i've got love for chez papa

When it comes to holidays - especially valentines day - I'm a complete sucker for getting into the spirit. I love the romance in the air, the overly affectionate quirky couples and the sickeningly sweetness of it all.

My valentine surprised me by taking me out to Chez Papa RESTO, voted one of the top 10 new restaurants in 2008 by the San Francisco Chronicle. Our experience was magical, memorable and delectable. The atmosphere was simple, but gorgeous. Dark and dim, the black interior was decorated with bright trendy orange accents. Considering that it was a small space, it was nice to see that Chez Papa made the most of it with a sleek, but classic looking bar and a nice iconic long table at the center of the room (similar to the table at asia de cuba in NY). The chandeliers throughout the restaurant also brought a nice romantic element to the dining experience.

Although service (in general) can be pretty inconsistent and unpredictable, I'm happy to say that we had a really good experience. From the hostess to our own waiter, the staff was incredibly hospitable. We had a couple of pre fixe menus to choose from, including a 3-course menu which celebrated calfironia citrus and was very tempting! Instead, we opted to order a la carte. When looking at the menu, citrus was definitely a highly celebrated ingredient throughout. The blood orange margarita seemed like an amazing drink, but I opted for the raspberry gimlet since tequilla is usually the death of me. And instead of focusing on citrus forward dishes, I decided to get an entree with a nice accent - meyer lemon!

To start, I had the Snake River Kobe Beed Tartare, which came with a quail egg, dijon mustard, capers, shallots, garlic and toast points. When initially presented, the beef tartarte was completely deconstructed. Given that it was valentine's day, my waiter wanted to make the experience a bit special. So instead of just mixing the ingredients together, he decided to transform it into a perfect heart. While a heart made of raw ground beef may not seem romantic or appetizing to most people, I really appreciated the little touch and thought it was adorable. If you're the kind of person who appreciates (and can stomach) beef tartare, it's an amazing dish. Chez papa's rendition was incredibly flavorful. The flavors within the tartare were perfectly concentrated and the texture was perfect, not too much liquid. The bread was also perfectly toasted and seasoned well with herbs and olive oil, which made the interactive experience really pleasant.


For my entree, I had the Sautéed Bluenose Bass with braised leeks, meyer lemon beurre blanc and a black truffle emulsion. So gooood. I love seafood and really have high expectations when it comes to how it's prepared. The bluenose bass was excellent. The fish was well seasoned and flavorful. It was almost perfectly cooked, just a bit dry for my liking. The dish was excellent in terms of having really clean, distinctive flavors. The black truffle emulsion was great. It really gave you a nice truffle essence and provided a gorgeous foam visual. Yay molecular gastronomy! The meyer lemon veurre blanc was also a nice touch that accentuated the flavors within the dish.


Lastly, no meal at chez papa would be complete without pommes frites! Plated in a signature waffle cone, the fries were light and crispy with a nice rosemary herb coating. The pommes frites were paired with aïoli, which while fattening, was DELICIOUS. Plus there's something really romantic and cheesy about doing a little french fry feeding action.

valentine's day should be Bittersweet...

Whether you're celebrating with your sweetheart, or spending it alone chocolate is a must for Valentine's Day. While walking around Rockridge (a neighborhood in Oakland, CA) this past weekend, I visited Bittersweet Chocolate Cafe. Like all things in Rockridge, Bittersweet celebrates all things organic and fair trade. They even offered organic milk as a customization option! Organic milk aside, Bittersweet makes a good cup of hot chocolate and offers an interesting selection of delectable goodies.

While Bittersweet is a Northern Californian chain, you wouldn't be able to tell from the charming interior and intimate quarters. When you first walk in you're surrounded by an authentic coffee shop kind of atmosphere - abstract art, bright colors, communal wooden tables , and an offbeat hipster kind of staff. There were a lot of interesting things on the menu, but I chose to get the Spicy! hot chocolate, because I absolutely adore the combination. The hot chocolate was good. Very spice heavy, but not as chocolatey as I'd like. I think that with the perfect spicy hot chocolate, you'd get the chocolate first and a little heat in the back of your throat after. With this hot chocolate, you get spice first and last which isn't ideal. But it was still good. (My favorite spicy hot chocolate is actually from Cocoabella, a chocolatier in San Francisco which I highly recommend!)




Bittersweet also offers an interesting collection of chocolate bars, which I really enjoyed. Lined up against one side of the room, the bars are divided into three sections: "dark," "milk," and "surprises." After carefully perusing the "surprises" section, I chose two to take home: a chai tea milk chocolate bar from Theo Chocolate's 3400 Phinney line and a dark chocolate pink peppercorn bar made by Dolfin, a Belgian chocolatier. While the interesting flavors were the main reasons I decided to purchase the chocolates, the packing certainly helped. (I'm a fool when it comes to things that are aesthetically beautiful...)

Chai Tea Milk Chocolate Bar:


The chai bar was exactly what you'd expect: an instant hit of warm lingering spices. The chocolate was milky, creamy, and delicious. The 3400 Phinney line is well known for being fair trade, organic and creative, which makes it a nice way to indulge in chocolate with a clean conscious. While Bittersweet only had the chai bar, Theo Chocolates also offers interesting flavors like coconut curry milk chocolate, fig fennel and almond dark chocolate, and bread and chocolate dark chocolate which seems really interesting. I really take texture into account during different eating experiences, and actually consider it the second in importance, after flavor.

Dark Chocolate Pink Peppercorn Bar:


While the packaging is obnoxiously pink, it's actually pretty interesting. It looks like normal packaging, but upon closer inspection, it's a laminated trifold that unravels. The chocolate is kept in a sealed package within the envelope. Great idea to keep the chocolate fresh. Theo's Chai Bar led with spice and this bar was the complete opposite. The dark chocolate was really the dominant flavor, while the pink peppercorns offered a subtle pepper flavor that really complimented the richness of the dark chocolate. Not to mention that the pink peppercorns were a nice add that helped the texture.

A couple of days after I went to Bittersweet, I found a couple of other Dolfin bars at Rainbow Grocery, one of the best grocery stores that San Francisco has to offer - given its selection of interesting products. Organic, fair trade, functional, ethnic, you name it Rainbow has it. The two bars were actually on clearance because they were a part of the Holiday collection. The first bar, Sweet Harmony, had nougat and honey. I absolutely LOVED this bar. It's very similar to a toblerone bar, only with a very strong honey flavor and better chocolate. The nougat definitely gave it a nice texture and the chocolate was smooth, creamy and delicious. Exactly how I enjoy my milk chocolate. The other flavor I purchased was the Winter Emotion Rooibush which I hated. While Rooibus is becoming a more mainstreamed trend in the tea and chocolate world, this is not what I expected. RooiBUSH it was. The eating experience was so unpleasant because of the particulates within the bar. While you really got the sweet floral flavor of the rooibus, a granular, getting leaves stuck in your teeth experience is the last thing you're looking for when you're enjoying a bar of chocolate. ;)

Soup or (Sandwich) Bowl

The superbowl is celebrated by football fans and non-football fans alike. While I don't normally follow football, I enjoy all the festivities surrounding the spectator sport - the excitement, the constantly flowing supply of alcohol and the greasy but unbelievably delicious game food. As a BU alum, the past few superbowls have been incredibly exciting (despite last year's epic loss to the NY giants). Given that it's the steelers vs. the cardinals, most of my excitement this year is coming from watching the commercials and getting my grub on. So in honor of the superbowl I'm dedicating this post to my top 5 favorite game-worthy sandwiches. Not only will these sandwiches give you your bang for your buck, they're also insanely delicious.

The Gourmet Nomad's Top 5 favorite Superbowl Worthy Sandwiches: (in no particular order)

1. Bakesale Betty: Fried Chicken Sandwich
5098 Telegraph Ave Oakland, CA

AMAZING. Bakesale Betty was my choice for today's game food. Their chicken sandwich is magical...spicy fried chicken breast with a vinegar infused jalapeno cabbage coleslaw. It's the perfect comfort food.

What more can you ask for? An amazing assortment of cookies, shortcake and pie! In addition to fried chicken sandwiches, we also bought a couple of chocolate chip cookies, and received brownies and frozen lemonade to take on-the-go compliments of the wonderful staff :)


2. Johnny's Po-Boys: Roast Beef Po-Boy
511 Saint Louis St New Orleans, LA

Possibly the most delicious snack in the french quarter (with the exception of cafe dumonde's beignets), the roast beef po-boy is a hearty sandwich filled with roast beef and smothered in a rich savory gravy. It will melt in your mouth and in your hands.


3. Pho Viet's: Grilled Pork Bahn Mi
1095 Commonwealth Ave Allston, MA

Not only is Pho Viet's the first place I've had a vietnamese sandwich, it's also the BEST. The french roll is crisp and perfectly baked, but what really makes the sandwich amazing is the quality of the meat. It's not the "fancy pork" you often find in a traditional vietnamese sandwich...it's more tailored to an American palate using the same grilled pork you find in the vermicelli or rice bowls. It also has fresh vegetables, cilantro and pepper to give it that nice extra kick....all for $3!


4. Carnegie Deli: Hot Pastrami Sandwich
854 7th Ave New York, NY

While it is often disputed that Katz has the best pastrami sandwich in New York, I think that Carnegie definitely takes the cake. As Quizno's so eloquently puts it, Carnegie has "more meat!" I mean just look at that sandwich. One half of the sandwich is more than enough for one meal with nearly half a pound of pastrami sandwiched between rye bread. With a little bit of mustard it's perfect.


5. Lorenzo's Sandwich Shop: #12 - Turkey, Bacon & Cheese
911 Villa Ave Belmont, CA

I went to high school around the corner and Lorenzo's was always a favorite. It's a completely authentic deli experience. You'll be happy whether you the #12 or the #3 because their garlic sauce makes a good sandwich great.

Que syrah, syrah!

If only clicking my little red dolce vita's would send me back to Sonoma....

There's no place like wine country, and there's nothing like a few days back in the real world to smack you in the face and remind you. Last weekend, my boyfriend and I treated ourselves to a nice getaway at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Sonoma. I was expecting it to be similar to Napa and Yountville: more concentrated, and ripe with French influence. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by Sonoma's down to the down to earth simplicity. Sonoma definitely has an old country feel. Farmland, livestock, hills, and acres upon acres of land. The downtown area also has the feel of a small town. Quaint with a lot of unique shops, and architecture influenced by the Spanish missions.

During the weekend, we tried to indulge in all of the treats that Sonoma had to offer. With agricultural characteristics and a climate similar to the Mediterranean, Sonoma provides ideal growing conditions for items like olives and lavender. We happened to go during the annual olive festival, so olive oil was everywhere including wine tastings, and olives were a recurring ingredient on the menus. My favorite olive item from the weekend was from Cafe la Haye, which we went to for dinner. I had a wonderful pan-seared quail stuffed with herb-sourbread stuffing over escarole, olives and capers. Even though quail can be a pain to eat, it was well worth it. It was moist and well-seasoned, and all of the produce was so fresh! While the olives weren't the main player in the dish, they definitely helped to accentuate the flavors. The stuffing was also wonderful, and it gave the quail a twist that made it look like it was emulating a turkey.

The one thing I love about wine country is that you know that you're dining experiences will be amazing because of the farm to table fresh ingredients that are seasonal and delicious. During our stay, lavender and meyer lemons were also among the most celebrated ingredients. While I'm not a big fan of lavender, meyer lemons were a nice treat. A bit sweeter than a regular lemon, without that sour pucker meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and sweet orange. We saw meyer lemons everywhere - at the fruit stands, in cocktails, in compotes and in olive oil.

As much as I enjoyed all of our dining experiences, wine tasting took up the most time during our trip. We went to about 7 or 8 wineries while we were there, including Artesa, which has a gorgeous view of the country side. My favorite vineyard of the trip was probably Buena Vista, which had an outstanding chardonnay - nice and refreshing with a clean finish and an award-winning syrah - a medium bodied red with an interesting spicy fruit flavor profile. While I really enjoy wine, I realize that there's something very pretentious about wine tasting. It's one thing to seek out apricot and black cherry flavors, and completely another to look for the taste of oak barrel and cigars. ;)

Here are a few photos from our trip:

chocolate, charcuterie and cheese. OH MY!

Overwhelmed is an understatement. When you first enter the fancy food show, you're surrounded by over 2,500 exhibitors who proudly display their full range of products and offer samples of their latest and greatest. As a trade affiliate, I had the luxury of attending this glorious gathering of foodies where I was exposed to a wealth of different culinary treats....everything from the ultra gourmet (foie gras, pate, caviar, fine cheese and wine) to the ultra commercial (baked goods, chocolate/candy, savory snacks, salad dressing and soda.)

I received plenty of advice prior to entering this gourmet mecca. The first and foremost being pace yourself. An hour or so into my epic adventure I realized that my mental resistance was no match for the many temptations I was encountering. The fancy food show is basically halloween for grownups: the anticipation of seeing what each booth had to offer, the bag full of goodies to enjoy later, and the sick-to-your-stomach feeling that comes from the gluttony of it all.

While many exhibitors were from around the country, a large percentage were from around the world. Europe had a large presence in particular, with many sections dedicated to products imported from Germany, Italy, France and Spain. Canada also had a notable presence, as well as Australia and Korea.

One of the major overarching themes across all the products was all-natural...no preservatives. no artificial flavors. no nitrates. naturally sweetened. unsweetened. you name it. Because the whole idea of natural is becoming universal, it almost seems as if it's now a product requirement rather than a differentiator. It's great that manufacturers continue to enforce the whole idea of "better for you" and that consumers continue to have a higher consciousness when it comes to actively seeking these kinds of products.

Of course functional foods also had a dominant presence, but since the trend has become so mainstream I don't feel like I encountered anything particularly new or different (other than the "turbo truffle" but quite frankly the idea kind of scares me...)

Walking through the exhibit, there were quite a few trends that made an impression. Some more established and others emerging. I walked away from the show with these 6 top trends in mind:

1. HOT chocolate - the marriage of chocolate and spices
2. Ginger spice - which falls under the sweet heat trend
3. Herbal essences - with an emphasis on rosemary in particular
4. Flower power - floral forward products, with rose at the forefront of this trend
5. The art of pairing - introducing food items that are created to go with specific products
6. Ethnic immersion - spices galore from indian, south american and african culture

HOT chocolate.
I absolutely love this trend. Vosges debut of their red fire line was one of the best executions at the show. While many chocolatiers had a product that reflected this trend, the innovative chocolatier came out with three different products that incorporate ancho and chipotle chile peppers: pecans, tofee and chocolate covered tortilla chips. As a fan of chocolate covered potato chips, I think it's great that they were able to take the idea a step further to offer consumers something different. Similar to Vosges, Impressions Fine Food took the whole idea of savory sweet heat to another level. Their product, Hot Chocolate Mochi Crunch was an interesting twist to a familiar favorite - spicy brown rice crackers covered in dark chocolate. Great texture, interesting flavor, with a nice lingering heat. The product name just struck me as odd since I often associate mochi as being a term for glutinous rice balls that are filled with red bean or ice cream.

Ginger spice.
I've come to the conclusion that many people feel that ginger is polarizing. They either love it or hate it. As an interesting exotic spice that adds a layer of complexity, ginger is definitely a key ingredient in the sweet heat trend. Knipschildt Chocolatier has come out with an excellent passion fruit and ginger fruit syrup which has many applications. Deep River Snacks has also made use of this trend in a more low key fashion that's more consumer friendly. Their Asian Sweet and Spicy Potato Chips has a bold ginger presence, despite the fact that it's not called out on the packaging.

Herbal essences.
Basil, sage, rosemary and thyme... While herbal infusions are common when it comes to cheese, the trend is expanding into more commercial products. Based on what I witnessed, it definitely seems that rosemary is at the forefront of this trend with savory products like Kitchen Table Bakers' Rosemary Parmesan Mini Crisps, Sprucewood Brand's Savory Rosemary Cheddar Shortbread (really enjoyed this product! savory shortbread is a such great idea), and Kamarianakis Estate's Twisted Pit Olive Oil in Rosemary, Orange, and Ginger. Kamarianakis Estate's Twisted Pit Olive Oil line offers a great variety of well-balanced herbal infused oils that are light, yet rich in flavor. Their Basil, Roasted Garlic and Grapefruit olive oil was equally amazing! While sweet herbal infusions were more rare, Knipschildt Chocolatier leveraged the trend with their Grapefruit and Rosemary fruit syrup. Old-fashioned familiar herbs are definitely making their way back into the mainstream in a fresh new way.

Flower Power.
Floral forward flavors also had a noticable presence at the show, despite the fact that they tend to have limited appeal with the female palate. Rose and lavendar were two reocurring flavors I noticed in sweet products like petite fours and truffles. Interestingly enough, beverages also seem to be leveraging the trend. During the show I sampled Sence's European Rose Nectar which was surprisingly light and sweet without being overpowering. I also sampled a product called Ooba, a carbonated hibiscus beverage that positions itself as a "superantioxidant" with the slogan "the power of the flower." While I am not a huge fan of this trend, I will have to say that one of my favorite items was Bovetti Chocolate's white chocolate with violet sugar. Absolutely LOVED this. Such a nice, unexpected treat. I'm not normally a fan of white chocolate because it's too sweet, but the violet sugar actually helped balance the flavor. Not to mention that it was visually gorgeous (white chocolate brushed with granular pieces of purple sugar). Kudos Bovetti for being innovative!

The art of pairing.
I can definitely attest to the fact that I still need help figuring out my wine pairings. If you share my dilemma, you're in luck! Many companies are developing products that are marketed as perfect compliments to other foods and beverages. Duhaime's spreads is just one example of a company that has jumped on the bandwagon. Their Cranberry, Raspberry, Ginger & Star Anise fruit spread is meant to be paired with brie. Cheeses and chocolates also fall into this trend, with many companies creating flavors to compliment different varieties of wine. Planning dinner parties and special occassions can be difficult. This trend provides relevant by making planning convenient, and by helping consumers figure out which items compliment one another.

Ethnic immersion.
While ethnic spices were represented across all categories, they seemed most influential at the sauce, marinade and condiment tables. Indian cuisine was among the most popular, with product flavors inspired by traditional dishes like vindaloo, tikka masala and korma. While the sauces were interesting they weren't incredibly differentiating because they had such a common presence. Of all the indian items I observed I would say that JAMU Earth Drink is the most unique. It's an antioxidant rich beverage that claims to have more antioxidants than all of the other superfruits combined. JAMU uses turmeric, a plant that is most often used in Indian and Southeast asian curries (it's what provides curries with that rich yellow color).

Outside of indian cuisine, another notable flavor that had a great presence is harissa, a spicy North African sauce made from chili peppers. I'm incredibly familiar with the ingredient, but it definitely has a chili flavor profile that consumers are familiar with, only more intense. But, of all the spice products I tasted I'd definitely say that my favorite was Etnia's Merquen line. Merquen is a native spice blend made of Cacho de Cabra "horn of the goat" chiles, corriander, salt and cumin. In addition to sampling the spice blend, Etnia offered samples of an olive oil infused with merquen as well as a soft cheese coated in the spice. Such a great complex flavor!Smoky with a nice lingering heat. I wish that the product line were more accessible, because I'm definitely a fan!

until next year, fancy food show!

Trader Joe's: A leader in innovation

As a native Californian I realize I often take Trader Joe's for granted. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Trader Joe's. But after living in NYC this past year i realize that it really is a luxury.

While Californian's regard Trader Joe's as another grocery store, New Yorkers treat it as if it's the next big thing. It's always packed, particularly on weekends when two employees maintain their post at the very back of the line, letting customers know EXACTLY where they need to line up -- which is typically at the entrance of the store. Crazy, right?

But completely understandable for three reasons:
1. It's inexpensive. Everything in NYC is crazy expensive. A bag of romaine hearts sells for an average of $5.
2. They offer a variety of great tasting products that are innovative, gourmet and representative of different ethnic cuisines.
3. It's the only location in Manhattan.

I feel particularly strongly about the 2nd reason I mentioned, because I believe that this is what makes Trader Joe's so popular. Trader Joe's is pretty magical... It provides the masses with a better value than Whole Foods, and still delivers interesting trend forward products that taste great.

I recently got into an argument with my boyfriend about this exact subject. While he agreed that they offer consumers affordable multicultural products, he completely dismissed my comment that Trader Joe's is innovative and trend forward. I could recount our entire conversation, product per product but I feel that the following lists do a better job of supporting my point of view. I will, however, say that I love their green tea yogurt dearly (though I have been unable to find it recently) and am excited to try their new edamame hummus!


Exhibit A:
Trader Joe's top 50 favored products of 2008.
Notable items: Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips, Freeze Dried Mango Slices, Frozen Buffalo Burgers, Five Seed Almond Bars, Greek Yogurt



Exhibit B:
Trader Joe's Culinary Solutions to Familiar Resolutions for $1.99 or less.
Not only does this list mention several trend-forward products, it also demonstrates that Trader Joe's is still able to be innovative during this challenging economic time by promoting interesting products that are sensitive to consumers' financial constraints.

Notable items: Soy Chorizo, Aloe Vera Chunks, Trek Mix Nuts About Antioxidants Bars, Dried Dragon Fruit