food log: Sunday, May 16

Today, I met longtime Flickr friend Jasmine for lunch with her husband. They picked me up at my hotel and we went to Hard Knox Café for some soul food - prepared by Vietnamese people! It was wonderful. I feel very lucky to get to meet virtual friends like that.




Corn bread muffins

Potato salad, BBQ ribs, mac and cheese

Diet Coke

Lunch was $15 including tip.

I came back to the hotel after a walk in Haight-Ashbury. It was full of drunk, costumed people coming off the Bay to Breakers race. While I'm all for some good fun, it got kind of messy and smelly so I was glad to go "home" after an hour or so. I ate in my room and got out later just to take some pictures around the block.

Chips and water from liquor store - $6

The other half of yesterday's sandwich

And fudge. Lots of fudge.

Money spent on food today: $15

Food log: Saturday, May 15

Peanut butter sandwich, Diet Coke

Today, I went on a bus tour to Muir Woods and Sonoma wine country. We first stopped at Muir woods. I did not eat this banana slug, but it looked juicy. Eek!

I did buy Second Breakfast at the gift shop.
Honey cornbread and Jarritos mandarin soda - $6


The soda was made with real sugar and tasted like Orange Crush from the seventies.


We then headed to Sonoma for wine tasting. The first stop was Jacuzzi, where I tasted 7 wines and many of the olive oils they press on site. It's one of the newer wineries and has an italian flair. 
I bought a bottle of their barbera and some lime olive oil - $41.16 with 15% tour discount





We stopped near a park in Sonoma where a lot of shops and restaurant are, and had a free fudge and cheese tasting at The Sonoma Cheese Factory. 




I got a sandwich and some chips for my lunch and ate half as I watched the kids play in the park. I also picked up peanut butter and chocolate and mint-chocolate fudge. It's already half-gone. I'll leave it at that!

Hot salami and jack cheese sandwich, chips, fudge, Diet Coke - $19 at the Sonoma Cheese factory

After lunch, we drove to Kunde, a lovely winery with caves hidden in the hills. They practice sustainable growing and have wonderful, lush grounds with flowers everywhere, a fountain and a pond. I tasted 5 more wines and a port. The sun was shining, dogs were swimming in the pond, and all was well with he world.






I bought a bottle of the Sauvignon blanc - $13.90 with 15% tour discount

Our last stop was Homewood, a very small operation with a farm-like feel. The hostess was super cordial and shared a lot of stories about the local wine industry and the impact trends and the economy have on the production. They buy all of their grapes from local growers and do not have their own vines. We tasted 5 wines, a port, chocolate and olive oil.

I bought a bottle of the Petite Syrah and a bottle of the Flying Wizzbanger - $43.60


For dinner, I hopped on a cable car to California street and headed for the Tonga Room, one of the last classic Tiki lounges in America. Get there if you can if you are visiting San Francisco and are into kitsch and stiff cocktails, as there are rumours that Fairmount, owner of the hotel it's located in, is thinking of closing it to make room for luxe condos. 

The place was packed and people were having tons of fun. I was there alone, but became fast friend with a couple that was sitting next to me (the stiff drinks helped). There's a dance floor shaped like a ship and the bands comes on a boat that floats in as rain pours from the ceiling. I personally think that the city needs to landmark this gem, pronto.

Zombie cocktail


Coconut shrimp

Rice crakers

Mai Tai cocktail


Shredded coca-cola braised pork in lettuce cups 

And lots of dancing!


I wish I had tried more cocktails, but like I said, they packed a bang. 
Dinner at Tonga Room was 76.13 with large, drunken tip and cover charge
Money spent on food today: $199.79

Food log: Friday, May 14

PB sandwich, banana, Diet Coke

Today was a great day: I was finally going to eat at Café Chez Panisse in Berkeley!

I got there early so it was quiet for the first 20 minutes. then the true lunch crowd started to arrive. The people sitting next to me were clearly regulars. They sat down, ordered champagne and anchovies and commented on every item on the menu with great delight. Sitting next to joyful, bon vivant people like that makes dinning solo more enjoyable. Or maybe I'm just a foodie snoop.


As in many restaurant in San Francisco, Chez Panisse offers its own filtered water, available in sparkling or regular. It's a good idea, as the nice carafes they use are much greener than bottled water.

Sparkling water

Bread

Earthy, with a crunchy crust.

Bionade, a gingery fizzy drink

Bellwether Farm ricotta with spring vegetables and basil


Sweet and creamy, the ricotta was a perfect match for the crunchy veggies and delicate dressing.
Sonoma County duck confit leg with grilled endives and breadcrumb salsa

Simple, fresh, delicious. The salsa was made with toasted breadcrumbs and fresh herbs, a recipe I will certainly try at home.
Meyer lemon cream puffs with strawberries and kirsch cream

Anything made with lemon curd has my name written all over it. This is the kind of dessert that other customers watch you eat with envy. Mega yum.

Lunch at Café Chez Panisse was $58 including a 17% service charge that is added to the bill automatically.

Later, before going on my Alcatraz tour, I got the muchies.

Bite of cold burrito. 

In the eternal words of Gossip Girl: OMG.

Pretzel, Coke and chips (eaten later with dinner) on the Alcatraz tour boat - $6

Burrito leftovers, chips, Diet Coke

Double OMG.

Money spent on food today: $64