HN^2 at Parallel 37-Summertime at Parallel 37

First off, I want to apologize for the photos, if this had not been such a great dinner, I would have buried these shots. I was lazy and should have brought my real camera. The dishes plated by Chef Nagahara and Chef Rotondo deserved a better photographic effort. No matter, one to the food.

Last night, I had the opportunity to dine at Parallel 37, the restaurant located within the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. Far from your standard hotel restaurant, Parallel 37 has brought in Chef Michael Rotondo, formerly with Charlie Trotter in Chicago, to create a destination fine dining restaurant in the middle of San Francisco. For this dinner, he joined forces with Chef Hiroo Nagahara, who was the Chef de Cuisine at Bar Charlie, former coworkers under the Trotter helm, this was their chance to share the spotlight again. We partook of the 6 course Tasting Menu, along with the pairings, which allowed the somellier, another associate from their Trotter days, free reign in the cellar. And he hit home run after home run with that access. A few prep scenes...

 

Chef Nagahara and assistant

 

Details, details, chefs at work!

 

Butter

Why am I showing butter? This was no simple butter, there was a beautiful and subtle herb butter and an amazing quenelle of compound butter, that has a distinct hit of umami, and a nice coarse salt, it showed early, that this would be a dinner where the details were taken seriously. There was also a Lemon Basil Aperitif that was a great opening statement that was mixed by the bartender.

The Amuse Bouche-Grande
 Pairing: Henriot Blanc de Blanc NV Champagne

This was the largest amouse I have ever seen, and sadly, I can barely remember anything about what was on the plate, as eating commenced prior to listening.

 

Amuse Part 1-Oyster, Tomato Pulp, White Stuff

 

Yuzu-cured Hamachi(?), Tomato 'Aspic'

 

This was delicious

 

Ayu Tempura

That last dish, largely, was why I have no clue what I was eating as the Amuse. Ayu, a small fish known largely in Asia is considered a delicacy in Japan, to see one in the States is quite unusual, and the presentation was striking. Plus, the tomatoes are such a favorite of mine, to see how the chef's wove this amuse together was a joy. Sometimes you just eat.

First Course: Dungeness Crab, Radishes, Amazake, Junmai Dainginjo Sake.
Pairing: Conreria Dei Scala, Brugeres, Garnacha Blanco, Priorat 2011

 

No, it is not soft roe

This dish should have been photographed prior to the amazake being poured over. The Dungeness crab was served chilled in gel, there were baby radishes, Hijiki (a form of seaweed) and the sweet amazake poured over it all. Beautiful and delicate. The pairing was brilliant and not standard in any way, the Garnacha lending it's typical generous and flashy aroma, and a great earthy palate, but, minus the tannins that results from being on the lees.

Second Course: Sonoma Squab, Liver, Strawberry Juice, Ham Essence
Pairing: Franz Hirtzenberger Rielsing, Smaragd, Wachau 2006

 

Not Blood

A breast of squab, perfectly roasted to rare, with a nice crispy skin, technique, subtle and perfect. The liver dots with fennel and croutons, which looks like an afterthought, added texture, crunch and herbal notes, that worked right in with the sqaub. The strawberry juice was pure sweet berry and the ham essence kicked in salt and crunch. A beautifully conceived dish. The Riesling, which had some age on it, worked beautifully as a pairing, quite typical of an Austrian Riesling, the layers of fruit, mineral, acidity and slight petroleum played across the squab and liver, and was lifted by the berry. A great match.

Third Course: Tamba Kuromame Tofu, Aori Ika, Peaches, Lemon Verbena
Pairing: Yves Cuilleron, Viognier, Rhone Valley 2011

 

I Love Tofu

This dish, a tofu made with kuromame, the black soybean so integral to Osechi Ryori, the New Years meal, and an ingredient that is a favorite of mine, exemplifies what I consider to be the crossing of technique and the visceral sensation of a dish so familiar. This dish took a lifelong favorite and presented it in a way that was totally unfamiliar. Black tofu, fried crunchy, so rich and perfectly played off of the cauliflower, peaches, ika. For me, this was where the dinner hit on every note. There could not have been a better dish, speaking to me on every level. The pairing with the Viogner seemed odd to me, but, once tasted, I realized that this was not typical German summer wine, this was Rhone to the core, with a slight funky earthiness, and stony backbone, the stone fruit picking up the peach, a great pairing for a difficult pairing.

Fourth Course: Kagoshima Shiokko, Bing Cherries, Summer Beans, Pink-tip Parsley
Pairing: Beaux Fréres, Pinot Noir, Beaux Fréres Vineyard, Willamette Valley, 2008

 

I hate fish

To be clear, Shiokko is Young Amberjack, and this was perfectly seared. The initially odd combination of cherries, beans and parsley just worked, playing sweet, herbal, earthy against the mild fish flavor and the toasty undertones from the sear. As to the wine pairing, Beaux Fréres rarely misses, but, this Pinot is one of the best bottlings you can find in Oregon, the best of Oregon Pinot noir, smooth, silky yet distinctly New World. The fact that it had a little age and picked up on the cherries and earthy bean-ness of this dish, made what the sommelier had said what he though to be a risky pairing, into the perfect pairing. Red with fish, perfect.

Fifth Course: Lamb in Many Forms, Green Curry
Pairing: Delas, Cote Rotie, Seigneur de Maugiron, Rhone 2006

 

Lamb, Lamb, oh, and, um, Lamb

The final savory course, lamb tongue, lamb saddle, lamb flank, lamb tenderloin, each getting it's own preparation, ranging from meltingly tender tongue to that little crispy nugget of fat. The curried peas and herbs were a great counter point to the richness of the lamb and the crispy bits of dried lamb. There was a distinct cardamom and cumin accent to the flavor profiles that tied all the preparations together. The chosen pairing of a predominantly Syrah wine from the Rhone was clearly a classic play, but, the wine chosen was a beautiful example that played well with the lamb, as well as the normally challenging warm spices used on this dish.

Sixth Course: Guanaja Chocolate, Blood Orange Dipped Doughnuts
Pairing: Maury, Banyuls, Mas Amiel, Roussilon 1969

 

Chocolate! Yay!

This dish was a terrific dessert, the chocolate 'dirt' was a slightly discordant note, but, the doughnuts were brilliant, the orange cream and the ganache in the center of the dish was just perfect. Now, to the pairing, the wine was exceptional as a pairing. However, the wine was brilliant and I think would have been perfect alone. It was an exceptional selection, something that is a rare treat. I truly felt this wine could have been presented on it's own, it was so exceptional.

The dishes prepared by Chef Rotondo showed that there are some amazing things being done in the kitchen of Parallel 37, the restaurant definitely is worth a second look based upon this dinner. Chef Hiroo showed an amazing combination of respect for the food stuffs of his heritage, with the techniques of modernist cuisine seamlessly. This was an unforgettable dinner and effort by the chefs and their staff.

Japanese Food - Birthday blow-out 2013

Izakaya Yuzuki became an instant favorite of mine, the first time I had the Tsukemono, which they ferment in 'Nuka', a rice bran product, that informs all of my best experiences with Japanese food, every dish rang true to what I had come to know, through my grandmother's preparations. On my recent birthday, Rob, my friend and frequent dining companion surprised me with a trip to Yuzuki, along with our friends Kevin and Hiroo, we found ourselves being treated to an 'omakase' feast and it was amazing.

To start off, we ordered some beer, the Ozeno Yukidoke IPA, which was a surprisingly good, almost West-coastish IPA, with excellent malt body and great hop bitterness and aroma. Then, we had to order a bottle of sake, it is an izakaya, after all. And we found, much to my surprise a Junmai Daiginjo, the highest rating for a sake, and it was from Hiroshima, the place in Japan that my father's family originates from, it seemed appropriate, as my dad and I share a birthday. The Maboroshi Kurobako (Junmai Daiginjo Genshu) is rather a unique and delicate sake, something that was a wonderful accompaniment to the meal. 

And on to the food. One of the great things a chef can do, especially with a large tasting menu, is to take you on a journey, the way the food is served, the order in which dishes appear, it can all tell a story of what the kitchen is seeking to do. This would end up being a 15 course tasting menu, with a deft and subtle path.

Course 1: Zaru Tofu - made in house, a soft textured and very subtle tofu, served with Maldon sea salt on the side. This is unlike any tofu you can buy in a store.

 

Zaru Tofu with Sea Salt

Course Two: Pirikara Cucumbers - Fresh cucumbers, that are marinated is sesame oil and shichimi pepper powder, a delicate, almost pickle-like preparation, with a hint of heat on the finish.

 

Pirikara Cucumbers

Course Three: Ika Shiokara - This dish was squid that had been marinated in salt and squid liver, along with some ikura (salmon roe/bait), flowers, and micro Shiso leaves. It was amazing the impact of the Shiso on this dish.

 

Ika Shiokara

 

The detail of the knifework, stunning

Course Four: Satsuma Age - a fried fish cake (rock cod and shrimp) with vegetables, and this was of exceptional quality, very light and tender. fried just enough to be crisp. We make this at home, but, nowhere near this level of skill. Honestly, the best example of this dish I have ever had.

 

Satsuma Age

Course Five: Karage - Chicken marinated in Shio Koji (a salt and fermented rice mixture) then deep fried. For some reason, no photo was taken.


Course Six: Aji no Hiraki - now, in any situation where you give up control of the menu, there is a risk that something you detest might show up. This was that dish. I hate mackerel, can't stand it. So, here was a Shio Koji cured, air dried and grilled mackerel. Yay... With the spine grilled and eaten like a cracker...double yay...I have no idea how good, or bad, this was.

 

Aji no Hiraki

Course Seven: Tsukune and Negima - Shio Koji cured chicken meatball and chicken with scallion, known as standards of Yakitori, this was a welcome dish, after those mackerel. Chef uses an exceptional 'tare' (think of this as a bbq sauce/glaze) to create additional depth of flavor and color. Hiroo, who is something of an expert of traditional Japanese foods and I, a dilettante at best, agreed that this was cooked over 'Binchotan' charcoal and quite properly done.

 

Negima (back) and Tsukune (front)

Course Eight: Yaki Surume Ika - This time, squid cured in Shio Koji, then grilled and presented with a 'Yuzu' mayonnaise. Yuzu is one of the main flavoring ingredients in Japanese cooking, a small citrus, it is incredibly aromatic. 

 

Yaki Surume Ika

Course Nine: Obanzai - Vegetables cooked in the Kyoto-style, three ways, and I had a little trouble here, as I could not figure out any vegetable in the tamagoyaki, it tasted like egg wrapped around eel, which makes no sense, although it was delicious. I have no idea what the middle dish was made from, and the sweet potato was delicious. Sorry, by this time, I was just eating away.

 

Some stuff cooked in three ways

Course Ten and Eleven: Two Rice dishes and Tsukemono - my favorite dishes at this restaurant, and I feel best eaten together, although that is quite 'village' of me. Tsukemono, the traditional 'nuka' fermented pickles, along with the Koshihikari rice, cooked in traditional ceramic pots, presented with clams, or with Hijiki and cured vegetables, I added the tsukemono to mine. 

 

Koshihikari Gohan with Hamaguri

 

Koshihikari Gohan with Hijiki and Tsukemono

Course Twelve: Chawanmushi with Uni -  also known as the palate reprieve, another classic of Japan, a very delicate egg and 'dashi' custard, with uni floated on top. It was my sense that the herb Mitsuba was also there, in the leaf floating on top. Mitsuba is a great addition to any broth or stock, adding a nice herbal touch.

 

Chawanmushi with Uni

Course Thirteen: Kobe Beef Tataki - raw Kobe beef, presented with a bright onion salad and a yuzukosho miso sauce. Yuzukosho is a mixture of pepper powder, yuzu peel and salt. It added a nice punch to the fatty raw beef. And yes, it is a terrible photo.

 

Kobe Tataki

Course Fourteen: Kakiage - We had seen this dish walked past our table several times, and it was beginning to become a problem. It looked so good. Essentially it is shredded root vegetables and meat, in this case, shrimp, that are deep fried in a 'Tempura' batter. I grew up with this, but, not with this level of refinement. But, the flavors reminded me of many dinners with my grandmother and mother, both of whom loved this dish, hence, it means a lot to me. The Daikon-oroshi is mixed into the sauce, the lemon is squeezed over the fritters and then the green tea salt is sprinkled on.

 

Kakiage

Course Fifteen: Yaki Omusubi - Grilled sweet rice balls with a compound butter of soy and uni. To say this is unusual as a flavor combination is understating. But, the rice was perfectly grilled and flavored with the 'Tare', the butter was incredibly rich and flavorful. We had to ask the kitchen to stop at this point.

 

Yaki Omusubi

This was a meal to remember, with every dish being executed with tremendous skill and care. So many of the dishes speak to me, perhaps in a language far more sophisticated than I am used to, but, in the flavors, aromas and compositions that speak to me of my family and childhood. It was a most thoughtful and amazing gesture on Rob's part. And it reaffirms my belief that this is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco.

Reunion Bento

An unusual thing happened on the way to this blog post, about a month ago, I received an email from a old friend, it had been almost 30 years since we had last spoken, and he was seeking to organize a reunion of our Landscape Architecture class, folks that I spent 3 of the most enjoyable, and torturous years of my life with. I looked forward to this event like few other. I wanted to cook something special, something that reflects me, as a person and a cook, and that is the particular fusion of Japanese and American food I have grown to appreciate more and more. I made enough that I felt I could generously share, as that was what I hoped this event would be about.

Bento, as I grew up knowing it, existed as a picnic food, not the formalized boxes we see in restaurants, but, the neat little boxes of food, in my youth, these were wonderful lacquered wood that would stack and tie. I used the modern, and sadly lacking, plastic box version. The ones for clumsy children, like me! On to the photos...

 

Chuka Wakame and Kuromame

I bought these, sweet black soy beans, and a sesame seaweed salad. To be honest, I could have made them, but, the store bought is quite good and I had limited time to prepare the foods. This was a great cheat. All of the food here was prepared and cooked in a split 5 hour period.

 

Simplified Oden

I ended up making a simple and quick dashi, as I know of no other way to prepare Japanese food, this was one of the dishes that needed it, a simple oden, of seared kamaboko, braised carrots and shiitake mushrooms, with a broth of the dashi seasoned with sweet potato.

 

Tsukemono, Moyashi and Kuri

A basic salt and sugar pickle, the standard for my family, Moyashi, the bean sprouts, accented with a little toasted sesame oil and rayu. The Kuri, cucumbers, with just the vinegar. These are needed, as they provide a great counterpoint to the rice and richer dishes. Sweet and sour is one of the basic flavor profiles of all Asian foods.

 

Char-siu, Takuan, Onigiri

I made a basic char-siu, which is a recipe I have covered previously in my blogs, this was cooked in the oven, due to time restraints. It was still terrific, and since it was to be served cold, the lack of smoke was not a bad thing, as smoke would have affected the other elements in the box. The takuan was a purchased item, although I plan on making some, this was not the time. The onigiri, which forms the basis of the next three boxes was a very high quality rice, with I dressed with a 'su' and added some nori furikake, a seasoning for rice, in this case, nori, sesame seeds and katsuoboshi (dried bonito ground to fine flakes), and sea salt. I also topped the pork with the same.

 

Thai-influenced Chicken Wings, Onigiri

Okay, a touch of fusion here, these are not Teriyaki wings, they were marinated in a mixture of fresh ginger, fish sauce (as usual, Red Boat), lime, green onions, whiskey, shoyu, chile pepper and rice syrup. The object was to add just a little top note from the pepper, still trying to stay with a Japanese palate, so not the typical heat one might expect.

 

Onigiri, Gomae, Tamagoyaki

Here, you can see the seasoned rice balls (onigiri, onee-gee-dee, please, not on-ee-gear-ee), along with the spinach gomae, a blanched spinach seasoned with toasted sesame oil, and the tamagoyaki, my nemesis, a rolled egg omelet, in this case seasoned with a little sweet sake, sake, shoyu, and dashi. It is my nemesis, as the rolling often doesn't work for me. My family does not do the thick layers so common now, our standard would be layers that are more like thick paper.

 

Strawberries macerated in whiskey, balsamic, rice syrup

Something fresh and sweet is always a nice way to finish. I happen to like strawberries just plain, but, wanted to dress these up a bit. These were organic, as was all of the produce I used, and these were coastal grown from older, non-hybrid plants, so the berries are smaller, more uniformly ripe and with a sweet and tart flavor that stood up to the flavors nicely.

I ended up bringing a little bit home, but, the food held up beautifully as it sat on the picnic table. One of the great things about these types of Japanese foods is that they adapt well to being served cold, tepid or hot. As for the reunion itself, it was as if 30 years melted into a day apart, when we saw each other, time disappeared and we were the same people, except for the fact that we were a little grayer and a lot less worried about turning in our projects.

Images from a Dinner with Koji...

Koji, as in the ingredient from Japan, a fermented rice product, that is increasingly finding it's way into many Japanese cook's tool box. A traditional ingredient, enjoying a resurgence, I had the opportunity to be a guest at an incredible dinner featuring this ingredient, at what I consider to be one of the best restaurants in San Francisco, Bar Tartine.

A bit about the chef, Nicolaus Balla is doing some amazing stuff, bridging his experiences from the Midwest, Budhapest and several stints in Japan, with amazing techniques and ingredients. Anytime I can dine here, I jump at the opportunity, this time, he was joined in the kitchen by a chef from Japan, who specializes in Koji, and a chef from Los Angeles, who would make a hand made soba for the dinner.

Special thanks to my friend Laiko Bahrs if Epicuring, for letting us know this was going on. On to the food.

 

Yes, that is 17 course, they were small...

Sadly, I did not get good shots of everything, but, I will show what I have. Koji creates an incredible umami flavor, like all fermented foodstuffs, it creates that 'fifth' flavor. It also offers health benefits, totally offset by gluttony.

 

 

Rice Porridge Toast, Karasumi, Butter, Radish

Karasumi, salted mullet roe, blah! I was tricked! Actually, this dish was amazing, easily as good as any dish that night, and it was toast. Next!

 

Wild King Salmon, Sweet Pea Kasu

I am not really sure what sweet pea kasu is, as kasu is the lees from sake making. Somehow that and sweet peas are involved. And yes, that is salmon sausage. I really don't like salmon, but, the sausage and sweet peas were great. Next!

 

Dry-aged Ribeye tartar, Nagaimo, Shingiku, Broth

Now we're talking beef. Raw beef, with a foam, nagaimo, once again, a taste and texture (slimy) element I normally detest, but, it was very good in this dish. It was very good. I find that I am bad, very bad, at picking up nagaimo with hashi.

 

Kazunoko Salad

More challenges to my limited palate. Kazunoko is herring roe on seaweed, I love seaweed, I hate herring roe. Yet, again, in this presentation, I had seconds. Since each dish was presented family style, there was an extra bite or two of most of these dishes.

 

Duck Tataki, Grated Radish, Negi

A barely seared duck breast, really getting at the essence of the duck, just a little koji was apparent in this dish. But, it was still very good, and something quite out of the norm for an American palate.

 

Satsuma Imo Korokke

Sweet potato croquette, nothing hard about eating this, totally a friendly dish. The mayonnaise as a sauce, the sauce on top, which appeared to be Tonkatsu sauce had a surprising bite, rich and spicy, a great counterpoint to the sweet and crunchy.

 

Negima

Although I have never heard it called this before, clearly this was a chicken and green onion yakitori. Classic izakaya food, classic comfort food. The chicken gets an added dimension of flavor from being marinaded in Koji. Another old friend in a challenging menu.

 

Kohlrabi in Broth

Clearly, this dish was meant for soup bowls, but, since none were forthcoming, the kohlrabi, not your normal root vegetable in Japanese or California cooking, was eaten with the mushrooms. Then, I drank from the bowl. No way that broth is going down the sink. Delicious.

 

Simmered Pork with Gobo and Egg

Ah, back to the things I like less, I am not a fan of gobo, the woody root that was a foundation of many stews and soups in grandma's cooking. Oddly, I found none in this bowl, someone beat me to it. Darn. Sort of. This was amazingly rich and served four, my cholesterol is fine.

Now, oddly, there are several courses, in which the photos were just unusable. It got dark in the restaurant, and I refuse to shoot with a flash. Bad enough I am shooting pictures of my food at all. Yet, there is this shot.

 

Barley and Koji Ice Cream, Shochu Cake

Yes, a semi-sweet ice cream, featuring barley and fermented rice. And it was delicious. I really wish the soba shot and the Wild Nori Yaki Onigiri shots had come out. The crispy rice ball was so good. Hand made soba, something pretty special still.

As always, my frequent dining companions Rob, Kevin and Michael were along, to geek over the food, joined by Michael's wife Wendy and a celebrity guest, Chef Hiroo Nagahara (the Chairman food truck and HN^2 Pop-ups),  and his girlfriend Wei Wei. It was fun sitting with Hiroo and getting his viewpoint on the food, his being from Japan, a shared heritage of food, and of course, his point of view as a chef, such insight and fun.

Shot and a Beer

I know what you're thinking, beer and whiskey, but, no, this is not about booze. Well, no, that is a lie, it is about beer, beer and food and a little guerrilla dining. I had the chance to attend an event called Shot and a Brew, put on by The Stag Dining Group and Almanac Brewing. A bit about these two groups.

Our hosts were The Stag Dining Group, who are a group of friends who decided it was time to work together in an industry that they loved, even as business and life moved them about. The work on what they refer to as Clandestine Dining, a great idea, of choosing venues, partners and foods that reflect a sense of adventure, sustainability, creativity, and a variety of other 'ity's' that you can read about. They are a perfect example of what can make a simple dinner in San Francisco delightful.

Almanac Brewing is one of my favorite breweries right now. They brew a series of ales, based upon seasonal produce and a crazy sense of adventure. Although the ales feature liberal use of fruit, there is definitely craft at work, as these brews are hand made and use great ingredients. Their mantra of 'farm to barrel' really shines through. Although I am not a fan of their Pale Ale, I seek out their other ales, such as the soon to be released Chocolat, which is an amazing brew.

In any event, on to the event. First off, was a reception and shoot around at the Pacific Rod and Gun Club in San Francisco, yes, a shooting club in San Francisco. We each had the opportunity to shoot a fine shotgun, eat some prosciutto and generally carry on like monied gentlemen, and ladies, blasting hapless clay pigeons from the air. I discovered, that from when I was 18, to some 34 years later, I still pull the gun and hit 50%. I shall await my return to the line at 86, with higher expectations.

Course One...

Scallop Ceviche, Nasturtium Leaf, Yama Imo Chips, Mojo Verde, Pickled Ramps

This was a wonderful opener, the scallops were cooked in the acids beautifully and the pairing was with Almanac's Honey Saison Farmhouse Ale. They use a local Bay Area honey to flavor the ale. This is an interesting point, that the dinner was completely paired with beers, and not wines. The same rules for pairing beers and ales to food, as to pairing wines to food. These were some fine considerations in the dinner.

Course Two...

Asparagus, Burrata, Meyer Mostarda, Shaved Fennel

This was paired with an as yet unreleased ale, the Farmhouse Number 4 Barrel Aged Sour with Meyer Lemons, Oranges and Buddha's Hand Citron. This ale takes a lot of aromatics and bitterness from being aged over the citrus, which are whole when the ale is added. These overall effect is a sour ale, with a bitter edge, but, not the bitterness commonly found in hops. It was a beautiful complement to asparagus, a notoriously hard pairing for wine. If you are wondering, that stuff that looks like jam is the Mostarda, a Meyer Lemon preserve that is blended with ground mustard seed.

Course Three...

Catalan Style Wheat Berries, Trumpet Mushrooms, Secret Vinaigrette, Baby Kale

This was one of the real stars of the dinner, paired with Almanac's Barrel Noir, an aged Dark Ale that is aged in a bourbon barrel. This is not a hoppy brew, it is what I call a brewer's ale, in that it is all about malts, brewing techniques and aging, without the over-bearing hoppiness that has come to be all too common in craft brewing. Smooth and deeply flavored, it complemented the kale, wheat berries and vinaigrette nicely. As for secret, well, some things are best left unsaid.

Course Four...

5-Spice Quail, Green Strawberries, Tangerine, Thai Basil

Now, my nemesis, I really have not liked quail in the past. No surprise, this was well, still quail, and I still do not like quail. However, to carry on, it was paired with a Farmer's Reserve Number 3, Barrel aged sour with strawberries and nectarines. And it complemented the richness of the quail beautifully, the strawberry adding tartness and the nectarines's aroma working through the dishes richness. I ate just enough to determine that A) I felt the match was excellent and B) I hate quail.

Course Five...

Porter Braised Beef Cheek, Rancho Gordo Hominy, Pickled Onions, Cilantro

Now we are talking, back to beef, and not that rotten quail. This was served with, and cooked in, Almanac's Bier de Chocolat, a Porter brewed with cocoa nibs from Dandelion Chocolate (yes, the Au Curant flame of all S.F. Food snobs, except apparently me). This was so tender and rich, the porter lending it's flavors to the beef, the hominy coarsely mashed, some still crunchy on top, and the tart pickled onions, an excellent match for what has to be one of the most chocolately Chocolate brews I have ever had. Also not yet released, this is an ale that will be worth seeking out if you like chocolate and beer.

Course 6...

Cheese!

Essentially the ending was cheese. And to be honest, I cannot remember what the cheese was, but, it was delicious. It was served with Almanac's Dry Hopped Pale Ale with Mandarins. It was a good match, the hoppy and light textured Pale Ale matching the rich and sweet tastes on the cheese plate. Now, this was a good match, it makes perfect sense from a food point of view. But, if you remember way up top, I said I think the Pale Ale in not to my taste, this held true here. It was still just a hop centric pale ale, a good one, but, not distinctive enough for what had preceded it. I do love a hop-centric ale, but, much like a huge Cabernet, it is often a feature drink to me, not a pairing drink.

It was an excellent meal, and the Brewers and Chef's did themselves proud. I am actually looking forward to joining them again, perhaps at their weekly seating, at Off the Grid, yes, these guys cook a seated meal, with cocktails, at a food truck event. Every single dish, except the quail, was executed with utmost care and technique, these guys rocked that kitchen. Okay, maybe the quail was perfect, who cares? It quail.

The Last of my Heroes ( not food by a long shot )

My heroes were never the men you saw everyday on the television, batting some ball around, running for a goal, or wooing some beautiful starlet in some fantasy world.  I know it is popular to say that now, but, when I was growing up, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was very common to hold on high a great athlete, a handsome movie star, or perhaps a world figure. Surely, I admired men such as Willie Mays, Paul Newman or even someone truly influential, such as Martin Luther King. But, there men were abstract entities; they lived in newsprint, and electrons and stories I heard from other people, no more real than the stories in movies. They did not live in my life, I didn’t touch them, relate to them, and they didn’t live my life. My heroes were men like my grandfather, my dad, my uncles, and the circle of men that surrounded the daily lives we lived on the nursery and in Richmond, California. We would tag along, as my dad went to market in San Francisco, or to other nurseries to ‘check on things’, even at church, these men seemed to be a breed apart. Tough, rugged, enduring, especially the old men, my grandfather’s generation, all immigrants, who left Japan, to some to a land where there was no Little Italy or German Town, just land and a dream. And they endured. And there is the sadness of today.

For in truth, they could not endure forever. One by one, time took the elders, then their successors and eventually my greatest heroes,first was my Uncle Heizo, who made sure I knew what ‘the good life’ was, and let me know that being an iconoclast was okay; then my Uncle Roy, who was always there, and who showed me what true humility was, as we never knew until after he died, that he had been a decorated Captain in the Army; then my first and best hero, my dad Saburo Fukushima, who I have yet to prove wrong about anything, who showed me that a man is greatest when he is most gentle; then my mother’s brother Henry Kawai, the youngest men of their generation; the last of them, Tom Oishi, my dad’s lifelong friend was buried last week. Tom was an amazing friend, and loyal to the core, an example that no matter what, you stand by your friends.

For me, what was always a great truth, that the heroes of my youth were living and breathing men, who called me Bobby, and saw me not as an old man, but, as a boy, who were always there to talk and support me, that truth is no more. With the last man down, the circle of real life heroes, men who grew a living from Richmond soil are merely memories, now to become legend, for me to touch back to. These were the men whose respect I most desired, to have my dad and uncle, to have the men they respected, accept me, which was what I worked for.

When I was a boy, the men who ran the community I grew up in, my world, were of my grandfathers, Sango Fukushima and Goro Kawai’s generation. These men built businesses, and along with those businesses, they build a community. Stores, churches, schools and in some cases, even the roads and towns; but, most importantly, they built a community of families that supported each other through many hard times. They built this community by pulling life from the earth. And their sons and daughters did the same. My dad’s generation built the foundation of a life, which allowed my generation to go to college, to get off the farm, to live the American Dream in all of its glory. There were many men who did this, and I got to know many of them, and I like to think I earned a little of that respect from them, that I so dearly wanted. However, nothing endures forever, our bodies are fragile, much like the plants we grew, like the roses and carnations, that so quickly fade, our bodies fail even as our influence in life grows. There are still a few of my father’s generation around, such as my great friend and benefactor Flora Ninomiya, perhaps the youngest of the Nisei rose growers, my mom's childhood friend and a fine nurseryperson, whose sad honor it has been to eulogize all of her colleagues. 

But, of these men I idolized, in their khaki’s, weathered hands and faces, who smell vaguely of a sweet mix of sweat and flowers, I have only my memories and a few faded photographs. I search for a clever ending, some device of words, to close this little self-indulgent and misplaced essay, which I publish on a food blog, but, there is nothing more than to say, that the last of my heroes is gone today.

The House of Prime Rib

I don't do restaurant reviews, it's not my gig. And I don't happen to think that the House of Prime Rib is in any way related to Pacific Rim BBQ. But, this is more about the reviewer.

When my mom and dad got married, back in the 1950's, they had little in the way of money, but, friends and family came together and gave them a night or two of living extravagantly. A night at the Claremont Hotel, and dinner at the House of Prime Rib. Through the years, especially during the very lean years, my mom would recall the dinner at that restaurant and how luxurious and elegant it was, how everything was so special. She would describe in detail how the meal unfolded and how it felt so special, she would talk about the 'someday' that we would all go there again. That day never came, it seemed that it was always just outside of our grasp, and what little money that did not go to day to day, went to enriching our minds. It remained a gap in my dining card, in some ways, because it was not meant to be my experience alone.

Yesterday, I got a call, around 5pm, that a couple of dining friends had decided that they had to go to the House of Prime Rib. And that I had to go with them. It seemed to be the time. My dining credentials do not want, if it is San Francisco or the East Bay, I am not short on the great food I have eaten, but, this was the hole in my cred. So, I was in, time to see what the experience would be, although, how could it be the same. Modern dining is not the same.

I was wrong. It was as if I had dined there all my life, each phase of the evening unfolded as if I had been there dozens of times, it was as familiar as hearing my mom's voice walking me through the room. From the cocktail mixed and served in the mixing glass, the shaker top still in place, to the salad spun table side and all the way through, each experience was totally familiar. And clearly elevated, in a classic manner, it was beautiful women and handsome men in jackets and trousers, old men in tuxedoes and suits, each catering to the table. The trolley is old, and the design hearkens to mid-Century Art Deco, it might well date to the 1940's. Beautifully cooked Prime Rib, a huge and blemish free baked potato, and an iceberg, beet and egg salad, nothing daring, nothing farm to table, nothing but a classic dinner. I should have worn a suit.

I can imagine how this must have felt to my mom and dad, who grew up on dirt roads in Richmond, California. One day married, eating in this classic dining room, catered to with table side service. The best dining is when you can connect, whether it is with the people you share the table with, or the ghosts of your youth, when the experience feeds your being, and not just your appetite, it becomes something you never forget. I get it now mom.