b. patisserie bakery opens in Lower Pac Heights
Check out the following story: b. patisserie Sweetens Lower Pac Heights, Starting Today – Eater Inside – Eater SF.
We were fortunate enough to try the kouign amann, sort of a hockey puck formed of buttery, flaky and compressed pastry layers thus dipped in sugar. This is an amazing and beautiful thing. And, a meal in itself. The other items described in the link above merit your swift attention, notably some fun macaron options. Savory lunch items, too! This is a major local opening folks, do go.
Reveille Coffee Spills Food And Design Details – Plywood Special – Eater SF
This soon to open brick and mortar certainly deserves your attention. If the truck and the coffee you’ll find there is any indication, these java purists will create a stunning cafe. We’re already planning the drive over there to report first -hand.
“One of the biggest perks of the new space is an elevated open kitchen that will overlook the coffee bar. The day will start with assorted breakfast pastries, biscuits with jam and butter, and sticky buns made from scratch in the mornings. Lunch options will move into “simply prepared seasonal antipastas and sandwiches,” including a tuna conserva sandwich, and a farro salad with beets, avocado, and pistachio. The menu will start small and grow as the cafe does.”
Check out the full article on SF EATER:
Reveille Coffee Spills Food And Design Details – Plywood Special – Eater SF.
Craftsman and Wolves
Craftsman and Wolves, a set on Flickr.
Easily one of the most anticipated bakery openings of the year, Craftsman and Wolves opened it’s doors prior to launching to give the neighborhood just a taste. That day, I started with the cocoa + carrot muffin, and it was good. Incredibly moist (almost wet, in fact) and incredibly rich.
On my next visit, I tried a hazelnut scone. Savoury yes, but not remarkable enough to be my favorite scone in the city. Arizmendi remains the leader, there.
Perhaps my favorite of their many creations is the passionfruit croissant, a perfectly executed croissant with a classic, crispy exterior and a wonderfully airy, layered center. The croissant is in turn covered with a passionfruit glaze and the marriage of that and the sesame seeds is truly special.
Craftsman and Wolves
746 Valencia St
(between 19th St & 18th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 913-7713
craftsman-wolves.com/
Bread Puddingwire – Eater SF
BreadPudding central, home of 20+ unique varieties. It’s been in the works a long time and may be a few months off but we have the feeling bread pudding could be the new pie, which was the new donut, which was the new cupcake. And they’ll have Blue Bottle Coffee, too…
Let’s see. See article after the jump:
cake is good, pie is better.
Toffee apple: a Three Babes Pie, San Francisco
You know we here at MUS-e-YUM love our cake but given the choice, we’ll go for pie every time. Homespun as it is, quintessentially Gramma’s dish, it’s easy to forget just how complex a good pie can be, how many notes it can hit. More complex than a cake we think…There are a few great places to go for pie in San Francisco and Three Babes Bakeshop is one. Probably top of the list. Yes, it’s a pop-up. It’s only available once a week at the Stable Cafe in the Mission although, yes, you can call to place an order. It’s worth a trek and hope they open a brick and mortar. Then, there’ll be more pie. . .
Today’s Flavors at Three Babes Pies
…
Three Babes
(415) 742-0484
Tout Sweet
tout sweet confections
Checkout this new website for the new San Francisco treat, Yigit . He’s opening a new shop in the Union Square Macy’s appropriately called, Tout Sweet.
I love his mission statement and couldn’t agree more with the sentiment:
Somewhere, in the transition to adulthood, most of us lose track of our inner child.
I personally created each one of our irresistible products available here and in our shop in Macy’s Union Square with one goal in mind; to transport you to a playground bursting with flavor and character that will delight your inner child.
Read more about this fabulous man and his inspirations, here.
yigit pura patisserie, Tout Sweet
latte at Cassava
Lunch was lovely at Cassava Bakery and Cafe, a warm and lovely spot in the foggy outer Richmond, very near the Balboa Theater. Great for a coffee and french pastries or a savoury lunch. (It looks like they host some very interesting pop up dinners, as well.) The menu is inspired by japanese cuisine, but you’ll see a strong element of French, too.
I had the Japanese breakfast:
Koshihikari plum rice, ichiban dashi miso soup, sous vide “onsen tamago” poached egg, Meyer lemon kosho natto, wakame salad, simmered hijiki.
The egg was sublime! The fermented soy is an acquired taste…. 
The owners, a husband and wife team, are impossibly cute, too. It just has to be said: )
Cassava Bakery+Cafe
3519 Balboa St
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 640-8990
Recipe comfort: Slow Poached Eggs
Here’s a recipe I’ve been searching for since having a wonderful brunch at a Japanese bakery in the Outer Richmond, Cassava. I’d ordered the “Japanese Breakfast” from the menu, and the standout dish was a sous vide poached egg.
Japanese Breakfast ( $10 )
Koshihikari plum rice, ichiban dashi miso soup, sous vide “onsen tamago” poached egg, Myer lemon kosho natto, wakame salad, simmered hijikiJapanese Breakfast at Cassava Bakery, San Francisco
Here’s a recipe we found online for Slow Poached Eggs, adapted from Chef David Chang and Peter Meehan’s Momofuku restaurant cookbook by:
http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/
Slow-poached Eggs Recipe
But none of those things kept me from trying out more recipes, and I struck pay dirt with the slow-poached egg recipe. Meehan did a splendid job conveying Chang’s fervor over the utter simplicity of the cooking process, which originated in Japan with old ladies who took to multitasking at the natural hot springs. They soaked themselves while slow-cooking eggs in 141F hot baths. The finished eggs hold a wonderful elliptical shape (in the photo above) that charms and excites all at once. The yolk is barely cooked and remains runny so that you can enjoy their unctuous essence. At Momofuku Noodle Bar, the slow-cooked eggs are added to ramen and fried too.I slow poached all the eggs I had – 8 total – and ate them over the course of several days. I don’t usually eat that many eggs in a week but it was fun to play around with them. Then I had to eat them. Thank G.O.D. Rory was around to help.
To give you a sense of my thinking process when using a restaurant chef’s recipe, I’m providing Momofuku’s slow-poached egg recipe verbatim but with [my annotated text in brackets]:
Large eggs, as many as you like [as fresh as you can get, organic, free range, all the quality you can afford]
1. Fill your biggest, deepest pot with water and put it on the stove over the lowest possible heat. [If you have a 5,000 BTU burner for simmering, that works perfectly.]
2. Use something to keep the eggs from sitting on the bottom of the pot, where the temperature will be highest. If you’ve got a cake rack or a steamer rack, use it. If not, improvise: a doughnut or aluminum foil or a few chopsticks scattered helter skelter across the bottom of the pan will usually do the trick, but you know what you’ve got lying around. Be resourceful. [Chang and Meehan know that this is a potential obstacle for home cooks and their encouragement is great. You don’t need much to MacGyver the cooking set-up. I used a heavy-bottomed 8-quart stockpot and a collapsible steamer rack to elevate and cradle the eggs. A deep 4-quart pot would have done the trick too. Any pot that will hold eggs in 1 layer and will fit a rack of some sort; or do the foil coil. You have to keep the eggs submerged for 45 minutes. Think of the Japanese ladies in their hot springs!]
3. Use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the temperature in the pot – if it’s too hot, add cold water or an ice cube. Once the water is between 140 and 145F, add the eggs to the pot. Let them bathe for 40 to 45 minutes, checking the temperature regularly with the thermometer or by sticking your finger in the water (it should be the temperature of a very hot bath) and moderating it as needed. [On a home stove’s simmer burner, achieving the low water temperature and maintaining it is easy. I just clipped my deep-fry thermometer on to gauge the temperature and then stuck my finger into the water to double check. Set a timer. My temperature fell below 140 for about 10 minutes so I adjusted the temperature and then bathed them for longer. It’s not rocket science though vigilance is required.]
4. You can use the eggs immediately or store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. (If you’re planning on storing them, chill them until cold in an ice-water bath.) If you refrigerate the eggs, warm them under piping hot tap water for 1 minute before using. [I kept the eggs around for 4 days. Before using them, I returned them to room temperature by letting them sit out for about 1 hour. If I served them as warm poached eggs, I boiled a saucepan of water, then let it cool for about 15 minutes, then let the egg sit in the hot water for 1 minute.]
5. To serve the eggs, crack them one at a time into a small saucer. The thin white will not and should be firm or solid; tip the dish to pour off and discard the loosest part of the white, then slide the egg onto the dish it’s destined for. [Chang and Meehan are totally right on about this. The egg holds a mounded shape but it’s jiggly. And, there’s some white for you to pour off.]
How to use the slow-poached eggs:
- Eggs Benedict without much last-minute fuss.
- Fried eggs – use a nonstick skillet with a film of oil. Heat over medium high to smoking, slide the egg in (do the sauce thing to make it easy), then fry for 45 seconds on each side. Sprinkle with Maldon or kosher salt and black pepper. Eat as is. Or, top a salad orbowl of hot rice. Add Maggi Seasoning sauce and black pepper or homemade Sriracha sauce. Heavenly.
- Add the poached egg to an impromptu bowl of rice soup (chao/congee/jook). Use leftover cooked rice 1 part cooked rice: 4 part broth, water, or combination of. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until creamy. Add salt, scallion, and ginger. Ladle it into a bowl, slide the egg into the middle and top with black pepper.
Momofuku’s slow-poached eggs recipe is a keeper. The technique is easy to master and one that I’ll keep in my back pocket. That’s the kind of restaurant cookbook that worth adding to your bookshelf.
hidden gem in the civic center: mirtille
Bonjour Mirtille.
Part of starting a new job is adapting to a new stomping ground as well. “Living into” your new job involves getting to know new coworkers and routines but also, exploring a new neighborhood. Finding a good cup of coffee and a quiet lunchtime escape is essential. Mirtille has become (one) of those spots for me. And they have Parisienne Macaroons too- that’s a bonus.
Given that Mirtille is conveniently located in the heart of the Civic Center and quite near a major BART and MUNI station, it continues to appeal to locals-in-the-know and somehow remains invisible to tourists. The outside of the cafe is painted jet black and there’s very little signage to call it out. Inside, you’ll find sexy plum colors, a little chrome, and comfortable chairs. And you ‘ll find your cup of coffee.
The staff are reliably friendly, and every once in a while you’ll hear a bit of spoken french, as well. The cafe feels more European than American. The food takes you to France, too. Beyond your espresso, you’ll find quiche and pretty baguette sandwiches. Pastries. Making your own salad at the counter is fun- for one set price, choose your greens and up to six ‘add-ins’. All the ingredients are fresh. A personal favorite is the soup of the day. And, the french press, bien sur.
options at Mirtille, Civic Center, SF
zucchini soup, ginger carrot soup
Mirtille
87 McAllister St
(between 7th St & Leavenworth St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
(415) 252-7661
Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am – 7 pm
Fri 7 am – 6 pm
Sat 7:30 am – 4 pm
Sun 7:30 am – 11 am
Pre-opening at Craftsman and Wolves
Pre-opening at Craftsman and Wolves, a bakery on Valencia Street, SF
Pre-opening at Craftsman and Wolves, on Valencia in the Mission. San Francisco.
Easily one of the most anticipated bakery openings of the year, Craftsman and Wolves opened it’s doors prior to launching to give the neighborhood just a taste. Rather than buying, you could reach in a fish bowl and draw the name of a pastry, which you got as a free sample. I drew a cocoa + carrot muffin, and it was good. Incredibly moist (almost wet) and incredibly rich.
Pastry raffle
The richness matches the space, a concrete and wood industrial fantasy. The owner has a pedigree, previously of Telltale Preserves. Telltale was amazing and this should be equally so. More to come!
Craftsman and Wolves
746 Valencia St
(between 19th St & 18th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 913-7713
craftsman-wolves.com/
best bakeries of the Bay Area, La Victoria
La Victoria, Sunday Supper pop-up
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La Victoria, a set on Flickr.
La Victoria is a great bakery in a neighborhood full of bakeries. Located in the Mission, San Francisco, La Victoria takes inspiration from mexican-style pastries but the chef has distinguished himself from the rest by choosing organic ingredients and also, by creating some new items you won’t find in the average Mission panaderia.
Not only that, La Victoria has broadened the concept of the bakery by hosting special dinner events throughout the week, “Pop ups“. The Pop Up is an experience that has become popular in San Francisco over the past four years, in that a chef with a food concept can try the idea out in an established kitchen and dining space that otherwise wouldn’t be in use. It’s an easy and low cost way to get feedback from the public about one’s food. At La Victoria, the pop up calendar is as follows: Wednesday you’ll find Jewish Soul Food. Fridays, Cajun. Sundays, a very special Sunday Supper, new-style Mexican, the traditional cuisine, but stretched…
Chile Pies Opens in the Castro, Chipotle Bonanza, More! – Friday Opening Report – Eater SF
Chile Pies Opens in the Castro, Chipotle Bonanza, More! – Friday Opening Report – Eater SF.
WE LOVE PIE! And, we love the NOPA location of Chile Pies and Ice Cream. Home of incredible crust and one of our favorite ice creams for a la mode, the local organic and wonderful Three Twins. Can’t wait to have both in the Castro.
Check out our homage to another pie establishment here. yes, we still think Pie is the new cupcake…
Teach Pie.
It’s been nearly four years since my first trip to Mission Pie, a wonderful oasis for homespun dessert and savoury pies located in the Mission District of San Francisco. I was new to the food community then, and eager to learn more about it. I wanted to learn more about the provenance of the wonderful ingredients being used in the meals that I was enjoying. My eyes were being opened to the wealth that is the abundance of the Bay Area’s local produce.
I’d started taking photos, too, with my new digital camera and many of those pictures were of my food. I began to post photos of memorable meals on Flickr and Yelp, together with reviews of my experiences both good and bad. I wanted to document my excitement for what I was discovering and for what I was learning, all at the same time. And, I wanted to connect with others who shared my passion. And my passion was fed.
It’s funny now to think that something as quintessentially homespun as a warm-from-the-oven pie could be a novel new player on the bakery scene but then, it was. At a time when bakeries were vying for the top cupcake, a bakery devoted to the humble pie seemed novel and maybe even bold. No one was doing pie then. I sought out Mission Pie soon after it opened and on that visit, after tasting that perfectly cooked crust and the luminous brightness of the fruit inside, even then remarked to my friend that pie ‘just might be’ the new cupcake. Was I right? Maybe not quite on the grander scale but for me, it sure is! And I wanted to learn more. . .
What I also learned on this first visit made me love this business even more. Mission Pie is the retail outlet for a bigger picture and a bigger story. All the ingredients which comprise every one of those gorgeous pies comes from a ranch, the Pie Ranch, located outside the city on the San Mateo Coast. Bees make the honey, fruit falls from the trees, wheat is milled to flour, and the spirit, hard work and love of farmers and volunteers all come together there so that you and I may enjoy the fruits of their labor here, and I was- and am- blown away and moved by that concept.
Founded in 2002, The Pie Ranch is a working farm, not only producing food but producing change. Their mission (Mission Pie) is to feed and nourish the body, the mind, the consciousness and the broader community by educating people as to where their food comes from and how it gets to one’s table. The Ranch welcomes students from inner city schools and introduces them to the country, all the while teaching farming and an appreciation for where food comes from. They mentor adults who want to learn to farm sustainably.
So they’re doing far more than growing food or even making pies…they’re making a difference. You can see this passion in the eyes of every single person in this video and I invite you to check it out:
via Teach Pie. on Vimeo.
The Pie Ranch apprenticeship program gives apprentices the skills needed to become the next generation of successful farmers.
Pie Ranch is an education farm whose mission it is to inspire and connect people to know the source of their food, and to work together to bring greater health to the food system from seed to table.
pieranch.org/
Thanks to Nancy, Jered, Amy and all the apprentices and interns!
Mission Pie
2901 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-1500Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am – 9 pm
Fri 7 am – 10 pm
Sat 8 am – 10 pm
Sun 9 am – 9 pm
our favorite coffee destination, Sightglass, set to open cafe space 11 July
Interior of the new Sightglass Coffee space, photo courtesy of Tablehopper.com
Straight from local food authority Tablehopper comes some news for which we’ve been eagerly waiting here at MUS•e•YUM, not in the least because their location is but blocks away from the Mission Street office! Yes, after one cup of Sightglass Coffee and we were hooked. In our estimation it’s the best cup of coffee in the city (click here for our first review). Up until now the coffee has been served up from a kiosk on 7th Street near Folsom, housed in a loading dock that is tucked into a nondescript part of a nondescript industrial block. Sightglass has been building-out the space next door, however, over the past several months. Curious we were and after taking several peeks through the curtain, we’ve followed the development in its progress, as the immense warehouse space morphs to coffee Mecca. The centerpiece is a towering roaster, gleaming under the skylights that bring ample light into the two-tiered, lofted room. Beautiful. What you need to know is this: not only will the space be as impressive a space as the coffee is rich (it’s roasted on the spot after all), they’ll also serve baked goods from two of the hottest sources in town, Tell Tale Preserve Co. and Hooker’s Sweet Treats. Everything comes together here: Industrial chic, fabulous coffee and great desserts… so get thee there! Here’s the full article by Tablehopper, with all the sumptuous details and photos:
http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox/sightglass-ready-to-open-its-spacious-cafe-and-roastery/
Sightglass Coffee
270 7th St. at Folsom
SOMA
Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-7pm, Sun 8am-6pm
415-861-1313.
FREE DONUTS. FREE BEER.
Meyer lemon and huckleberry donut from Dynamo Donuts, SF
Dear readers you know we’re all over this event: Dynamo Donuts has teamed up with Project Open Hand for what could be the event of the year. On Friday March 18th, at Dynamo Donuts on 24th, you will get yes, free donuts and free beer from 4-6. Be assured, it’s the good stuff. . . you’ll already know Dynamo Donuts rock as evidenced by some pictures we’ve previously posted, here and here, and the beer will be a craft brew from Austria, Stiegl.
You’ll know from a previous MUS•e•YUM post that Project Open Hand has a track record for teaming up with foodie-favorite hotspots in town, like Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream, which is right down the street from Dynamo, on Harrison.
Here’s the story, as published on Facebook:
We are excited to announce a new collaborative effort with Dynamo Donuts. On Friday, March 18th, Dynamo Donuts will launch their newest doughnut flavor, Open Hand Peanut Butter Banana. To celebrate the flavor’s debut, we will give away FREE doughnuts paired with FREE Stiegl beer, an Austrian specialty, on March 18th from 4-6pm at the bakery on 2760 24th Street. Come out and celebrate a delicious treat that benefits your cherished San Francisco non-profit organization. It’s eating for a good cause!
*Guests will be invited to name the new doughnut. The individual who comes up with the winning name will receive an incredible prize!
We hope to see you there!
this is a dynamo donut
we love this hot new foodie website, Deep Dishing by the gorgeous Marcia G.
:^)
There’s a hot new foodie website on the interwebs, and it just launched today. It’s called Deep Dishing and it’s the brainchild of Marcia Gagliardi of Tablehopper fame (((our OTHER favorite foodie website 
))
What do we love about the site? It provides the reader a fast way to find out which restaurants are trending right now, and an easy way to look up the ‘fan-favorite’ dishes on each of those menus. Need a recommendation for a…? There’s an active forum that delves into such consequential questions as “Where’s the best croissant?” and apropos a previous post on this blog, “Where’s the best burger???” Now, we know.
And thankfully on Deep Dishing, there are lots, and lots of pictures of those menu items and, as everyone knows, we here at MUS•e•YUM do love our food porn;-)
Best of luck Marcia! It’s lookin’ hot!
PS: if you look carefully enough through the image galleries on DeepDishing, you just might find some familiar photos . . .
best of 2010, our favorite bakery is Thorough Bread and Pastry
breads at thorough bread and pastry, sf
It was a great year for bakeries in SF, with several notable openings. Yet despite the competition one bakery still holds the title of our favorite and that is Thorough Bread and Pastry.
Why we love it:
- beautifully prepared food, every item we’ve ever had there has been exquisite
- broad choice, from morning pastries and loaves of bread to small, beautifully decorated artisanal desserts, parisian macarons and even sandwich offerings at lunch
- the prices are very reasonable, and it’s a great value for your money
- the beautiful space, perfect for lingering. Not only is there ample seating indoors but check out the charming garden behind- it’s a great place to read over your coffe or, to take a special friend for lunch.
- they have a mission, and that is to train future bakers. This store is affiliated with the San Francisco Baking Institute and serves as a laboratory for the students.
- Babette
- friendly, quick service. It’s quite fun to shop here, and they’ll take good care of you.
Thorough Bread and Pastry
248 Church St (between Market St & 15th St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Castro
morning pastries at Thorough Bread and Pastry, Castro, SF
is butterscotch the new caramel??? we’re calling it a new trend here at MUS•e•YUM
just spotted, butterscotch pudding layered with chocolate at Pinky’s Bakery, epicenter of inked-bakery-goodness in the heart of the SOMA district. A foodie friend and I were talking scones the other day and he mentioned his own killer recipe for butterscotch scones, and it got us to thinking here at MUS•e•YUM . . . Caramel, beware.
We submit to you the kitchen-sink style ”Crack” cookies of hot new food truck, 3-SUM EATS, which feature prominently butterscotch chips. The only pudding on celebrity chef/owner Ryan Scott’s dessert menu is butterscotch. But, that’s not the only place to get your butterscotch pudding fix. You can find it at Susie Cakes in the Marina, as well. We think we might be seeing the making of a trend.
But perhaps the most decadent offering of them all, and the one that seals the deal for us, was found recently at Off the Grid. On the heels of a salted caramel love-fest here in San Francisco what did we find. . . ? The butterscotch parisian macarons of Christopher David, sold, courtesy the Curbside Coffee truck.
We love the idea here at MUS•e•YUM. What do you think? Caramel or Butterscotch? The phone lines are open.
Ma-Velous Perks Up Civic Center Coffee Scene – San Francisco Restaurant Buzz – Zagat
See link, via MaVelous Perks Up Civic Center Coffee Scene – San Francisco Restaurant Buzz – Zagat
interior, Ma*Velous, hot new Civic Center coffee house, SF, CA (photo courtesy Sheri C. at Yelp.com)
Wow, this place looks HOT. You had us at “Japanese cold slow drip and Siphon”. Blue Bottle, watch out, these guys are on your heels. Norwegian roaster Wendelboe coffee??? Really??? MUS•e•YUM is on it. Look for a first hand report, soon.
And as if that isn’t enough, they serve pastries by one of our favorite bakeries, Sandbox, and we won’t have to travel nearly so far to get them, anymore. Sigh. And local cheese.
Check it out (here’s a link to the Ma*Velous Website) and if you get there first, let us know what you think, please!
Ma*Velous,
1408 Market St.
SF, CA
415-626-8884
via MaVelous Perks Up Civic Center Coffee Scene – San Francisco Restaurant Buzz – Zagat.
from the pennsylvania desk, springerle cookies of lancaster county
Springerle Cookies, Springerle House, Strasburg, PA
One of the highlights of my food explorations of Lancaster County was the discovery of the springerle cookie, a type of “picture” cookie which traces its origins to Northern Europe where it has been made for over a thousand years. They’re delicious. And they are gorgeous. Using molds that depict scenes of peasant life, nature, biblical stories and more, these cookies were used in part to communicate stories, and reflect a remarkable level of craftsmanship and detail. You’d mistake them for fired ceramic Christmas ornaments, in fact, because they are every bit as intricate. Here in Lancaster County, they’ve been a part of Pennsylvania Dutch culture for over 300 years thanks to the German immigrants who brought the tradition here.
Flavored with anise this cookie is somewhat like a shortbread and is commonly served with tea for dunking. The springerle is not crisp though, rather just cakey enough for a nice chew as one bites into it. You can find excellent examples of these, in anise and other flavors, as well as Christmas ornaments made from the same molds, at a german tea house in Strasburg, PA, where the same family has been making them for over 100 years. The family operates a stall at the Lancaster Central Market as well, so you can find them there, too, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Here’s a link to their website. I think they’d make fabulous gifts so check out the mail order options!
The Springerle House
15 East Main Street
Strasburg, PA 17579-1409
(717) 687-8022
the Springerle House, a german tea house in Strasburg, PA
About Springerle Cookies
For over a thousand years in Europe, hand-carved molds have been used to imprint “picture cookies.” These cookies have been historically used as betrothal tokens, tellers of tales and to celebrate daily life. Springerle molds first came to Lancaster County circa 1710 among the most treasured possessions of the Pennsylvania German immigrants. Our Springerle cookies and ornaments are made from replicas of molds painstakingly copied from original molds in museums in Germany and Switzerland.
We use only the finest ingredients to make our cookies, and follow the traditional European recipe. We offer cookies in lemon, orange, orange vanilla, hazelnut, chocolate, almond, vanilla and traditional anise flavors. Some are accented with edible gold paint. Our ornaments are made of a durable ash/paper pulp mixture and hand painted. We hope you enjoy this taste of the past!
best restaurant series, starstream
exquisite pizzas and sandwiches of Starstream
I first met Remi at Goody Goodie Cream and Sugar, home of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie in San Francisco. (Evidence here. and here.) Frankly, Remi had me at the chocolate chip cookie but upon ordering that, she offered me a sample of a product in development: the cocoa nib wafer. This thing blew me away, chocolate made savory. Earthy. Magic. Combining notes of chocolate (without the sweetness), and oil-cured olives, Remi had just taken me to a new place! And how great would this be with a strong cheese and a bold Italian red?! What followed was a conversation about food that only happens between folks that are in love with it. . . wine pairings for cookies, cheese pairings for fruit (and prosciutto), favorite producers at local farmer’s markets. I was hooked.
On a subsequent visit, Remi offered me a sample of a “bun-in-development”. She’d been offering featured sandwiches at Goody Goodie made with bounty from the day’s farmer’s markets (example here) and now had some tantalizing information for me- she’d finalized plans to open a restaurant. Not surprisingly this would be the place she’d been wanting to open for a long time, a full-service restaurant that would afford her the space and tools to showcase her unique talent, her ability to bridge pastry and savory (and, a place with seating!) Owing to the relationship Goody Goodie has with scooter-loving Blue Bottle coffee-making Vega next door on Folsom, the two entrepreneurs envisioned a palate-pushing Roman-styled industrial-chic café and the name would be Starstream.
Yesterday I had a great lunch there with my gorgeous friend, one who happens to be a foodie of the first order! Between us we (naturally) tried a little of everything, from a great citrus salad, to the ‘squashed’ pizza Schiacciata to a flight of sandwich sliders and the famous cookies. The salad: greens dressed in a light citrus vinaigrette with pieces of citrus fruit and notes of fennel, was served on the aforementioned cocoa nib wafer. My pal was blown away by the combination of flavor profiles, from earthy to bright, which really worked. This salad was one of the highlights of the meal, for sure.
citrus fennel salad at Starstream, San Francisco
The pizza: thin and light, the house-made crust is stuffed not with tomato but rather Bellweather Crescenza cheese, arugula & Prosciutto de San Daniel. The flavor is at once bold and light. The sandwiches themselves were wee works of art, each unique in terms of shape and bread kind and style. These included a mortadella with fried quail egg, an egg salad on focaccia (the standout) and the Robiola Di Langa- creamy cheese made from goat, sheep & cow’s milk, micro greens & Fuji apples.
sliders at Starstream, with an assortment of pickled vegetables
The styling details of the meal are part of the fun, right down to the fried quail egg and mini pickle stabbed on top of the mortadella slider. The sandwiches came with an assortment of pickled vegetables that were a gorgeous array of pinks, arty in their presentation and tangy delicious. The lemonade was special, too, made with honey and infused herbs, not overly sweet. (Teaser, Remi told us she’s working on a line of different lemonade concepts for next year, so stay tuned! I thought this was an awesome idea since one of my favorite beverages to make at home is rosemary-infused lemonade, using herbs cut from the garden. Here’s the recipe in case you want to try it, too: Recipe link here.)
The meal ended with Goody Goodie cookies, all of which are available at Starstream as well as the G.G. Folsom location.
From the pastry side, I’ve previously sampled not only the cookies but also the brioche bomb (cinnamon, sugar and orange in a brioche bun) and a spice cake with citrus glaze. Next up, I plan to try the famous Belgian Waffle.
brioche bomb from Starstream
The space itself reflects the materials of the neighborhood, industrial concrete and metal, but somehow it does not seem cold or austere here. The lines are clean and the space is chic. There’s ample seating inside but on a nice day, grab a table on the east-facing sidewalk to capitalize on that morning light while you enjoy your coffee.
Looking ahead, I know Remi has some new menu ideas planned not only for the morning coffee and pastry crowd but also for the lunch-time crowd so do expect more great things to come at Starstream and if you’re lucky, you’ll be one of the first to get a sample, too;-)
Starstream
1830 Harrison at 14th St (near the Best Buy)San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 864-6370
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8 am – 4 pm
Links to articles in the Press:
https://sites.google.com/site/mattegrayinsf/journals/journal-2010
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/10/star_stream_belgian_waffles.php
http://www.rundown.com/article.php?article_id=1445
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/09/best_chocolate_chip_cookies_san_francisco.php
scooter expedition, Presidio: Goldsworthy’s Wood Line and Spire
Andy Goldsworthy’s art is candy for the eyes and food for the soul. His work makes real the magic that I like to think lives just under the surface of the earth, almost like there’s been a tear in the veneer of “the Normal” and a little magic has erupted from it, from the invisible to the visible.
Goldsworthy installation in the Presidio, SF: "The Spire"
So, when I read via Matte Gray’s journals the tantalizing first-hand report of a new Goldsworthy art piece under construction here in San Francisco, I had to jump on the scooter and get over to the Presidio to check the site out for myself, with the tantalizing possibility of meeting Goldsworthy himself in the back of my mind. (Gray did, after all.) That didn’t happen, but I did meet the Bird Lady, which was fantastic! And I found two solid bakeries along the way. Yum.
the Cinderella Bakery and Cafe, SF
The ride took me very close to a Russian bakery that I’ve been wanting to try for a while, so I took a slight detour to check it out. The name is Cinderella and it’s located at 436 Balboa St (between 5th Ave & 6th Ave). The space is small and wide, with sweet pastries generally on the left and savory on the right. Standouts include gorgeous danishes, hamentashen and other fruit-topped pastries but the distinguishing feature of this place appears to be the savory, especially the extensive variety of piroshki, hand pies sort of like British pasties. I bought a potato piroshki for later that night.
Kaiju at Kaju cafe, Balboa and 6th, SF
Then, to my surprise, near the intersection of 7th and California, I saw a bakery with a familiar name, similar to that of my scooter. The place was Kaju and I stopped in to check it out. While the interior is rather nondescript, (uninviting in fact) the owner was friendly and a glance at the food suggested an interesting mix of standard coffee and cookies, scones and the like as well as some uniquely Asian offerings. As a sample, I picked up a triangle of sushi-styled rice stuffed with avocado called onigiri. Wrapped, it was the size of a sandwich and an interesting alternative to the same, easy to throw into my backpack. I also got a house-baked organic chocolate chip cookie. The onigiri has the same mouth feel as the sticky rice used for sushi and was tasty and filling, great fuel for the rest of the afternoon. The cookie was the prize, one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had all year. Nicely chunky, medium sized, crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. There was a ’roundness’ to the flavor that I loved, but which couldn’t quite identify, that made every bite irresistible. . . could there be a secret ingredient in there?
But I was losing the afternoon light by now so I didn’t linger. I started scooting around the edges of the Presidio and first, had to stop at the older Goldsworthy there, the Spire. Seeing it is a spiritual experience for me, a temple among the trees.
I’d found enough information about Wood Line to know that I was fairly close, but I had to travel from the Arguelo Gate (site of the Spire) to the Presidio Gate. I could have walked, it’s about half a mile, but I was losing the light fast by now. Back to the scooter! But not before checking out a beautiful, natural grove of majestic (magical) trees right across the street from the Arguelo Gate.
presidio forest
Presidio forest
road to the Goldsworthy "Wood Line", Presidio
From here, I followed a winding road to the Presidio Gate and found the Wood Line immediately. Or rather, the sign for it. The installation wasn’t apparent until I got off the scooter and went over to the sign and, from that vantage point, saw a gap in the forest dead ahead along a single sight line.
didactic material for "the Wood Line", by Andy Goldsworthy
the Wood Line, by Andy Goldsworthy in the Presidio, San Francisco
Felled timber creates a lovely, snaking curve on the forest floor, with the trees reaching upward on both sides like the support columns of a gothic cathedral. It’s a spiritual place. It’s ephemeral, too. The forest will reclaim the wood through natural decay in about 25 years or so. . .
Kaiju and I at the Wood Line
And I almost forgot, while I was enjoying the Wood Line, a woman offered to take my picture in front of it on my scooter. We started to chat and I soon realized the woman was more fairy than person. Her questions were punctuated by her quick looks up to the treetops, and the occasional bird call. She explained she’s a birder, and visits and follows the birds of the Presidio daily. Or, they visit and follow her. She talks to them. They talk to her. And as fast as she appeared she vanished; she heard the tweet of a bird and with that, had to go. She danced-skipped-floated away, down the dirt path into the forest, and was gone! The light was nearly gone, too, so with that, I mounted Kaiju and . . . vanished.
the Bird Lady of the Presidio
