Chez Spencer, San Francisco

Went in March on a Friday night for The Gov’na’s Celebration dinner. We were calling it Birthday, Part Deux!
The good news is that he really enjoyed himself. Started with a Maker's Mark Manhattan, which he used to adore but hasn’t had in a long time. Apparently it was better than cigarettes after quitting for years….We were seated in the rear of the dining room on a small raised platform. Interestingly, the noise level was significantly lower back there than in the front of the dining room. That’s a good thing. I love being able to hear my own conversation.

On to the meal: We both started with the Smoked Duck Breast ‘à La Lyonnaise’ which is sort of a salad, but more of a first course. My only complaint about this is that it’s small. Not postage stamp small, but still a diminutive portion. The taste was awesome, but it would have been nice to have more than 3 sprigs of frisee and a whiff of the lardon that was near the serving station as the course was being prepped.

For the main course the Gov’na had Pan Seared Venison Tenderloin w/Jabron Potato, Juniper Berry-Peppercorn Jus. He loved it and cleaned his plate. He had never had Venison before and was curious to try it. I’m pleased to say that he was pleasantly surprised at how much he liked it. He’s becoming a far more adventurous diner these days.

I had the Roasted Lamb Rack w/Braised Artichoke ‘Barigoule’, Fromage Blanc and Lamb Jus. But without the fromage. Again the taste was amazing, but the portion was small. Which, I know…I know…that’s what you get with rack of lamb. But, when you are a restaurant and one of your diners orders a meal, but they can’t eat 1/3 of the dish as prepared, would you try to substitute another side for that diner? I would.
I asked our server if she could sub something or if it was a super important part of the dish and she said that it wouldn’t ruin it without the formage and that she would ask the kitchen. It just came out as a smaller meal, no sub and no bump up of portion on the artichoke. I was a bit peeved because if I had known that I had a back up dish to order instead. Whatever, live and learn.

For Dessert the Gov’na had Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake w/ Flowers of the Alps Tea Anglaise. He loves everything chocolate and dug into this like it was the last piece of chocolate on earth.
I ordered the Warm Apple Almond Tart w/ Apple Cider Caramel, Glace au Lait but asked the server to hold the Glace au Lait. When it came out the Glace au Lait was sitting pretty right on top. Sadly, the server was no where to be seen at that point, so I just sort of played around with it while the Gov’na had his pudding cake. I didn’t make a fuss or say that it was wrong. I hate hate hate to make a scene or anything on someone else’s night.

Anyway, when the bill came I saw why my requests were not honored by the kitchen; our server never noted it on the check. Chez Spencer’s check that is presented to the diner is the same one the server writes the order on. Evidence was clear… The total bill including tip was $200.

Afterwards we went to the Ritz for a drink, which was a nice way to end the evening.
Looking back, I would say that it was worth it because The Gov’na had such a good time and really enjoyed his meal. I doubt I’ll be back anytime soon. This was better than my previous experience, but not great overall. My suggestion is that if you want to go, don’t make any special requests and order straight off the menu with no allergy-based menu changes. Sorry, i know other people love this restaurant. And I would too, if i didn't have allergy issues.

Side Note:
My previous experience at Chez Spencer was approximately 4 years earlier. I was with a group of 3 other diners.
My previous experience at Chez Spencer taught me that some servers do indeed NOT like to admit their mistakes.
When i was there before, i didn't order an appetizer, just the entree. the server apparently got miffed and "forgot" to order my meal. while the rest of the table was dining, we asked when mine would come out and then he got super pissey about me not ordering anything and just taking up space in the dining room.
that was fun.
eventually, he did rush through an order for the duck. but, it was raw in the middle due to the quick cooking.
ever had raw duck? yeah, neither did i.
i wouldn't eat most of it nor did i send it back. i prefered not to have another side of Waiter Spit that evening.
that was hands down the worst dining experience i have ever had.

Globe Restaurant, San Francisco

On Sunday evening we had an impromptu dinner at Globe Restaurant in SF.
It was not a super busy night and we were seated right away.

The Gov’na started with the Salad Lardon: frisee with warm bacon vinaigrette and poached chick eggs.
This salad was a very large portion and he really enjoyed it. There was an appropriate amount of all elements and the poached eggs really made the sauce once they were pierced.
We were literally dipping bread in the plate juices when he was done with the salad.

I had the Tuna Tartare with fresh basil and black olive tapenade. It was served with some lightly toasted bread points. The tuna was cut into large, fork-friendly pieces and had a very fresh and clean flavor. The bread was perfectly toasted; the inside was very soft & fresh, while allowing a nice crisp crust to complement the tuna.

Gov’na had the Rotisserie Chicken with pancetta and black mission figs. He said the chicken was one of the moistest chicken dishes he has ordered in a restaurant. Again, the portion was huge. It was like a half of a chicken, de-boned on the breast with everything else on the bone.
Had figs, which, it turns out he’s not too fond of…hmmm he didn’t mention that on Friday's ducky dinner…

I had the braised Lamb Sugo over soft polenta and english peas which was smaller in proportion than his meal, but really had a wonderful depth of flavor that comes from the slow cooking. Also, you don’t need a huge portion with a meal like this; it’s so filling as it is.
The lamb was lamby, but not gamey. This was a great comfort dish.

We shared a bottle of 2003 Domaine Les Pallieres, Gigondas.
Total for 2 including tip was $161, the service was great, not too intrusive, but attentive.
In fact, they scored bonus points for chasing me down when we left, I had forgotten my (new) scarf at the table, and they brought it to me.

In any event, I have been to Globe on a few occasions; this was the best meal so far. I’m glad they are still around and still stay open late for dinner.
Well, late for this town anyway.

As a side note, Globe has a special menu on Sunday’s called the Farmer’s Menu. It was quite extensive and looked interesting. Unfortunately, they were already out of some items, so we ordered from the regular menu.

I would most definitely go back in the future.

http://www.globerestaurant.com/

Movida in Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is undoubtedly Australia’s hippest city. It has a buzz and vibrancy— particularly in the area around Federation Square where Victorian and Edwardian architecture mingle with modern design— that is unparalleled, even in Sydney, Melbourne’s glamorous and more famous big sister.

Even the people are hip. They all seem to know the place to be and what to wear without looking like they tried too hard to put a ‘look’ together. On my first visit to Melbourne, I dubbed this the city of cool shoes.

So I was feeling tragically un-hip in my comfortable walking shoes when my husband and I turned up the heavily graffitied lane across from Federation Square that led to Movida, one of Melbourne’s trendiest restaurants and the top Tapas bar in Australia.

Making our way up the lane we could see what appeared to be some sort of fashion shoot going on. The “legs-up-to there” model was vamping in red fishnet stockings, a tight-fitting goth-goes-glam t-shirt, and four-inch black patent leather peep-toe stilettos (remember, this is the city of cool shoes).

My transition from slightly self-conscious practical traveler to mortified dowdy tourist raised in America’s Midwest was complete.

To make matters worse, we showed up at the ultra-unfashionable hour of 5 p.m. to make sure we could get a spot at the bar since we had phoned the night before and were told the dining room was booked out.

The restaurant was empty, with the exception of two couples lingering at bar tables, presumably after a late lunch. I felt conspicuous as we took seats at the vacant bar. The bartender handed us menus and as I got lost in the list of tapa and racion, my self-consciousness drifted away. Quail, rabbit, octopus— what’s that? Iberico jamon?— I had to have them all.

When I looked up 10 minutes later, every seat at the bar was full. I began to think that maybe we weren’t so unfashionable after all. We ordered a bottle of Tempranillo from Rioja and as we waited for our first round of dishes to come out, the bartender gave us a plate of bread and olive oil. One, a sourdough, and the other a beautiful red-hued foccacia-like bread that was dusted with paprika and smoked salt. The taste was exquisite.

Minutes later, the chef—the chef!— came and presented us with mushroom croquetas and pulpo a la gallega, octopus with kipfler potatoes and paprika. The croquetas were oozy inside, crisp out and had just a tantalizing hint of mushroom essence that made me want more. The octopus, something I always worry will be tough and inedible, was tender and smoky.

We ordered two more dishes, then made small talk about the finals of the Australian Open taking place that evening with a couple seated around the corner of the bar. I was beginning to feel at home.

The next round included a lightly breaded boned quail stuffed with mahon cheese. If only this was the marrow of every quail, I’d never eat another kind of poultry. It came out with the true indulgence of the evening: Jamon Iberico de jabugo.

Jamon Iberico is a cured ham made only in Spain and Portugal and it’s made from a select breed of black pig that feeds on acorns. Until December 2007, it wasn’t even allowed to be sold in the U.S. There are different grades of Jamon Iberico, but Movida serves the fully acorn fed variety that’s cured for three years. It’s top of the line with a price tag to match: $20 for 20 grams. It was rich, almost buttery with hints of citrus on the palate. Delicious and worth every penny for the taste experience.

Following that was the Conjeo, a confit of rabbit with piquillo peppers, and it was the only disappointment of the evening. It arrived crumbed and fried and after already having two breaded dishes (the quail and croqueta), I was sad to see another one. Plus, it was on the dry side.

My spirits were quickly raised by the next delivery from the kitchen: A scallop baked with jamon and potato foam, presented in a pretty shell, and the masterpiece of the meal, the Ortiz which we ordered on a whim. At $4.50 a pop, there’s not much to lose. This creation—a Cantabrian anchovy served on a thin crouton and topped with smoked tomato sorbet—is truly inspired.

Crunchy, salty, sweet and cold. The mingling of flavors and textures seemed to awaken every sensory receptor in my mouth and brain, transporting me ever-so-briefly to a plane of culinary enlightenment.


Although I was absolutely content after the ethereal Ortiz, it seemed criminal not to try a dessert, and the churros were an obvious choice. They came with a cup of rich, thick drinking chocolate to dip them in. We wolfed the churros down so quickly (as if we could possibly be the slightest bit hungry after the previous seven dishes and bread), I neglected to get a picture of them. When I came to my senses, the only thing left to photograph was a few crumbs and some drinking chocolate.

While waiting to pay the bill, I flipped through the Movida cookbook and found a passage I sort of wish I’d read before arriving because it would have eased my early self- consciousness. Chef Frank Camorra writes about how people show up at Movida and become irate because they can’t get a table and then refuse to sit at the bar. He says he doesn’t understand that attitude because eating at the bar is the true spirit of tapas.

But since I hadn’t read that passage before going, I was able to learn through experience; and the food, the welcoming bartenders and convivial atmosphere are proof that Chef Camorra and his staff have captured that spirit which makes for a singular dining experience.

http://www.movida.com.au/

The French Laundry, February 2008

Mostly I just wanted to show you guys the photos, but I'll attempt to describe the meal a bit as well. I decided before I went that I would at least try everything that was served to me, whether or not I thought it was something I would like. I think this was a good decision.

Short version: spectacular.


Long version: We arrived a few minutes early for our reservation and our table wasn’t ready so we waited in the lobby for about 20 minutes. They brought us water and the wine list (actually more of a wine book) while we waited. We enjoyed having the French Laundry and Bouchon cookbooks there to read while we waited.
We were seated at a nice round table in the upstairs dining room. The waitress explained that there were two menus, the chef’s tasting menu and the vegetarian tasting menu. With either you were able to choose among two options for several of the courses. Both the boy and I went with the chef's tasting menu but intentionally ordered the opposite things every time we had a choice so as to be able to taste more dishes.


We then spoke to the sommelier, who managed to work with our relatively frugal alcohol budget. For $150 we received two glasses of blanc de blanc champagne (sorry didn’t pay attention to the brands) and later, a bottle of syrah. We told him we wanted to spend up to $150 on alcohol, and our alcohol total was $149. Ha!
The meal began with the signature amuse bouche of salmon ice cream cones (salmon tartare in a savory cone with crème fraiche at the bottom.) I typically don’t enjoy salmon but this was fantastic. It was especially fun to see the actual product after having read about the process of making these in the French Laundry cookbook.


Then we moved on to “Oysters and Pearls," which is described as a " 'Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar." A very rich and creamy dish, I couldn't finish all the caviar but very much enjoyed the oyster and tapioca. With this dish they brought out beautiful mother of pearl utensils to eat with.



the rolls came with two types of butter, one from Vermont, and one from Petaluma.



note the salt crystals on the rolls:

For the next course, we had a choice. I chose the "Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm," which contained "Baby beets, Satsuma Mandarin, Cutting Celery, and Black Truffle Gastrique." I found the black truffle gastrique rather lacking, (in all honesty I did not notice it and had no idea there was truffle anything in this dish until I looked at the menu later.) The beets however, were the sweetest and most delicious I have ever tasted. Hearts of palm were fine, although not anything I'd go out of my way for.



The boy opted for the "Moulard Duck 'Foie Gras En Terrine' " which came with "Tokyo Turnips, Compressed Shin Li Pears, Mustard Seed 'Aigre-Doux' and Toasted Brioche." This was a $30.00 supplement, and the only part of the evening that annoyed me. When you're paying so much already for a tasting menu, I simply don't think there should be any "supplements" to the pricing. But being at the French Laundry and knowing how passionately Keller feels about foie gras, we had to get it. The portion was nice, the foie was velvety smooth and of course incredibly rich. The coolest part of this course is that after approximately five minutes they brought out a new round of brioche, even though we weren't close to finished with the first plate of brioche. The waitress explained that they wanted us to have warm brioche for the entire length of the course. This was one of those classy touches that distinguished FL from other fancy restaurants I've been to. Another cool touch was being served three different salts to choose from, a pink salt from Kauai, a small grain salt from a coppermine in Montana, and a grey salt from Brittany.



in this photo you can see the brioche and the trio of salts:



For the next course we again had a choice. I had the "Steamed Fillet of American Red Snapper" which had "Lilly Bulbs, Sweet Carrots, Pea Tendrils, and Bonito Broth." The lilly bulbs were interesting, I'd never had them before. They taste a lot like onion. The snapper was perfect.




For this round the boy chose the " 'Sashimi' of Kinki Bluefin Tuna" which was accompanied by "Fuyu Persimmon, Sunchokes, Pine Nuts, Arugula Leaves and Nicoise Olive Oil." I'd say this definitely won the award for most beautifully presented dish of the evening, and possibly my life. It was simply stunning, we almost didn't want to eat it. But of course we did.



Next up for both of us was the "Sweet Butter-Poached Maine Lobster Tail" which was served with "Melted Savoy Cabbage, Caramelized Cipollini Onion and Caraway Emulsion." This made every other lobster dish I'd eaten in my life pale in comparison. The cabbage was interesting, as it is something I traditionally don't like, but this was wonderful. Proof yet again that enough cream and butter make anything delicious.




For the next course we again had a choice. The boy chose the " 'Jambonnette' of Devil's Gulch Ranch Rabbit" which came with "Potato Confit, Haricots Verts and Hard-Boiled Egg Sauce." This was a comfort food dish, with a golden fried crust around the creamy rabbity goodness. Hate to say it but it tasted sort of like chicken. The crispy exterior with the creamy middle reminded me a bit of a croquette. It looked like a big fried lollipop with the rabbit bone being the stick.



Since the boy had ordered the rabbit I was left with no choice but to order the "Coeur de Veau Confit" with "Cope's Sweet Corn 'Financier,' Melted Swiss Chard and Sour Cherry 'Ragout' " I sure never would have believed that confited veal heart is something I would put in my mouth. But I did, and this was one of the stand out dishes of the night. Hard to describe but the first bite tasted like duck, the second more like pastrami. Of course the pastrami flavor may have become evident because the server mentioned that. Regardless, this was a dish that I didn't expect to enjoy but truly loved.



For the second meat course, there wasn't a choice so we both had the "Ribeye of Elysian Fields Farm Lamb" with "Chanterelle Mushrooms, Fennel Bulb, Spring Garlic and Brown Butter Jus." Not being a fan of lamb I feel like I should just keep quiet about this dish except to say it looked beautiful and appeared to be cooked perfectly. The boy, who is normally not a lamb fan either, thought it was excellent.






Onto the cheese course: " ' Moliterno' with Baby Artichoke, Frisee Lettuce and Black Truffle 'Coulis.' " The baby artichokes were wonderful and a surprising but delicious pairing with the cheese. The cheese was hard like pecorino and somewhat chalky. It was infused with truffles.



Then they started the desserts and I thought they would never stop. First, "Diane St. Clair Buttermilk Sherbert with Honey-Glazed Cranberries and Spiced Streusel." This was very tangy like yogurt and not too sweet.



For the next dessert we had a choice again. The boy went with the "Valrhona Chocolate 'Dobos' with Chestnut Butter, Candied Chestnuts and Brown Bread Ice Cream." We forgot to photograph this one and I don't think I got to taste it.

Meanwhile I had the "Maui Pineapple 'Pavlova' with Coconut-Pineapple Curd and 'Pate de Fruits Exotiques' " The tropical flavors were very subtle. Again, no photo, sorry. It was my first pavlova, and it reminded me of a meringue.

Next up was the vanilla creme brulee and a meyer lemon pot de creme. Luckily they were quite small portions, so we were able to find room.





Then they brought out a ceramic box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts, then a three tiered jewelry box type container with more sweets, including turkish delight and almond petit fours. And then they came around with the truffle tray! I had a pepper and raspberry truffle and an espresso truffle. My husband tried peanut butter and carmel pistachio truffles.

the chocolate covered macadamia nuts:


some of the mignardises: Turkish delight, almond petit fours:


the tray of truffles from which we could choose whatever we wanted:


Then for the part of the night where you have to just suck it up...the bill. Yes, it was over $700. Yes, even when you're sort of expecting it your heart still skips a beat. But we honestly felt like we'd gotten our money's worth. I admit I was glad we were using a credit card though...plunking down a huge pile of 20's would have really made it more difficult.

I'm not sure why, maybe because I'd been taking photos (no flash, obviously, until all the other diners had left and we were alone in the dining room) and taking a few notes, but when we finished our server offered to give us a tour of the kitchen. I couldn't believe our luck. (Maybe they do this to all the customers who are there at the end of the night but let me just pretend we're special.)

What a treat. Since we were some of the last people at the restaurant, the kitchen wasn't really operating, everything had been cleaned up and put away. Still, it was very cool to be able to see where the amazing dishes had originated.



sense of urgency clock in a prep area of the kitchen:


some of the beautiful produce in the storage area of the kitchen:



look at all the different types of glasses!


We walked out of there feeling blissful. I'm already scheming as to how I can work another meal there into my budget.


Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading my long long review! And if you ever find yourself with hundreds of dollars that you don't know what to do with, I'd recommend heading immediately for the French Laundry.

My NCL cruise

Come rain or shine, a healthy dose of sea air can bolster any appetite - not a bad thing if the food is worth waiting for

That may sum it up in giving you an idea of just how "bad" the food was and yet it certainly did not stop those who just wanted to eat - and eat - and eat

This was not my first cruise - nor my last - but my expectations from past experience was severly and sorely shaken by NCL

It seems that new kitchen staff was added on to the cruise the day of my departure and there was on this new staffs part a confussion as just how to cook - I wondered where the exec chef was and if he ever did a spoon taste on anything that came out of the galley

I actually thought that the method to NCL's madness was to have such bad food so you would have to patronize one of the Specialty Restos on board that had an extra cover charge of anywhere from $15 to $30/pp
But after doing some detective work and asking many questions, I found out they were no better

From overcooked to undercooked, to food cooked in rancid oil, this was definitely not a cruise for a foodie
Desserts that a diabetic would turn up their nose to and not be able to crave - Jello pudding would be more satisfying
To have to endure the same menu for another day would make one want to fly home to their own kitchen and cook with "sabor", "gusto", and plenty of garlic
Oh how I wanted to be able to cook something comforting and familiar - flavourful and satisfying and with garlic
Never realized you can get the DT's from "not enough garlic"

Tickets may be cheap to allow one to cruise, but it is made up in $11.75 for a beer, $9 for a cocktail, $6 for a coke or club soda, $20 to play bingo and the list goes on

This cruise was what NCL calls Freestyling - no demands put on anyone as to when to eat and what to wear
That needs to change in a big way - it is one thing to go casual, but to go in ripped and torn jeans to dinner, or to sit by someone who should never wear a bathing suit...
The elegance of cruising did no longer exist here
No Captains dinner or Captains Table with foie gras, shrimp, caviar or salmon, no Garde Manger work, no food presentations to dazzle over in amazement and no midnight feasts or chocolate madness
And ice sculptures did not exist

The shows were entertaining - not Broadway - but entertaining never the less

While docked in Freeport we stared all day at some type of mining quarry facility and hardly anyone left the ship
But thankfully when reaching Nassau I had a lovely quiet day at the saltwater pool, have a burn to prove it and also managed to catch up on some reading
That was my intentions from the beginning to do on this cruise
No touristy programs for me

Met some very nice people and I am glad my Spanglish was okey dokey because this should have been called the Little Havana cruise - I enjoyed that part as they know how to enjoy life and have very hearty laughs and wonderful smelling cigars

NCL does need to address some things - perhaps no smoking in the Casino, a bit of a dress code, cheaper prices in their on board shoppes and a little more wooing also on their part to make people want to come back...

I am sure the shock of receiving ones bar bill just before departing, put many into cardiac arrest and will think about how to cruise in the future

Cheers to the crew who have left their families to work very hard and make it a pleasure to sail
I heard many of their stories and watched them work on their feet all day to please -and that in itself is a feat

For me, not to have to make beds, clean or cook was a bit of a joy and I did wish I had one more day in the sun

I only wish my hunger were sated by better offerings

Vive Sol, Mountain View, CA

Vive Sol is a cheerful, elegant Mexican restaurant on El Camino Real in Mountain View. (Palo Alto Sol, on California Avenue in Palo Alto, is the same menu and owners.) It's a lvovely place. Sit-down with table service and nice decor, lots of Mexican artifacts -- and on our recent trip, a lot of Dia de los Muertos stuff was still up. They serve regional dishes from teh Mexican state of Puebla. Hrz and I both had the Enchiladas Al Sol with cheese. Two enchiladas, one in creamy orange-colored guajillo sauce and one in dark, rich mole sauce, accompanied by refried black beans and tomato-kissed Mexican rice. With the cheese filling (also available with chicken or beef), it's an incredibly rich and delicious plateful. The mole is a bit sweeter than I'd prefer but otherwise its a perfect meal. My dad-in-lay had the Pollo Ranchero, chicken strips with a savory stew of peppers and onions; the Bistec Ranchero is also excellent. Mom-in-law had Pollo Negro, chunks of chicken in a tangy sauce of white wine and cream served on a bed of fresh raw spinach. Everything was delicious, as it always is.
The Palo Alto location is a bit more cramped but excellent in every other respect.

TED PETERS FAMOUS SMOKE FISH

http://tampabay.citysearch.com/profile/2693868/south_pasadena_fl/ted_peters_famous_smoked_fish.

This is a family owned restaurant that has been in the same spot for over 50 years (since 1951)
It sits on the main strip of Pasadena Avenue as you are entering the St Pete beach area - and it is a very busy and noisy street

I caught a review on the Food Network, and since knowing I would be in the area, I wanted to do my own to see how honest they are

It is totally al fresco dinning with picnic tables - and if you stay for lunch, the hardwood seats are not suited for anyone with back problems

The smokehouse is a seperate building and you are welcome to go see the process and to buy the fish directly from there
The restaurant puts together the dinners - with all the "fixins"
I ordered a pint of their famous fish dip - which after trying it at home reminds me of grilled tuna salad at high end prices

Next on my list was to get 2 dinners, so I decided on the smoked salmon and the mahi-mahi

The smell drove me crazy in the car on the drive back and I was hoping it was going to be worth my little adventure

The table was set at home and we dove in
The dip was a hit as was the salmon
The mahi was a little too heavy on the smoke
The cole slaw had a hint of pineapple juice mixed in and was very tasty, but the potato salad was excellent - made in the German style with lots of bacon
There was enough food there to feed six people - you get a pound slab of each fish

Overall, I would say if you are in the area stop by but don't go out of your way
The 2 dinners and pint of dip cost $45 and it is cash only - and be prepared to have your hands and clothes smell of smoke for the rest of the day

Ted Peters Famous Smoke Fish
1350 Pasadena Avenue
Pasadena, FL
In St Pete