Feast Blog

Several years ago, I had the delightful pleasure of meeting the Surrealist artist Enrico Donati (February 19, 1909 – April 25, 2008). I even acquired one of his abstract pieces. Donati was a contemporary of Duchamp and Breton, but continued creating artwork beyond his Surrealist training into a Constructivist phase in the 1940s and a Spatialism period. Working with surface and texture and combining color with media like dirt and soot, Donati finished his life with an expansive collection of work that is vibrant and tactile in its expanse and breadth. There are monstrously large pieces that are frightening black and gray, decrying depths of destruction and decay. And then there are gorgeously vibrant works of red and teal and orange, but juxtaposed with ground earth tones gravel with textures and shapes.

Walking by Weinstein Gallery on Union Square in San Francisco this gorgeous, sunny afternoon, I sauntered in and was taken aback by the expansive collection on display. I knew they were preparing for Centennial Retrospective, but I was not prepared for how expansive and impressive the entire collection was. Donati passed away shortly after my meeting and there were dozens of paintings which had been in his private collection and had not been seen which is now available, not only for public viewing but also for purchase (in the $25k to $300k range).

Wandering around the three floors of Donati pictures, I was surprised to be completely taken aback by one particular piece. Here I was – among dozens of paintings with shapes invoking urns and monoliths, boulders and conch shells – with a particular piece of two orange walls facing each other, one orange wall with a window, cradling a suspended boulder shape and opposite that, a larger wall with a perpendicular post providing stability and strength. An endless gray sky provides the infinite space behind the stalwart monoliths and a glow below the edifices reflect the magnitude above. What was it about this piece that struck me? I didn’t know, but I sat for nearly 15 minutes, enraptured. I mentioned as such to Travis, who helped me with my acquisition several years ago, and he enlightened me. Take a look at this Max Ernst painting, created two years into the Surrealist movement about when Donati would have met with that brethren.

Donati’s Dialogue of Carcassonne II, 1978	Virgin Spanking the Christ Child Before Three Witnesses, 1926

Note the two walls, their relation to one another and on the right-hand wall, the sturdy post which stands in the interior, with the shadow cast diagonally across. View the cut-out window in the left-hand wall with its perspective. And look at the shape of the Madonna’s back, bent over in its act of corporal punishment. It is the same shape as the suspended boulder in the Donati. Enrico Donati has taken Ernst’s basic shapes and transformed them into a powerful statement of force and existence, alluding to its religious progeny.

Weinstein has a number of galleries in and around Union Square, but their main establishment is at 383 Geary Street. Hitchcock fans will note this is famous for being the first opening scene in The Birds building that Tippi Hendren walks by after she has crossed the street is where Weinstein now stands. I suppose that is just another reason I love this gallery.

One of my biggest challenges living in one of America’s most expensive cities has been to discover tasty, affordable eateries. As much as I enjoy dining out, there is no doubt that even those earning six-figures and above still enjoy a bargain. And my criteria for a bargain is the discovery of the $10 lunch; a lunch so ample as to provide left-overs for dinner or one so substantial as to make a later meal irrelevant. Café Zitouna is such a place for me. Located on the corner of Sutter and Polk, This is a little corner place with table seats for about 20 and counter seats for another six or eight. And on a Wednesday afternoon for lunch, it was packed with people waiting to get in — for very good reason.

My companion and I started with Breek (Tunisian crepe), listed as “Tissue-thin malsouka filled with potatoes, parsley, onions, egg, tuna and capers, fried in vegetable oil. Served with lemon.” For $3.95, it was a fabulous starter and I thought it a bit charming that the waiter looked at me with concern, indicating that the egg inside was raw and that I might not eat it. No problem, I assured him. Perfectly golden and plump, the malsouka is house-made and perfectly thin.

I instructed the chef to bring me whatever he thought I should eat and I was served the Vegetable Couscous, enough for two of us to share a separate platter of couscous is topped with a few roasted peppers with a side bowl of earthy, chunky vegetables in a seasoned broth. My companion ordered the Chakchouka Bil Merguez, sautéed fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions in olive oil with house-made merguez, eggs, and Tunisian sausages. For $7.95, this dish was a winner as I got a few bites from that dish and am looking forward to returning for a platter of it for my own. I saw a neighboring table get the $9.95 B’stilla which — while thick — looked a bit small (about 6″ round) for the price. But considering how great the rest of the food was tasting, I’m sure I will plunk down a sawbuck at some point in the future.

Dining alone, I will be sticking to the under $10 dishes or ordering a couple of appetizer or salad dishes (most priced in the $4.95 range), but we went a little above my ascribed budget with the inclusion of the Moroccan mint tea — a single 20oz at $1.95 and the large pot that we shared for $4.50.  The menu also includes a handful of Shawarma, Kebab, and Merguez sandwiches in the $6.50 range, to which one can add fries for $1.95.

We brought desserts homes; a moist pistachio-topped spice cake that had been soaked with orange blossom water and a second dessert, ladyfingers also soaked with orange blossom water, topped with a rich custard and ground pistachios. The bottom line is that Café Zitouna is all about taste and authenticity. The flavors are rich and aromatic, well-integrated, and enticing. The menu is extensive enough that I can easily see myself returning on a weekly basis to eat through the menu, always knowing I’ll be taking home left-overs. And I am quite happy knowing that when I get a tagine craving, I don’t have to do all the work myself for a solo diner.

I love last-minute restaurant jaunts with my buddy, Lisa. We have such similar palates and usually are always hungry for the same type of food. It is especially more fun when it is a last-minute decision and no reservations are made and we just figure out what is in the neighborhood. Today, for example, I was working at the library when she texted and we decided to find a place to eat. Both of us had been curious about Charles Pham’s Heaven’s Dog and were very surprised, when we arrived at 6:15, to find the place practically empty. Except for two people at the bar, we literally had our choice of seats in the restaurant. Stylistically, it is a pretty establishment, but I have to admit that I find the dog paintings slightly ominous, distracting, and generally unpleasant.

We decided to start light and order more as our hunger dictated. Both of us loving egg-white cocktails, we wanted to start with their two choices; the Gin Fizz Tropical with Plymouth gin, Small Hand Foods pineapple gum, orgeat, lime, egg white, mint, and soda and the Bumble Bee Cocktail with Appeltons V/X rum, Smith and Cross rum, lime, honey, and egg white. Food-wise, only a few dishes were to start the meal; Marinated Eggplant with soy, toasted garlic and pine nuts, Braised Pork Belly in clam shell bun, and Blue Crab Meat with sweet corn and scallions.

The eggplant arrived first and was decent enough — tender and made that much more interesting because of the pine nuts. We were more than three-quarters the way finished with the eggplant when the pork belly buns arrived. Frankly, after the superlatively tender pork belly bun I experienced in Austin from a trailer just a few weeks ago, what I was eating this evening was sadly disappointing. Here the bun was gummy and overwhelming in size to the pork belly, which was lacking in enough sauce or flavor to do the composition justice.

While we were lamenting the mediocrity of our first two dishes, the cocktails arrived. Yep – what should have come out first didn’t arrive at our table until we were more than half-way done with our meal. But to their credit, the cocktails were outstanding and would be worthy of a trip, regardless of the food.

The main entrée arrived, described as Blue Crab Meat, sweet corn, and scallions. We had debated a bit with the waitress about an accompaniment and she suggested brown rice. Much to our chagrin, we again had our hopes dashed in this simple dish as the brown rice was incredibly mushy. Lisa commented if we both hadn’t already served half of what was brought out and topped it with the entrée, she would have returned it. We did mention it to the waitress who offered a replacement, but we were too far gone with the dish anyway. Of that accord, the Blue Crab Meat dish was sorely lacking enough crab to be noticeable and what was there was too muddled and similar to the sweetness of this giant platter of corn. There simply was not enough contrasting flavors or ingredients with sweet crab and sweet corn and a smattering of scallions which seemed more of a garnish than a flavor component.

Debating a dessert, we opted to head to Thermidor instead and was terribly sorry we didn’t eat our entire meal over there. But I got a fabulous Fried Dough Ho entry out of that trip.

An older review, with no pictures, but still of interest…

For $30, this is a very, very good establishment. I was fortunate to share the meal with a friend who is great at eating half a plate and switching so for starters, we shared a salmon salad with fennel and sumac. This was very nice and quite summery; a platter of smoked Pine Loch Duart Salmon topped with a shredded fennel salad, studded with sumac and a citrus dressing. The salmon was not overly smoked and of great quality. Cool and refreshing, served with a Rhone white blend, this was the preferred starter. The second was a foie flan, served warm with apples and and a port glaze. While good, it seemed out of place at this time of year. I would have adored it in October or November, but for summer fare, I think it should have been more indicative of its season; cool and enticing instead of warm and comforting.

Our second set of shared courses started with “Crispy Monterey Calamari Sundried Pesto, Parmesan Risotto, Green Sechwan Foam.” I’m not entirely what sechwan (schezwan?) is, but this was very interesting risotto with a bit too many flavors. The calamari themselves were absolutely perfect when they could have been incredibly rubbery. And the risotto, again, was absolutely flawlessly prepared — not too al dente or too soupy. But with such distinguishsed rice and fish, and very good sundried pesto, why add the foam? Or, why add the pesto? Either flavor would have been just fine, but both together seemed too convoluted. My friend ordered and drank all of his Cotes du Rhone with this dish and I only had a quick sip so I have no comment.

The other entrée was “Pulled Lamb, Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper Coulis, Pesto.” This was served on a smaller plate and while a smaller portion, did not pull punches on flavor or quality. Tender and rich, the pulled lamb was piled into a large meatball-sized offering of rich meat with slices of thin eggplant and the two rich sauces; the red pepper coulis and the pesto. In this case, the two sauces worked well with the rich meat but like the foie, would seem a better dish served in the fall. It was very nice and homey, but slightly ill-conceived for the season. I ordered a du Pape with the lamb and with a freshly opened bottle, needed some breathing room to open.

Two desserts came out and we gave the waiter/Maitre’d carte blanche to serve us some dessert wine. The first dessert we finished easily was a “Vanilla panna cotta, Strawberry pepper coulis, candy almond” served with a glass of Sainte-Croix-Du-Mont. A very well-made panna cotta, it was the combination of fruit and cruncy bits that brought the dessert together. Or maybe it was the Sainte-Croix-Du-Mont, a slight botrytris cinera wine with beautiful brightness to juxtapose the fruit and nut. The other dessert was ‘chocolate moelleux, ”Mint creme Anglaise”‘. I’m sorry I didn’t make a note of the cognac-based dessert wine we had; very clear and light, there was just enough spunk to complement the rich, molten chocolate and hint of mint from the Anglaise. I was a little concerned; usually Banyuls or port works well with chocolate, EXCEPT when mint is introduced as a flavor element. All three offerings were just lovely and a great ending.

But we didn’t finish there. As we finished up the meal, we were each brought a half-glass of sparkling rosé, a perfect after dinner aperitif that was unexpected and quite thoughtful. The meal with drinks was in the $125 range before tip. And while the major detractor was that the dishes were served a little off-season, this is a delightful unexpected French bistro that should have been busier than they were.

I was incredibly lucky to attend the final Mission Street Food before Danny Bowien and Youngmi Mayer take time off the restaurant to get married and to consider their next project. The meal was, in fact, entitled “Wedding Extravaganza” and indeed, the chef did not fail to impress everyone in attendance. Here’s a recap of the final meal and a special farewell and bon voyage to the happy couple. We can’t wait for your return!

Aperitif – Prickly pear soda with sake granité and red shiso. Slightly on the sweet side, three of us fought a little over the glistening red liquid with its floating, icy wonder of sake. Bright and clean, this was a great start to awaken the taste buds of anticipation of what was to come.

Cherrystone Clams and Beau Soleil Oysters – Both served on the half-shell, the oysters were garnished with spiced nori and grapefruit vinegar while the clams were set off with a brunoise of green apple, white shoyu, and hackleback caviar. There were three of us dining and only two of each shellfish served, so additional orders were immediately made. The two together made a delightful presentation and provided contrasting flavors of sweet and salt and umami. The green apple with the caviar on the clams were simultaneously crisp and refreshing while enticingly rich. The dark nori in the oysters made for a darker contrast to its clam counterpart and we could have happily ended the meal right here with a continuing feast of these morsels.

Grilled Korean Hot Peppers – Served with horseradish and moromi miso, I was concerned these would be too hot for me but was thrilled this was not the case. Slightly charred and nestled around the miso for dipping, the grilling heightened the sharp pungency inherent in the pepper, while the cool miso tempered the moderate heat of the fresh peppers.

Blistered Tomato Salad – Served with Blue Fin squid, chrysanthemum, Chinese celery, and a bit of squid ink gelée. Tiny chrysanthemum flowers studded the freshly, crisp tomatoes which complemented the squid rings. A perfect rectangle of squid ink geleé stretched across the bowl of clean tastes and a light broth brought all the flavors together.

California Aji “Negitoro” – A white slab of tofu was the basis of the amazing dish. Topped with tartare of delicately-spiced fatty tuna, the seemingly similar textures of the tofu and tartare were well-contrasted with the crispy-fried won ton skins but the flavors were all heightened by wild leeks and hint of citrus with the citron. The caviar pulled in a perfect salty component to balance the rich flavors.

Milk Fed Veal Tartare – Served with sea urchin, boquerones, huitalocoche, in a wheatgrass consommé. Such an incredibly complex gathering of flavors. Like the previous dish, the textures were mostly soft and temperate, but the salty sea flavors of the sea urchin highlighted the subtle, richness of the veal. It was the huitalocoche in the wheatgrass consommé which depicted the brilliance. Combining seemingly disparate ingredients which came together with elegance and integrity was not a surprise from this chef, but a surprise to me in how well such unusual ingredients provide something so remarkably different.

Warm Egg Custard – Studded with bits of duck confit, sturgeon, matsutake dashi, and fresh peppercorn leaves, Chef Danny’s version of Chawanmushi depicted the chef’s usual flair for brilliance.

Octopus a la Plancha – This was a dish we ordered seconds of; it was that good. Perfectly grilled, tender octopus sat atop smoked yogurt, fresh baby turnips, surprisingly large fresh peas, and a scattering of finely minced black olive and ras el hanout. So often, octopus is grilled to the point where it feels as though one is chewing on rubberbands and it is clear that Chef Danny knows his cephalopods well. The char marks only brought about the heightened sweetness in the octopus meat but it was combination of young turnips and miniature explosions from the peas that elevated this dish.

Crispy Pork Jowl and Mussels – Served with fresh lettuces, mint, pickles, carrots and sliced peppers, this was served in a way to encourage wrapping the ingredients in lettuce wraps. The mussels had a very spicy red pepper in the broth and were a bit too hot on their own, but that heat was balanced by the fattiness of the pork and cool crisp mint.

Lung Shan’s Vegan Delight – One of the standard dishes on the Mission Street Food menu, a simple broth made from miso soup nestles shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings.