Café Rouge: Rouge Burger

Café Rouge is located on 4th street in Berkeley, where boutique stores and gourmet shops thrive in a span of two blocks among an industrial area of the city. 

It's a sustainable, organic-inspired restaurant like many you would find in the Bay Area -- especially Berkeley, with many gourmet establishments carrying on the tradition of California cuisine by following the footsteps of Chez Panisse owner Alice Waters. 

Café Rouge blends Mediterranean and American dishes, focusing on fresh meat and house-made charcuterie. Next door is a gourmet grocery, which seems to spill over onto the restaurant as you can see the butcher's counter towards the back with their glistening, succulent rotisserie chickens in constant rotation. 

I've only ever ordered the Rouge Burger in all the times that I've been here. Why?

Rouge Burger, $13. An extra $.50 for the grilled red onion.

First off, the burger itself is a thick mound of freshly ground beef. The first bite is startling as it's literally "hot off the press." The scalding hot juices ooze out with your first attempt to bite and you'll have to hold back, which makes it even more enticing. I had mine with a generous slice of grilled red onion -- the burger itself comes plain, but you can add toppings for an extra $0.50-$1.50. 

All the elements of the dish, from the touch of pickled onion to the perfectly toasted roll to the tasty natural-cut fries, came together nicely.

Location: 

1782 Fourth Street

Berkeley 

Ravenous for Ribs: Everett and Jones

You know that you've embarked upon a real ribs establishment when you can already smell the smoky goodness the moment you open your car door in the parking lot of Everett and Jones. This place has always been my family's go-to for ribs, and this past weekend we took them up for a picnic at Tilden Park.

Slabs of ribs waiting to be had...

The place is no-frills and pretty straightforward. You can have a two-way, three-way, or four-way combination plate where you can choose between ribs, links, chicken, or beef with a side of your choice (baked beans, collard greens, potato salad, macaroni salad, cornbread, or coleslaw). As a family, we always order the Slab of Ribs, which is just that -- ribs enough for 4 people with a side of potato salad and slices of bread -- all for about $30. We also add a side of baked beans for $1.50.

The ribs are slathered in sauce and go hand-in-hand perfectly with the mashed potatoes and baked beans. The incredibly tender and perfectly marinated meat fell off the bone nicely. It was perfect picnic fare, but be sure to have tons of napkins handy.

Everett and Jones

1955 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley

Mon - Thursday, 11 am - 9 pm
Fri and Sat, 12pm - 12am
Sun, 12pm - 9 pm

Birthday Dinner at Alegrias Spanish Restaurant: Arroz Negro and Tapas

Lately, I've been inspired by Spanish and Latin American culture due to some nostalgia about my trip to Barcelona about a year ago and interest in Argentine film (well, more like an Argentine actor).

For my 25th birthday dinner, I wanted to go to a Spanish restaurant -- specifically, one that serves arroz negro -- a paella blackened with squid ink. It was my favorite part of my culinary adventure in Spain. It's hard to find Spanish restaurants that serve this, especially in the size and price that Alegrias Spanish Restaurant. The place is family-owned and have been around for about 16 years. The ambiance is very homey, dimly lit, and intimate. They have a nice wine selection that focuses on Spain and Latin America, and also feature Spanish beers.

We started off the meal with a pitcher of decent sangria, which perfectly filled up glasses for 4 people. It was well-balanced, fruity but not so much to deter you from the taste of the wine.

Sangria Pitcher, $20

We then ordered 4 hot tapas plates: Callos a la Madrileña, Patatas Alioli, Calamares 
 Fritos con Alioli, and Gambas al Ajillo.

Right: Calamares Fritos con Alioli ($9.95), Back: Patatas Alioli ($6.95), Callos a la Madrileña ($8.95)

Gambas al Ajillo ($9.95)

The tapas are served first as it takes 30 minutes to prepare, so might as well curb the hunger with these amazingly flavorful small plates. The callos is filled with rich and flavorful tripe derived from slices of chorizo and hints of saffron sizzling in tomato sauce. Gambas al ajillo is chockful of jumbo shrimp that is slightly spicy in a sauce with bits of roasted garlic. The calamares fritos con alioli are perfectly crisped rings served with an orange garlic aioli sauce. This same sauce is used to slather the fried cubes of potato in the patatas alioli, which makes it all the more addictive. I presumed that this same sauce would be served alongside the arroz negro, as it is practically the "cherry on top" of the dish. 

Arroz Negro ($18.50) and Paella a la Valenciana con Chorizo Español ($22.95)

Lo and behold, there was a mound of that garlic aioli sitting in the middle of the arroz negro. You can either mix it all in or dollop it on to your serving -- I prefer to do the latter. The paella valenciana with Spanish chorizo was filled to the brim with seafood, chicken, and slices of succulent chorizo. I was amazed at the size of both paellas, as they each are good enough for 3 people. Having two of them just means more wealth to be shared. Compared to what I had in Spain, the paellas were both drier (more to my liking) and I couldn't resist the crispy burnt edges. I was very impressed with both of them and will definitely be ordering them on my next visit. 

Free flan for my birthday and Panqueque de Manzanas ($7)

I failed to take a picture of the Panqueque de Manzanas, as it was flambéed with rum. It's a crepe-like pancake that's filled with sweet slices of apples and topped with vanilla ice cream and a lot of rum. The flan was incredibly creamy and sweet in its sugary sauce. Both were a great way to end such a savory dinner. I left the restaurant feeling full but not TOO full. I still had enough room to have some birthday cake later in the night.

Location: 

2018 Lombard Street  

San Francisco

Open nightly at 5:30pm for dinner

Off the Bucket List: Steak Frites at L'Ardoise

Upon entering the corner restaurant L'Ardoise Bistro at Noe and Henry in the quiet residential area of the Castro, you are immediately greeted with a sense of suspense. Before you is a heavy black curtain that, when opened, seemingly transports you from a sunny San Franciscan neighborhood to a dimly lit Parisian bistro, in all its antique flair. 

You almost feel like you've embarked on some best-kept secret. 

The French waitstaff is incredibly accommodating, addressing you as "Madame" or "Monsieur." Of course I took this opportunity to converse with them, and they were really warm and responsive to it, which added a special touch to the whole ambiance. You can see chef Thierry Clement through the kitchen's hand-off window. Occasionally he'll look out and you might exchange a smile with him. Admittedly, you almost never get this such personable service and demeanor in Paris because, well, it's Paris. 

The bread served here is warm, crusty and incredibly moist. You never see the bottom of your bread basket, nor the halfway point of your water glass, as they're both constantly filled. These were points commonly emphasized on Yelp, including the fact that they fold your napkin into a neat triangular prism shape while you're in the bathroom. It's their attention to detail which translates remarkably into the way they cook their food...

Black Angus Hangar Steak w/ Pommes Frites in St. Emilion wine sauce, $19

This dish was listed on 7x7 magazine's 2012 foodie bucket list. For good reason of course, as the hanger steak is incredibly succulent and unabashedly decadent. The pommes frites are shoestrings at their best, and when drenched in the rich wine sauce, are addictive. Garlic aioli is served to accompany the pommes frites but you can pretty much put it on anything. The proportion of it all was just right and everything flavor-wise was well-balanced. 

Bistro Coq au Vin in Rich Red Wine Sauce, $19

The coq au vin was smoky and properly prepared, as the meat was literally falling off the bone. Swimming in the hearty sauce is spinach, mushrooms, and potatoes so that every bite you take is just as good, if not better, than the last. 


I'd definitely come back to try their duck confit or pan roasted rack of lamb, and to just experience a truly unique joyau français in the heart of the Castro again.

Location:

151 Noe Street

San Francisco

Tuesday - Thursday 5:30pm-10pm 

Friday - Saturday 5:00pm-11:00pm

Off the bucket list...Duck Larb at Lers Ros Thai

Hayes Valley, or "yuppie central" as I'd like to call it, is home to Lers Ros Thai -- I've written about this place previously.

This time around, though, I had their Larb Phed Yang (duck larb) -- chunks of roasted duck mixed with rice powder, chili powder and lime based salad dressing, served alongside pieces of lettuce. 

Duck larb, $9.95

You wrap the fatty, vinegary, ducky bits into the lettuce like a mini wrap. It cuts the greasiness and has a clean finish. The standard level of spiciness of the meat is "medium-spicy" but you can ask for it to be mild. 

This appetizer is just enough for four people, which will leave you wanting more...

Location: 

307 Hayes Street 

San Francisco

415-874-9661 

10:30am-11pm

Off the bucket list...Mitchell's Ice Cream; Ube Ice Cream

With warm weather creeping up on us – while we hold our breath of course, this is San Francisco after all – ice cream joints become increasingly busier.

One place that has been busy regardless of rain or shine has been Mitchell's Ice Cream, which has been a praised local establishment since 1953.

Their ube ice cream is the most notable flavor, as it has found a place in 7x7's Big Eat list. Ube is the Philippine term for purple yam. Philippine bakeries serve ube in all forms – cakes, rolls, and rice muffins. It's sweet and somewhat chalky, but in Mitchell's ice cream-form it's incredibly creamy without being too decadent. 

Other Philippine flavors pepper their menu such as buko (baby coconut), halo halo (buko, langka, ube, pineapple, mongo, and sweet beans), lankgka (jackfruit, relative of the fig), and macapuno (sweet coconut).

The traffic is controlled pretty well via a “please take a number” system, so don't be too intimidated, as turnover is fast.

A single scoop is pretty hefty for $3.25.

Location:
688 San Jose Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94110


Open daily 11am-11pm

Off the bucket list...Balompie Cafe 3: Pupusas

The list known as Big Eat 2012, featured in the March issue of San Francisco's lifestyle magazine, 7x7: http://www.7x7.com/eat-drink/big-eat-2012-list...

quite aptly called, 100 Things To Eat Before You Die. It's a mix of the old faithfuls and new faithfuls: Prime Rib at the historic House of Prime Rib to the Salted Cod Rice at a more recent hotspot Mission Chinese Food.

Being the ambitious foodie that I am, I aim to tackle this list before the year's end. So far, I've made it through 11, 9 of which I had before knowing of the list's existence.

I've known about pupusas. For some reason, I never had and them. Which was stupid. Because they're simply amazing.

At Balompie Cafe 3 in Bernal Heights, on the corner of Mission and Richland, I ordered out two pupusas – Queso, and Chicharrón y Queso ($1.95 each if taken out, $2.50 if dined in). My car was bathed with a pancakey tortilla scent that made me salivate all the way home...

My order, totaling $4.23, came with a side of curtido – a Salvadoran pickled cabbage mix with onions, carrots, and a hint of lemon juice with a dash of cilantro. It also was accompanied by a mild, watery tomato salsa.

The pupusa itself is a thick, hand-made corn tortilla made with masa de maiz (maize flour dough), giving it its density. The cheese is quesillo, a soft white cheese found in South America and can be ordered with ground, paste-like pork, or spinach or zucchini – although Queso and Chicharrón y Queso are the most popular.

One thing I know for sure is that I'll definitely be coming back for more..

Location:

Balompie #3

3801 Mission Street, San Francisco

11am-10pm

Closed Tuesdays

Saturday / Sunday: 9am-10pm

Balompie Cafe

3349 18^th Street, San Francisco

8am-9:30pm Everyday