In the shameless promotion category, The Cured Ham was quoted in the September 1, 2011 edition of the Wall Street Journal for my recent trip to Cotogna in San Francisco (read the post here).
I've been trying to get published in The Journal for my day job for 20 years! It only took a little over 3 years as The Cured Ham to get picked up. Who knew?!
I've got lots of catching up to do on reviews. A short list of where I've eaten recently:
A bunch of food at the SF Food Truck Street Fair
My brother's Lamb Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
A killer Spanish melon and almond cold soup
I'll be eating at Beast in Portland very soon and probably a food truck or two while I'm there.
As I've done before, if I can't do a full review (because I just don't have tons of time), I'll give the highlight reel of highs/lows and whether or not I'll go back.
Ciao
I rarely get excited about a new place or a hip place to eat. I figure if the restaurant is going to survive it has to have a combination of good food and good service beyond the 6 month honeymoon period it may have “rocking the dining scene”.
Stepping into Gitane, I felt a sense of energy and excitement I haven’t felt in a restaurant in a long time. Something about the place, the mix of colors, smells, and sounds that moved me a little. The smell of the grill at Kokkari, the buzz at NOPA, or cured meat at Diavola all strike me as energetic. But in the end, despite the atmosphere, all have to deliver.
Gitane delivered numerous courses of excitement and variety. The stuffed squid was absolutely my favorite that evening, followed by a close second of Morcilla sausage. We had lots of dishes at the table and not one was left with a scrap of food. Fideos (my new favorite dish thanks to Clyde Common in Portland) was a big hit with the table. All of the seafood was tender and the dish well-seasoned. The chickpea stew that accompanied the rock fish was outstanding. I would have liked to order a side of that alone. The scallops were also well prepared. Overall, the food was wonderful.
The only real complaint I have was kitchen speed. Our server had mentioned that the restaurant was a little slow in total patrons that evening, despite a full dining room upstairs. While our orders were always brought at once, the timing from our initial order to the first plates being served and then our mains being served was a noticeably delayed. Don’t know where the communication broke down, but it seems that it took a while for our server to “get into the grove” that evening.
I have no doubt that I’ll be returning to Gitane.
I could have easily been back in Lecce, Italy with my lunch at Cotogna.
Squid ink pacchieri with spicy squid. Actually, the pacchieri was the pasta I had in Lecce, not at Cotogna. Cotogna served a spaghetti type pasta with a dash of a spicy tomato sauce with some calamari rings placed on top. I recall as though it were yesterday my meal at Picton. I chuckled with delight my dish was presented to me. The pasta was wonderfully cooked Italian al dente and there was a hint of spice to the dish. Well exectuted.
Mussels with guanciale and fennel tops. Once again, a simple and authentic Italian dish of mussels cooked with pork cheek with a lovely broth to accompany. I asked for more bread and a spoon because every drop of that lovely nectar deserved my attention. No mussel was left unopened and no juice or cube of pork cheek was left in my plate.
It was good to come back to Lecce in Jackson Square (San Francisco).
The Cured Ham
This place has been here two years and after a couple visits from my brother, I’ve finally stopped by. Started at one of the worst times ever, the heart of our economic recession, Wexler’s carved itself out as a comfort food and specialty sandwich joint. At $14 for a sandwich, I don’t see how this is a bargain, considering I can get a sandwich at Lee’s Deli for $5. I suppose that’s not the point, but whatever chord Wexler’s hit with the fickle and trendy Financial District lunch crowd, it was missed on my brother and I.
While the macaroni salad was tasty and very American, the Banh Mi was utterly uninspired. The best thing about the sandwich was the bread. I’m no Banh Mi expert, but I do like a good sandwich, whatever the origin. I’ve eaten more Reuben’s than I can remember, and I was quite the connoisseur of French Dip when I was 8 years old. Wexler’s Banh Mi has what tasted like day-old BBQ brisket tucked inside. You know the flavor of re-heated meat and dry BBQ, it’s just not fresh tasting. The garnishes were so far in the background, I know cilantro was inside, but the other stuff, I had to consult the menu again. Simply stated, trendy Vietnamese sandwich or not, it wasn’t that good.
I’d return for the macaroni salad though. I’ve haven’t had one that moist and flavorful in years.
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