Per Bacco For My Birthday

Bacci, tabacci e venere
Riduce tutti i uomini
A cenere

"Bacchus (wine), tobacco and women
Reduce all the men
To cinders"

-an old Italian proverb


“Perbacco” is an Italian word to accentuate positive comments. It can also be an expression of pleasure and surprise, as well as a reference to Bacchus, God of Wine and “good times.” A fitting name for a ristorante so thoroughly steeped in the traditions of Italy, yet with a refreshingly modern feel and attitude. Perbacco introduces urban San Francisco to the full range of flavors found in the Italian regions of Piemonte and Liguria, with a touch of France by way of Provence.


-from the Perbacco site


Try as you might, you'll never get even one step ahead of The Missus, because she has you figured out through at least the year 2012...or so it would seem. The fourteenth of April was my birthday and as to just where we were going that day, was a secret to everyone but her, The Teen (formerly "The Kid" until this past March 31st), and the youngest Sister-in-law.

The youngest Sister-in-law hinted at it, but I didn't process the hint. So that evening, The Missus, The Teen and I piled into the car and headed Downtown. Where we going? I had no idea and right after we parked, we headed towards California Street.

Now was it going to be the Tadich Grill, the oldest restaurant still running in both San Francisco and California? Or was it to be Aqua? I stopped at each door, but The Missus kept going. Curiouser and curiouser, do I follow her down the rabbit hole? No need, we went to Perbacco and it's a good thing too, I don't want to deal with that Chesire Cat or the Queen of Hearts.

Perbacco is a wonderful restaurant, but be forewarned, the savory (it's not picante like it's Mexican counterpart) salsa verde that they serve with crostitini (bread sticks) will seek your clothing like a homing missile. Dip your crostitini and do not bring it towards you, but meet up with it over the plate or else you will wear it.

There is a wonderful decor there, but decor is the very last thing that I go to restaurants for. I'd gladly eat at a place that took over an non-renovated greasy spoon and left it as such, if the food were heavenly. Thank God this isn't the case, though the lighting is a little too dim in some sections.

I talked The Teen into ordering Cured Meats from the salumi. Which is comprised of lonza, culatello, lardo, coppa, and coppa picante. I had the cooked salumi plate which is comprised of mortadella, testa arrotolata, ciccioli, coppa cotta, testa, and fegatini d'anatra. Salumi plates have been the rage in San Francisco the past two years and nothing is better than cured meats that are made on the actual site. They don't serve the forgeries of Italian food that most supermarkets try to pass off as being Italian and they don't serve that old stuff that took the slow, slow boat from Genoa. Good gravy, the stuff just melts in your mouth, it's scary how much better something can be with just a little more work and care, with the freshest of ingredients.

For the second course, I had vitello tonnato, which was somehow more American in style, even though the taste was Italian. The slow-roasted veal was sliced thin like a carpaccio and like carpaccio, it was almost paper-thin. Again, you get the "melt in your mouth" effect. The tonnato or "tuna-ed" sauce had more of a lemon flavor than I have experienced in Italy. I'm not complaining, but I'm not certain if native Italians would necessarily like this dish in such an untraditional way.

The Teen had pappardelle, pasta ribbons (I believe they are homemade) with a short rib ragu. Again, the ragu is slow-roasted and this dish proves just why the world should follow the Slow Movement when it comes to food. There was no bone served with the dish, but you could tell that the meat was so tender that it fell off the bone.

For the third course, The Teen had beef short rib stracotto and like his pappardelle, this dish was fork tender and perfectly seasoned. He even loved the potato-parsnip puree and he pretty much hates all vegetables. I had the pork chops and Per Bacco understands that a perfect pork chop has just a touch of pink in middle. The fava beans that accompanied this dish were earthy and let's face, they were good, but I don't like fava beans (nor do I appreciate census taker's liver or chianti, th-th-th-th-plp).

The sole misfire for me was the pansotti, that The Missus ordered. It was pillowed pasta, stuffed with ricotta and I'm not sure what else, served with a butter sauce. Though it would be merely decent at any other restaurant, it was a dish that was way below everything else that they serve.

The deserts were on par with the rest of the menu, sublime and delicious. The waitstaff were friendly and attentive, not to mention, they save me the ordeal of enduring "Happy Birthday (To You)."

More Of Jaime Lauren From OurScene TV

Hey, you don't have to be Stefan, to suffer from Jaime Lauren or Top Chef withdrawals.

Pic from 7 X 7 Magazine

Dan from OurScene TV emailed me another clip of Jaime and it's a juicy 90 seconds. As always on this blog click whatever text is purple and you are off to link land. You'll really enjoy this segment. Jaime talks about what she would cook for a date (nothing???), when she came out, who would play her if there was a "Top Chef" movie, and she chooses between Giada and Nigella.

Seriously, though, it's not a contest. Giada might have a slight edge in cooking, though you wouldn't know it from this old segment from TVgasm and the picture below...

...But Nigella? As I've said before...

...As I've said before, the shirt is self-explanatory.

BTW, if you don't laugh at TVgasm's Giada takes? You are either dead, or you're Giada.

Liz Hickok Takes DC

Liz Hickok is back from from Delaware and, on along the way home, she took over Washington DC.

That's right, she was in charge of the most important house in America and she laid down the law, with Jell-O. Listen in on how she did it-

Hello!

I'm excited to announce the release of my new project The White House: The First 100 Days. The time-lapse video is my hopeful vision of the positive changes that the White House will go through with its new residents.

Three limited edition photos capture the transition from the moldy, shrunken house on day one...

...to the glowing, shining symbol that I hope it will become by day 100, with Obama in office. I have decided to print the smaller size of the photos in a larger edition than my San Francisco in Jell-O series, and to donate 5% of all net proceeds to a local DC charity. The video and photos can both be viewed on my website www.lizhickock.com, along with a other new videos you may not have seen.

If you would like to see the photos in person, and you are going to be in the Bay Area, you are invited to come to Mission Open Studios during the weekend of April 25th and 26th from 11am-6pm, with a special collectors’ preview night on Friday the 24th from 6 to 9pm. Find out the details and see some of the other artists in my building here.

Thanks so much!

Sincerely,

Liz Hickok

Yet, no only has she helped to give hope to America, she also fights crime in her spare time.

Baconfest

Get yourself a case of Lipitor to get you through this post, because we are going to be talking about the bacon, the bacon, and nothing but the bacon. Apparently in San Francisco, there was a BaconCamp 2009 and it was devoted to all things bacon. Not just the food itself, but also the paraphernalia as well.

Where's Chris? He needs to see this...



We're talking bacon pillows and note the spinning game pointer at the bottom of the pic says...


..."What would bacon do?"

Dang, chocolate bacon cupcakes. I'm not entirely sure about this. No, seriously, where's Chris? He has tried chocolate with bacon in it. And where's the Bacon Lady? She missed out.

Bacon sushi, bacon band-aids, all kinds of things and people devoted the wonder salty meat. At least there wasn't a bacon dirigible...oh, the bacon-anity. Check out the slide show at SF Weekly.

Jaime Lauren Dishes On New York Food Spots.

I'm going to be perfectly honest here, the only show other than "No Reservations" that I can honestly say I watch each and every episode? "Top Chef," and "Top Chef." Then there's "Top Chef," of course.

"Chopped" and "Chopping Block" are okay, but I don't consider them real "Top Chef" substitutes...apples and oranges, don't ya know? So how does one bridge their jones until the next season of "Top Chef?" With Jaime Lauren, of course.

Dan over at OurScene TV hooked us up with a clip of Jaime touring some of her favorite eateries in the NYC. We're talking Shake Shack, Porchetta (which I know the family anticipates going to on our next trip into Manhattan) and The Treats Truck. Also for Jaime fans, on the same page is a better interview than Jamie got in any of the San Francisco papers.

Mario Batali Puts Something New In Your Paella

I should be blogging about Top Chef...especially right before the season finale. While my enthusiasm for the show has waned only a little bit, my enthusiasm for blogging about it is almost nil. This supposed to be a travel blog, yet our (the family, not the third person usage) traveling has been limited somewhat, and so has dining out experiences by some limits here and there to our budget.

So what is left to blog about? How about Mario Batali?

Don't get me wrong, I love Batali as both a cook and TV personality. His shows on the Food Network were often the only sound shows from a culinary standpoint, on a per episode basis. Alton Brown enjoyed going off on odd tangents and putting mustard where it definitely didn't belong. Rachael Ray? Don't get me started. Emeril was guilty as Rachael sometimes, of making dishes that made you question if they had actually tasted their efforts before conception or even after the shows.

Mario made good, solid Italian dishes throughout on all of his non-Iron Chef appearances and when the Food Network got rid of Anthony Bourdain, Batali's shows were often the only ones I would watch on Food Network for months after.

Yet, on the other hand, the man has his own line of Crocs...

Okay, I'll let that one go, yet he wears them with suits, too...

That is a negative, to say the least.

Even this salmon is saying, "Mario, give the Crocs a rest." So when I read this about Mario this morning-

The Associated Press

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- The king and queen of Spain got a dash of profanity from celebrity chef Mario Batali at a $1,000-a-plate dinner during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. At a Thursday dinner honoring Spain's growing international culinary presence, Batali dropped some royally naughty words as he hosted the event in the presence of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

Growing impatient when the crowd didn't quiet down quickly enough after he stepped to the microphone, he used the f-word and asked the audience if he could have "10 seconds of your time."

Batali dropped the f-bomb again while introducing chef Jose Andres, whose Los Angeles restaurant, The Bazaar, has been heralded by critics. He finished by grabbing Andres' bottom.
Those seated near the royal couple said the queen blanched. Gloria Estefan chortled. And Andres kept his cool.

"This is what food and wine from Spain will do to you," he explained.

Well, I love it when royalty blanches, though that was kind of crass. I'm also guessing from the f-bombs and groping, that it had a lot more to do with the wine of Spain, than the food.

The final verdict? Mario, keep doing what you're doing, keep your hands to yourself and please, lose the Crocs.

Halu Makes Good Kushi Katsu

Is it kushikatsu? Or is it kushi katsu? As The Kid and I were coming back from Green Apple Books, there was a restaurant right next to the parking lot that caught my attention. Halu restaurant does ramen and if you have ever lived near a Japantown, you've probably had ramen. But have you had kushi katsu or yakitori?

I'm still trying to figure out if "kushikatsu" is one word, or two. "Kushi" is the skewer and "katsu" is the deep-fried chunk of meat. The Halu menu has it listed as two separate words and regardless, it is just insanely delicious. Dipped in panko flour and brushed with tasty sauces...

...here we have in order: salmon, ground chicken (which was the best of them all, sauce-wise) and flat steak. The sublime smokiness that permeates throughout the food, adds the most wonderful layer of flavor and it is better than the smoky flavor of American barbecue. Note, The Missus put the forks on the table because she didn't know what we were bringing home for dinner...I know how to use chopsticks.

The grilled eggplant was more to the liking of The Missus, along with the grated ginger.

Of course fans of the film Tampopo or ramen will tell you that the soup will make the dish, regardless of the quality of the noodles...

...Halu has both down pat. What Halu does better than any other Japanese restaurant I have been to, is win me over with their unusual decor. We are talking Beatles, Beatles and the Beatles. There is Beatles posters, photos, memorabilia, and even Beatles shot glasses. There are also posters of Hendrix and a Fender Stratocaster done up like a Hendrix guitar.

There are also surf music posters and gratuitous Beatles music playing while the smell of the food makes you dizzy with anticipation.

One Restaurant Closing In San Francisco That Will Not Be Publicized

If you look at the Eater SF site, you will see both the temporary and permanent closings of restaurants in San Francisco. Yet there is one joint that you won't read about, except for here and quite frankly, I might be the only human that even knew about it. Do you see this house?




Now you say, "what restaurant?" No, there was a restaurant there, honest. The seating was atrocious and so was the service...reservations were out of the questions also...hell, they were non-existent. Come to think of it, so was the human clientele.

You see, it wasn't a human restaurant, but a fast food joint for crows. If you look at the "square" in the middle of the picture below, where the gray roof meets the cream-colored wall just above the rain gutter...

...there was a piece of metal that ran parallel to the lower gray roof. Some pigeons lived in there and every day, some crows would drop by to see if the pigeons laid eggs. I had tried to take pictures of this on several occasions, but by the time I got my camera out and the shade up, the crows would be gone.

At any rate, they re-roofed that house and closed off the hole, so no more pigeons and no more crows. I'm sure the crows have mixed feelings about this, knowing the ambiance and service sucked, but I believe they found the food was exceptional.

Who's Up For Crepes?

As I have stated in the previous post, my traveling will be greatly reduced in the coming months. However, that doesn't mean that I can't have a nearby vacation. Who's up for crepes? The Kid and I hit Genki Crepes on Clement Street with a vengeance.

If you've never been to Clement St. in San Francisco, I pity you because you don't know what you're missing. It is like Chinatown, only you can actually get a parking place within a fortnight. You also have fine restaurants and take out places that feature Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Persian, and Russian cuisines.




It was so dark and cloudy yesterday, that I had to put the camera on its "night" setting. Note the difference between these two shots of the store's front.




The couple that are seated there, started to get pissed off at me. Either they thought I was spying on them, or that I was going stalkerrazzi. I was just trying to get a clean shot without a vehicle or a bicycle not going by. Then someone had to get in their car and I lost my photo roost. Then a truck pulled up to unload food. This shot took four tries and a bunch of glares from those two.

First, note the crepe grills. Second, note the two parking places across the street. See? I told you there is parking on Clement St. and you'll never see two parking places in Chinatown.

Good gravy, look at all that Nutella goodness!

The cook layered lots of cheddar on my crepe. As you can guess from the name, Genki doesn't make crepes exclusively in the French-style. There is a Japanese and Chinese influence too. Their sweet crepes are slightly better than their savory ones, though temper that with the fact that I tend to prefer most of their savory crepes without the cheese.

Their selection of drinks is unbeatable. A dozen different kinds of Japanese cold teas, sodas, energy drinks, coffees, chais, etc... I always go with the San Pellegrino Aranciata.

He had a #11 which is a ham & cheese and I had a # 18 which is a chicken with sweet chili sauce and cheese. The chicken is excellent and it really doesn't need cheese at all, as it distracts from the Lingham-like chili sauce.

And afterwards?

Books for dessert. I used to think that Green Apple treated crime fiction like a stepchild, but in retrospect, it's better to have it at the Annex. There is more space for it and you won't get run over by angry people looking for the self-help section.

The Offiicial Slogan Of This Blog Is...

Well, according to the poll, the official slogan of this blog is "while the world unravels, Cormac travels." Though I don't forsee a lot of traveling in my near future, this doesn't mean I won't any material to post about. A big thanks to everyone that voted.

RachellB has a good Bourdain post from a year ago, when Anthony visited the Google campus and among the tidbits was this gem-

Bourdain enjoys cooking competitions on tv, although he’s suspect of some of the “stars” like Cat Cora and he really hates on Rachel Ray. The only competition show he doesn’t like is Hells Kitchen, even though Gordon Ramsay is a friend of his. He thinks that the show is pointlessly cruel, and this coming from Bourdain, who is known to not sugar coat anything. He also thinks the contestants on that show have the technical abilities of mollusks.

He also added that he loves Top Chef. No surprise, since he appears on the show often. And he says Huang deserved to win, that his cooking was the best, and it doesn’t matter if he was mean or spilled truffle oil or whatever else he was accused of.

Why Not An Ostrich For Thanksgiving?

What's that David Grohl?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began


Oh, okay. So let me ask The Foo Fighters and yourself, what do you get when you cross Geena Davis...



...with Madchen Amick?


That's right, Ostrich Egg Girl!



I'm gonna miss Jill and not just because she's easy on the eyes, but because she might've tried to cook ostrich for the Foo Fighters Thanksgiving dinner and that would've been great TV!

I'm the voice inside your head

No, Dave, that would be The Missus, telling me to help her with the desserts for tomorrow.

You refuse to hear

Once again, that would be The Missus.

I'm the face that you have to face

I don't have to face you, the Top Chef contestants do.

Mirrored in your stare

Uh, we look nothing alike.

I'm what's left, I'm what's right

Wha, which are you? I thought you voted for Obama like I did.

I'm the enemy

I'm a little tired of listening to Nirvana on the radio, but I don't hate you man.

I'm the hand that will take you down

Bring you to your knees

Once again, incorrect, because that would be The Missus.

So who are you?

Cormac Brown.

Yeah, who are you?

Uh, Cormac Brown.

Yeah, who are you?

I just told you.

Yeah, who are you?

You've spent too many years standing next to the P.A. speakers or you just don't listen.

Speaking of not listening, you didn't listen to your tasted buds and your stomach, because Team Cougar should've won. They had the better turkey (all right, Ariane!) and the better flavor profiles. Though their execution was lacking a bit and...what am I saying? Jaime was on Team Sexy Pants! So go on, Jaime, and represent the Bay Area!

P.S. Danny is kind of turning into a bastard, will he be this season's villain? Because the show is really lacking a Marcel.

Is The Money On Radhika?

The Missus has picked Radhika and hey, maybe she knows something, because her instincts are dead-on. She picked Obama to go all the way, before anybody else that I knew did.


I do know this, Ariane has pictures of somebody doing something that's illegal somewhere, 'cause she might be a good cook, but she's not a Top Chef.


I also know that Carla...





...looks just like Tracy Ellis Ross.




Is Carla, Diana Ross's secret love child?


Naw, kidding. At any rate, when I root, I'm a homer and I root for the home team-





Jaime? Get your spatula out and toss them like so much mango salsa!

Nigella, Just Because

Nigella Lawson.

Not just as a contrast to the Padma post down below and not just because Gifted Typist brought her up, but just because...



Lucky pasta.

Who says the English are bland?

The shirt that says it all.

Should I Change The Blog's Slogan?

My current slogan is "I travel, I eat and you get your daily serving of ellipses. What could be better?" Meh, not so hot. So I'm thinking of revamping it and you the reader, get to decide between-

A) "While the world unravels, Cormac Travels."

B) "The question asked on both sides of The Pond, 'is Cormac a "gourmet" or a "gourmand?"

C) "You can't spell 'cormorant' macaroni sculpture without "c-o-r-m-a-c," but why would you want to spell 'cormorant macaroni sculpture, anyway?"

D) "Cormac Travels and I didn't even get a lousy T-shirt."

E) "Cormac used to be young, fun and in no need of Tums. Now he's old, sick and he carries a box of Pocky sticks."



F) Or, do I stay with "I travel, I eat and you get your daily serving of ellipses. What could be better?"

*Sigh*, Anthony, Anthony

Courtesy of Eater SF via the Broward Palm Beach blog Short Order, great quotes of Anthony Bourdain from the Miami Book Fair.

Bourdain to Mario Batali about Gwyenth Paltrow-

“Why would you take a trip through Spain with someone who clearly doesn’t eat?”

Mario replied-

“You weren’t available and she’s much cuter.”

Uh, yeah, Anthony? Gwyenth eats, she just doesn't necessarily "keep the food down." And after the birth of "Pear," er, "Tangelo," er, "Pomelo?" Whatever the kid's name is, she actually looks even healthy at times.

Short Order also says of Tony-

Bourdain also takes a stab at the Food Network’s very skinny Robin Miller, claiming that every time she reaches for the refrigerator door, he’s afraid that her frail wrists will snap….and that his daughter cries whenever she hears Robin’s voice.

Tony on Padma-

When asked about most foodies’ favorite cooking competition, Bravo’s Top Chef (his blog for Season 3 was nominated for a Webby), Bourdain said he was a huge fan of host and fellow chef Tom Colicchio but snubbed co-host and former wife of Salman Rushdie (?!?), Padma Lakshmi. Jabbing at the beauty’s intelligence, he said she wouldn’t be his first choice for Barack Obama’s cabinet…or to host a show.

'kay, do I actually have to explain this?

I value intelligence in women and I've never been with a woman that if she wasn't at least smarter than me by thirty IQ points, she was at least more clever than me.

But when it comes to TV shows, sometimes that just goes out the window. Other than the obvious, I didn't like Padma, yet she grew on me...and I honestly can't argue this out. Just look at the pictures, Tony. She's part of the set, ya dig?

Then Signore Bourdain really steps in it with-

"Spanish ham is far superior to Italian ham."

To wit, I reply, stronzo, che cazzo stai dicendo?!

(sh*th**d, what the f**k are you saying?!)

As usual, he always redeems himself in my eyes-

At the Food & Wine Festival and while a photo was being snapped for the Miami Herald, Bourdain, while standing near a picture of his beloved Rachael Ray, wrote the numbers 666 on his hand and placed it in front of Ray’s forehead.