Dynamo Donut--San Francisco--Mission District

Dynamo Donut—Mission District

www.dynamodonut.com

2760 24th Street San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 920-1978

$

 

I love the Mission district of San Francisco; it’s filled with artistic, religious murals on random buildings as Mexican culture permeates the air. 

I had been planning our visit to Dynamo Donut for some time.  I had seen it on the Food network as they are known for their bacon glazed donuts, anything with bacon must be fabulous.  I was excited to think about what I was about to experience.

When you arrive to Dynamo donuts you place your order at the store front stand.  I was greeted by a friendly guy who offered me three more free donuts simply because they didn’t want them to go to waste since they were expecting to be much busier.  Who gives anything for free anymore?  I was happily appreciative! Gimme donuts, gimme donuts!

These were in the box: Apricot cardamom, Bacon Glazed, Guinness and Hibiscus. $3.00-$3.50 each.

After receiving my donuts neatly wrapped in a white box, we walked to the back of the store and found a cozy table.  I couldn’t wait to get my taste buds on the bacon donut and then I did...  The glaze was a light maple and the donut was a bit dry.  I tasted all of the donuts and thought that there was something missing from them all.  They were all a bit dry and tasteless.  Dynamo left me a bit disappointed as I found myself consuming these donuts thinking why am I still eating them if they aren’t good? 

Sadly, I found myself comparing these donuts to the Donut plant in NYC, now THOSE are donuts!  

 

 

 

Nopalito SF

Nopalito

www.nopalitosf.com

306 Broderick Street San Francisco, CA 94117
415-437-0303
$

 

My one request while visiting San Francisco was to have a Torta.  We decided to go to a modern Mexican restaurant called Nopalito’s located in a strip mall on Broderick Street.  At first sight my initial thought was, how good could this really be in a strip mall?  Well, this place is packed with local hipsters engaging in loud chatter, surrounded by great weather and delicious foods. We waited 15 minutes for a seat to become available,  The locals know that this is the place to go for good, clean Mexican food. 

 Once seated, we were greeted with a bowl of spicy baked chickpeas that were crunchy and fiery.  After consuming a few of the chickpeas I was happy that my salted margarita arrived to quench my thirst and may I say it was STRONG!  It could have possibly been the strongest tequila I have ever consumed well worth the $9 price tag. 

I quickly ordered the Torta de Chilorio $9.00 a Sandwich of shredded pork in adobo, refried pinquito beans, jack cheese, onion and avocado on a housemade bun.  Once the waiter brought it to the table I was shocked with the size, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so large, it also came with fresh thinly sliced potato chips which had been even cut on a mandolin.  The torta was comida delicioso.  The adobo was fragrant and salty, and I was thankful I had the margarita to wash it down with.  I didn’t think I was going to consume the potato chips but found myself digging in and picking up the fallen meat on my dish with chips.

 My friends ordered the Tamal de Amarillo con Calabaza 6.00 Corn masa, butternut squash, jalapeño, Oaxacan cheese, mole of dried chiles, tomatillos, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and spices and the Frijoles Puercos con Huevo 9.00 Stew of christmas lima beans, chorizo, bacon, egg ,queso fresco, cilantro and salsa escabeche de jalapeño.  Both said that each were amazing.

 



Nopalitos is the way to go for fresh modern Mexican cuisine.  Good luck getting in!

 

Total for one with tip: $25.00

 

 

 

Sushi Raw--Lower Haight San Francisco

 

Sushi Raw

www.sushirawsf.com
682 Haight Street
San Francisco
(415) 863-6888

$

After a cold and adventurous day in San Francisco we needed to find a place to have dinner.  We were looking for something low key and in the Haight neighborhood.  My friend Wayne suggested sushi at his favorite local Japanese restaurant: Sushi Raw. 

 At first site this place is pretty generic a sushi bar in the front and dining tables in the back.  We were seated in the upper tier of the restaurant and were quickly asked if we wanted tea since it was so cold outside.  I was surprised with how good the tea was, it was exactly what I wanted and needed in that moment. Japanese POP music played in the background while I watched the hostess and waitress dance around a greet diners with happy face.

 I ordered the Tokyo Ahi Seared tuna with citrus sauce for an appetizer and the House Special Ramen Pork, bamboo shoot, mushroom, egg, and seaweed in a house special made pork broth for my main.  When the seared tuna arrived I wasn’t expecting it to be cut thick as I am use to it being thinly sliced.  I dug in and was delighted to find that the citrus sauce was A-MAZE-ZZZING! I wanted to pick the bowl up and drink the sauce, but decided against it since it wouldn’t look very classy. The tuna was fresh, cold and crisp, just the way I like it.

Now, my first thoughts on Ramen noodle soup brings me back to the freeze dried noodles and the flavor packet you add during the boiling water,  NOT this ramen soup.  The broth was silky smooth and hearty.  There were grated ginger and spicy pepper flakes that added a nice kick.  The best part was the added a surprise of a half of a hardboiled egg, but left me wishing that there was a whole egg or maybe even a dozen because that how good it was.  The pork was tender and flavorful; I enjoyed every slurp and ever inhale of every noodle.  I wish this place was closer to me, I’d go every week!

 

Total price for One Person: $19.00 with tip.

 

 

 

 

Abbots Celler--San Francisco

 

       

The Abbot's Cellar

abbotscellar.com

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742 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 626-8700 $$$   Abbots Celler is a grand restaurant from the food to the decor. It reminded much of a giant loft covered in wood planks.  Unlike most loft spaces the richness and warmth of the wood creates a homey, warm atmosphere. The open kitchen allows diners to view what is happening behind the scenes as you wait for your meal to arrive.  There are also small touches that leave you with a smile; the bathroom sink, much like a large basin is carved into the shape of a bottle.   Abbot’s Celler is known for their beer pairings.  I unfortunately am not a huge beer lover so opted for the Pino Grigo.  I will say the beer list is extensive, which you will find hidden in a drawer like area in your table, pages and pages of beer fill the menu from all regions.  Now back to the Pino Grigio… I wish I would have written the name of it down because it was the best I EVER had.  It had a hints of lemon and was sweet, crisp and refreshing that I ordered another during my dinner.  I also had a buzz going by the end of consumption.   For my appetizer my friend and I ordered the gnocchi dish which had the most delicious mushrooms.  The gnocchi were light pillows of potato covered in these robust tiny mushrooms. DE-VINE! We both slowly savored the taste.  Neither of us wanted it to end because that’s how light and delicious these gnocchi and mushrooms were.   My other friend ordered the bone marrow and said it was the best he ever had.  The presentation reminded me of a tiny Smurf village.      For my main course I ordered the swordfish steak crispy potato, coriander toasted cauliflower, satsuma fennel butter.  It was beautiful and tasty.  It was slightly overcooked but good overall. The fennel butter added a slight sweetness which was unexpected and delicious.  Now, I am a bit adventurous when it comes to food and I like to try new things, odd things.  When I saw that they had something that contained duck confit on their dessert menu, I was up for the challenge.  The duck pudding arrived and I was surprised with how LARGE it was.  It was dense and rich, but didn’t  really have a duck flavor.  It was tasty but not something I’d order again. For the next few days I dreamt of delicious gnocchi with mushrooms.  I would go back to Abbots Celler just for those, and I may even order a double! Final Bill with Tip: $256.34 for a party of 3 each having two alcoholic beverages, appetizers, main and two desserts.

 

 

 

 

Taste Good Malaysian Cuisine - Elmhurst - Elmhurst, NY

 

Taste Good Malaysian Cuisine - Elmhurst - Elmhurst, NY

From the outside, this place seems desolate and run down.  What you wouldn’t image is as soon as you open the door, the place is PACKED and fragrant with chilies. Not to mention this place is jammed packed with locals that know this food is GOOD!

Now, here is a clue from the outside… If the restaurant posted ratings read “A”, be sure to enter.  If it doesn’t I don’t suggest eating there; there are too many good restaurants in NYC that have an “A” rating to waste your time with a “B” or a “C”. 

We started with Roti Canai  and Beef satay. Roti was fragrant and delicious.  A slight hint of coconut milk.  The Beef Satay was something to write home about.  The meat was juicy, tender and sweet.  The best I have ever had. 

Powdered Sugar pound Cake with Butter Cream

Powdered Sugar Pound Cake 

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp Apple Jack liquor
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 Vanilla Bean from Madagascar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray cupcake or loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Combine butter and powdered sugar.  Beat on high speed of eclectic mixer until mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes.  On medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Fold in sour cream and vanilla. 
3. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir flour mixture into sour cream mixture just until incorporated.

Vanilla Bean Butter cream Frosting

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean/vanilla extract paste (combine a tsp of each and mix)
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk

Directions

1. Mix together sugar and butter until they are blended and creamy.
2. Add vanilla bean paste and milk and continue to beat for another minute.
3. If desired, add more vanilla bean paste to taste, or more confectioners' sugar to make it stiffer.  

 

 

 

JoJu Vietnamese Restaurant--- Elmhurst, NY

I was in the need of a great Banh Mi sandwich without having to schlep to manhattan to our sandwich place on University Place. After a quick search on yelp I found JoJu. The reviews were great but I needed to try it for myself. And so we were off to Elmhurst.

Once we arrived the place was empty but it was still only noon and i am sure the place gets busier as the day progresses.

We both ordered the pork belly Banh Mi and a large Thai iced tea. The wait was about 7 minutes before the arrival of our sandwiches.

Everything was fresh. The bread was crunchy and chewy, hard on the outside soft in the middle. The carrots freshly julienned and lightly pickled. The cilantro and hot pepper added a nice fresh spicy bite. The pork belly was cooked to perfection. Sweet and succulent with a slight hint of five spice. The mayonnaise added a nice creamy base that held everything together.

Now, I've had many Thai iced teas as I am quite the connoisseur this Thai iced tea was not sweet but felt like a meal replacement. Overall I thought it was good.

Total: $19.05

In Queens?  Want a Banh Mi?  Go here!