellow patrons were all entertaining as well.
Our first course was Polpettini Soup – with veal meatballs, broccolini, celery root, pickled red onions, sweet carrot coins, and a crostini with bellwether farm’s ricotta on top. To say I’m a soup lover would be an understatement, and this was perhaps my favorite course of the evening. The broth was rich and well developed, and the meatballs were shining stars – moist, balanced in flavor, texture, and really perfect in every way. Shucks, just thinking about this makes me tear up with longing.
Next came the Roast Colorado Lamb Leg, topped with a mint salsa verde, alongside romanesco potatoes, with a side of black and pearl barley, with braised autumn squash, pumpkin seeds and brussels sprouts. Lets talk about this barley dish. It was texturally exciting. It was well balanced flavor. If only everyone could eat brussels sprouts like these ones, I swear they would be the nations’ favorite vegetable. I’m going to try to recreate this one at home, because it’s a killer combination.
And the lamb and potatoes – perfect. Perfectly cooked. The potatoes, oh god the potatoes – crisp on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside. I know it’s rude to stare at other customers, but one of my favorite moments of the evening was watching the woman across the way eat her first potato cube – and a wave of complete ecstasy passed over her face, her eyes widened, and it was like she had experienced culinary nirvana. After further inquiry, we learned that the technique for these involved a primary fry in peanut oil, a secondary fry in canola, and a final treatment of butter and herbs. Well, that explains it!
The cheese board was a trio of cheese – including a sheepsmilk cheese, the Humboldt Fog (in the middle), and possibly old chatham blue, although, at this point I was still so enamored by the potatoes that I promptly forgot when we were told… The cheeses came with marcona almonds and Marshall’s farm blackberry honey – which I ended up eating on the cheese, almonds, bread, and stirring into my jasmine almond tea.
Last but not least, came dessert – brownie trifle with huckleberry sauce and vanilla diplomat cream. A light and flavorful ending, that left me completely fulfilled. Leave it to my camera to focus on the surroundings and not those perfect brownie bits, but I thought I’d include this anyway.
We were sad to leave Ad Hoc, and have been dreaming about it all weekend. Fortunately, the Ad Hoc cookbook is out, and filled with brilliant recipes, beautiful images, and plenty of inspiration for my own table until I can get back to eat at theirs. I’ve been reading through it at work, and it, like the restaurant, is not to be missed. It’s the perfect gift to yourself or any food lover on your list.
by Sam Tackeff | Oct 13, 2009 | Food Travel, Restaurants
My favorite part about living in San Francisco currently, is hosting guests who have never been to this city, and heading around town feeding them my favorites. This presents a bit of a delicate problem for my expanding waistline, but I figure that I’ll burn off “most” (cough* a fraction of*) of the calories if we attempt to walk to as many spots as possible.
Last week, my dear friend Caroline came, on a quick break from her graduate studies at Haaaahvahhhd, for her cousin’s destination wedding in wine country, which meant that I had only one day to take her around! What to choose from!
After picking her up at the airport at 11:30 pm, we came back to my little apartment in Noe Valley, and fell right asleep, so we would have energy for the upcoming excursion. Once morning came, we headed out early, taking the J over the big hill by Dolores Park (I didn’t want to kill her before noon), and stopping briefly on 18th street for a cup of Mocha Tesora at Philz, no extra sugar, dash of cream, with a mint leaf on top. If you haven’t had it before, it’s heaven in a cup. Philz makes your cup of coffee one at a time, and is one of the best that I’ve had in this city. I’m equally torn between the one on 18th street, and the one down on 24th in the mission.
We then walked through the Castro, taking a brief stop into Cliff’s Variety mostly so I could note how wonderful it was that they really do have a little bit of everything! And to marvel at their collection of kitchen wares, and note how I could really use a Norpro Ceramic Compost Keeper, in order to properly follow the new San Francisco law of composting. Alas, Given was closed, so I couldn’t show her all of the things (art, home ware, jewelry, furniture, trinkets) I would like to own. We headed up the street and turned on market, picking the J back up at Church and Market, and headed over to the Ferry Building.
As things were just starting to open, we went to badger the hostess at Slanted Door, to see if she would give us a reservation for two around 11:30, enough time to walk through each of the shops before we became famished. She kindly obliged, and we went off to take “San Francisco Photos”. I managed to take a “San Francisco Photo” of her with the Bay Bridge, and then a portrait of a native seagull, in the same pose.
Stately fellow, isn’t he?
After this, we walked around, although, this time, Miette wasn’t open quite yet, so we didn’t have one of their lovely Macarons (I like pistachio), and it was a little too early for a sandwich or Meat Cone at Boccalone, although that usually is one of my favorites. My brother is still over the moon about his “Tasty Salted Pig Parts Water Bottle” he picked up there. We did step into Sur La Table, which stocks well and has nice sales, and an particularly pleasant assistant manager, John, who I met at Omnivore yesterday.
This is my favorite photo of Caroline, which I caught right before she broke out into a giggle. I like making my subjects laugh right before snapping their photo.
We sat outside at the Slanted Door, it was perfect weather, and the tourist watching opportunities there are prime. While people often make comments that the Slanted Door is overrated, I have never had anything but lovely food and service there. It’s a nice place to sit, eat, and people watch.
She had milk tea, and I had their iced tea. We shared a bowl of their shrimp and pork wonton soup, which has a lovely broth and egg noodles, then we had the beautifully presented Hamachi (Yellowtail Tuna) collar, some of the most tender parts of fish, which came with these grilled pineapple that were so, so good. We finished with the highly fragrant chicken clay pot, and no room for dessert.
After lunch, we set back to walking, heading towards Union Square, where we took a brief pause at the very large Williams Sonoma to watch a pasta making demonstration, and discussing the merits of the city of Boston versus San Francisco with a lively little audience.
We finally headed over the bridge to Berkeley, on what I affectionately refer to as the “Soviet Disney Monorail” (aka the Bart) to walk around the campus, take a brief pause at Games of Berkeley, where I was astounded to find the board game “Quelf” which I immediately purchased. For those unaware (I’m assuming most of you, because most board game stores have never heard of this game), Quelf is a lively boardgame that is to be played with a group of people who are not afraid of acting like complete oddballs together. It is impossible to play without laughing hysterically.
Next, after checking out the “reduced price cheese basket” at the Cheeseboard cheese store, and scoring on a blue cheese and a goat cheese for about $2.50, we headed next door to get in line at Cheeseboard Pizza, my favorite spot for pizza in the bay area. Cheeseboard features one pizza a day, of which you can order slices, a fraction of, or the whole pizza including tax for $20. This is a steal for what you are getting. The pizza is always chock full of local vegetables, and specialty cheeses from next door. It’s vegetarian, but no omnivore would be missing the meat here. The line is long but quick, and I’ve never been let down by the selection. On Fridays they have jazz.
We were there for a most delicious pizza with gruyere and potato, and the salad of the day, and made sure to get some for Devon, who most generously picked us up in the car to take us back over the bridge.
A pretty wonderful day, for sure.
Although, if you are thinking of coming to San Francisco, best visit for a week!
