Check it: The Merc is hot on the trail of Zhongyi Liu, former executive chef of the Grand Hotel Beijing who created a cult following for Albany's China Village. Seems the award-winning chef has quietly picked up and hauled off to Fresno, where he can finally open his own restaurant. And Bay Area residents are following. So much for eating locally!

"Before, we were all working for others," Zhongyi Liu says. "This was the chance we had to start our own business."

But there was a problem. Hunan's old customers, accustomed to the former owner's Chinese-American dishes, had a hard time adjusting to Zhongyi Liu's regional Northern food and Sichuan cuisine. With the restaurant struggling, one of the owners left the business and returned to the Bay Area.

The longtime customers would say: "We came to Hunan Restaurant. We want a Hunan dinner," says Hunan co-owner Kathy Kao.

As Zhongyi Liu was coaxing guests to move beyond Chinese chicken salad and General Tso chicken, his Bay Area fans were looking for him.

Top Chinese chef finds a home in Fresno and Bay Area fans are flocking to his restaurant [San Jose Mercury News]
Hunan Chef's Tasting Menu - Oct 18, 08 (Fresno) [Chowhound]
The Hunan Restaurant [Official Site]

[Photo: Via The Hunan Restaurant]

With the opening of La Mar Cebicheria on the Embarcadero last week, the United States got its first taste of a Gaston Acurio restaurant. But the chefstrauteur has been going strong in South America for years.

By way of comparison, and to give ourselves a reason to refer to somebody we work with as a "foreign correspondent," we sent our Santiago-Based bike-messenger-cum-reporter, Foresta Sieck-Hill, and her friend Daniel Castillo A. to get a glimpse of La Mar's Santiago location. Foresta moved to Santiago to study abroad, finished her degree, got a job as a courier and never left. Here are some excerpts from her e-mail:

Did I tell you that I have a friend here who is a professional photographer? Well, I do. On Saturday we rode our bikes to Vitacura. La Mar is on a street lined with restaurants and condos, but if you were to just ride by without looking, you'd think it was just a suburban street. Anyway, the plan was to just get a drink, take some photos, and then leave. We were there for 2 and a half hours!

Read her notes and check out some more photos after the jump.

Continue reading "Notes From The Santiago Bureau: La Mar Cebicheria" »

Jack London Square is getting a face-lift of Joan Rivers proportions, and may soon present a challenge to San Francisco's historic Ferry Building. Especially with today's news that the Ferry Building may be raising the rents on its food-heavy tenants.

The new look includes everything from a six-story marketplace/food emporium expected to open next spring, to several new restaurants, one of which, Miss Pearl’s Jam House, has already celebrated its grand opening. We ate there last Thursday and enjoyed the Slow-Roasted Spare Ribs and the Tapioca Pudding Parfait, but we were more interested in the fact that the restaurant isn't exactly new.

Chef Joey Altman originally operated the same restaurant in the Phoenix Hotel with some success until the doors closed New Year’s Eve, 1996. The Phoenix Hotel has since been sending hungry guests to the Asian fusion Bambuddha Lounge inside the hotel, but it’s probably worth noting that both the Phoenix Hotel and the Waterfront Hotel (which shares walls with the new Miss Pearl’s Jam House) are both from the ever-growing Joie de Vivre boutique hotel and restaurant empire.

In any case, Altman is giving Miss Pearl’s another go, which may be just the ticket for this Caribbean-themed restaurant, what with the waterfront dining and talk of a whole new scene about to find its groove in the otherwise defunct Oakland landmark that is Jack London Square.

Another bit of gossip for the new Jack London Square includes the anticipated move of the main Miette">Miette kitchen (currently baking up a storm in the East Bay) to the new Jack London Square area, which would come complete with a customer-friendly storefront and a demonstration kitchen. Seriously, we love, love, love the gingerbread cupcakes that we get at Miette in the Ferry Building and we’re tickled pink at the prospect of Meg Ray and Caitlin Alissa Williams giving us a reason to venture out of San Francisco.

All of these changes can’t help but make a hopeful foodie envision the new Jack London Square as a bigger, better Ferry Building making its mark across the bay. The Marketplace alone promises to host an entire floor devoted to a permanent farmer’s market and then a second floor of restaurants and food-related retail. Sounds good to us. Now, if only our MUNI Fast Pass worked on the Oakland/Alameda ferry…

Ferry Building rental hike worries some [ABC 7 (via Eater SF]
Miss Pearl’s Jam House [Official Site]
Bambuddha Lounge [Official Site]
Joie de Vivre [Official Site]
[MenuPages]
Miette [Official Site]

[Photo of Slow-Roasted Spare Ribs via Miss Miss Pearl’s Jam House]

The Berkeley Bowl is not for the faint of heart. Speaking from experience, this is one of the toughest grocery shopping experiences out there, but also one of the most rewarding. They've got a million and one types of produce, some of the hardest-to-find bulk items, and some of the best meat and seafood in town, but to say customers behave like animals gives all animals everywhere a bad name.

The LA Times has a great story today on the Bowl's latest draconian measure to prevent behavior that adults shouldn't need reminding about. The store now bans customers for life if they're found sampling food before paying. Manager Larry Evans drops this priceless gem about living in Berzerkley:

"Berkeley residents are angry -- they're mad at the president, the economy, all kinds of stuff. And this is the place where it seems to get released, the local supermarket."

At the Berkeley Bowl, the nuts are off the shelf [LA Times]

[Photo: Buddha's Hand citron at Berkeley Bowl via Justin/flickr]

Perhaps you have heard whispers of Michael Mina's "capital" in-the-works steakhouse project? Well, it appears to be progressing well enough for San Francisco's international emperor of fine dining to put out some feelers for a manager and sommelier.

From a Craigslist ad that ran in Washington, D.C. and New York City:

Management Opportunities:
Due to rapid growth, Mina Group seeks exceptional leaders to join our team for an upcoming restaurant project in Washington DC. We require demonstrated dedication to quality, excellence and service in every candidate that joins us. With restaurants operating across the United States, we are a dynamic, innovative company, with many growth opportunities.
We seek experienced, service-oriented individuals for MANAGER & SOMMELIER opportunities for a new East Coast restaurant project in the Washington DC area.

Requirements:
We ask that our Managers motivate and mentor staff, inspire and delight our guests, and commit themselves to excellence in food, wine and service. Qualified candidates must be motivated self starters with excellent communication, leadership, problem resolution and organizational skills.

Other requirements include:
* At least four years experience in a fine dining restaurant environment with a focus on wine, service and leadership.
* Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite of products and strong financial acumen.
* An interest in contributing to and collaborating in the growth and success of this organization.

Management Opportunities - Michael Mina Restaurants [Craigslist, Washington, D.C.]
Dish: Meaty Matters [Washington Post]
Michael Mina Restaurants: Human Resources [Official Site]

We left the city yesterday and spent the entire day in—gasp—Berkeley. Sweetie accompanied for a little business trip and then we spent the rest of the day exploring the East Bay in our Zipcar. We “discovered” Tilden Park (we even rode the Steam Train) and wandered around Rockridge.

More importantly we made a point to stop at Ici before we left the East Bay. Ici is the Bi-Rite Creamery of Berkeley. The ice cream is made on site, there is a long queue of people waiting to get the goods, and they have rotating assortment of foodie flavors like Early Gray, Rose Pistachio and Chipotle Chocolate Chip, and Saffron/Orange Blossom. Other notables: Bombes (bowl-molded ice cream cakes), house made cones, bon bons, malts, and of course, ice cream sundaes.

We had a scoop of the Carmel Vanilla and Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookie with caramel sauce. The Carmel Vanilla reminded us of Bi-Rite’s Salted Carmel and the Oatmeal had nice chunks of cookie and raisins. Sweetie had the Carmel Vanilla and Chocolate Chip with chocolate fudge. We thought the chocolate fudge was amazing, but we wanted the chocolate ice cream to be a bit more chocolatey.

Ici is solid ice cream. Clearly a no –brainer if you’re in the Claremont/Elmwood region of Berkeley or actually any part of the East Bay for that matter.

Bi-Rite Creamery [MenuPages]
Bi-Rite Creamery [Official Site]

[Photo: Catalan ice cream from Ici, via applesister/flickr]

Remember when Alexis took a look at San Francisco tiki bars of the past and present? That was great, but it made us kind of sad the genre has ebbed since it's heyday (an aside: Check out the photos of the The Crepe House front pillar on Tiki Central Forum. Turns out the place used to be a joint called Tiki Bob's).

But today a Daily Candy bulletin announced the opening of Miss Pearl's Jam House in Oakland, and while reading the description of the interior, we had something very close to an epiphany:

Jack London Square’s newest address emulates a Caribbean manse with vintage cruise liner nuances. Decked out with porthole windows, coral mosaic walls, and shell-encrusted menus, the island-inspired resto serves up tropical Southern flare: Florida conch and sweet corn fritters, jerk chicken, sugar cane barbecue shrimp, baked clams, and twice-fried plantains.

Pony up to the resin bar encasing pseudo-sea floor treasures for a stellar offering of light and dark rums, Key lime martinis, and the house specialty: Cuba Libra Jell-O shots.

Nautical and tropical-themed food and drink? A warm, party atmosphere? Authentic (or even better, faux-thentic) decorations? These things hark back to the tiki craze in a big way. Substitute the Caribbean for Polynesia and you have a new, island-themed bar and restaurant trend.

Only in this case, it seems the emphasis is heavy on the food, which is great. During a meal at the Southern/Caribbean-themed Front Porch back in spring, the waiter told us that many of the kitchen staff had just returned from a visit to the Caribbean, where they picked up creole cooking tips. That place has all sorts of wacky accoutrements, too, like wicker chairs out front and chicken served in paper baskets. If this is the new version of tiki, we say Tik-on!

And by the way, a great way to die would be drowning in a vat of the Front Porch's crab-meat grits. Honestly one of the best thing's to enter this mouth all year. Time to "Jam" over to Pearl's to see how they stack up.

Tiki Bob's, San Francisco, CA [Tiki Central]
Miss Pearl's Jam House [Official Site]
The Crepe House [Official Site]
The Front Porch [Official Site]

[Photo: via Tiki Central Forum]

Let’s face it, not everyone can get into French Laundry, even if you have the scratch. Our suggestion? If you find yourself in French Laundry country with no French Laundry reservation, go to Étoile on the Domaine Chandon property for a fine dining experience that, we think, doesn’t feel too much like a compromise.

You have the option of a three or four course prix fixe menu as well as the seven-course seasonal tasting menu. Having been eating and drinking wine all day we opted for the 3-course menu.

The meal began with a complimentary glass of sparkling rosé and a petite Black Mission Fig tasting meant to bring out the strawberry in the bubbly. Very yummy. We love figs, particularly the Black Mission variety.

We choose the creamy Corn Soup with Dungeness Crab from the list of appetizers, had the Beef Tenderloin for our main course and finished with the fanciful Strawberry Pie dessert, which was really a strawberry crème brûleé accompanied with strawberry caviar and strawberry soda. Throw in some never-ending bread rolls with black salt butter and a double espresso for the ride home and we were all set for the coming food coma.

We have to be honest and say that we actually enjoyed our meal at Étolie a bit more that our recent meal at Michael Mina. Étolie wasn’t much cheaper than Mina with the three-course menu going for $79 a person, the four-course $89 and the seasonal tasting menu $105, but the offerings, preparations and prices felt somewhat more harmonious than they did at Michal Mina.

In any case, we’re off the fine dining circuit for a while. We have no idea how Michael Bauer does it every week. Two elaborate multi-course menus in one week just about killed our entire lust for fine food. We didn’t have any bad meals, but man were we overjoyed with the can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup and the grilled cheese sandwich we had after our trip to Napa in an effort to detox.

French Laundry [Official Site]
Étolie [Official Site]
Michael Mina [MenuPages]
Michael Mina [Official Site]

[Photo: An entree at Etoile, via Etoile official site]

The Midwest often gets a bad rap. Well, at least when you’re not living in the Midwest. But we’re in Saint Louis for a wedding (yes, this is the Midwest. If you think it’s the South, talk to some Louisters) and things haven’t been so bad. In fact, San Francisco could take a few lessons from the Gateway to the West.

For starters, the Pin-Up Bowl, located in the Loop neighborhood (kind of a cross between Upper Haight and the new NOPA), is the cat’s meow. Part martini bar and part bowling alley, the Pin-Up Bowl exceeded expectations when we got to the bar to order our first cocktail and saw not one, not two, but the entire line of Hangar One vodka. Hangar One? In Saint Louis? It’s a home away from home. With a Lime Hangar One and tonic in one hand and a lightweight bowling ball in the other, it’s amazing how one’s bowling average improves. Or in our case, it’s amazing how we were actually able to get up to the lane and occasionally knock down a few pins (our final score: 69). In addition to the bar and lanes, they have a nice little food menu—the fried ravioli was hard to pass up—and there’s also a pool table and a jukebox. And can we just say, they have two George Michael albums on this jukebox. Two! And we can’t even find one at most places in SF.

We can’t help but wonder why we don’t have spots like this in San Francisco. Bowling, cocktails, food and pool seem like a no brainer. As soon as we get back we’re looking into starting a franchise. That, and improving our bowling average.

Hangar One [Official Site]
Photo: Bill in STL [Flickr]

Alcademics' Camper English reminds us that this is the week of the big bartender exchange program with New York's Death & Co. and our very own The Alembic.

Death and Co. head bartender Phillip Ward will man the taps and glasses at the Alembic this week, while local cocktail pro Thomas Waugh heads to New York to swap places and trade tips with the locals.

So if you're interested in seeing how a top-shelf New York bartender does his job, or if you'd like to give him some drunken pointers after several hours on the stool, head on down to the Alembic this week and check out what's what.

The Alembic [MenuPages]
The Alembic [Official Site]
Death & Co. [MenuPages]
Death & Co. [Official Site]
Bar Swapping [Alcademics]
Image Credit: [7x7]

This is the big ski weekend, of course, and if you recall, last week we had Tahoe on the mind to the point that we dug up a 7-year-old Chronicle piece on road food to and from there.

Well, it was with even more chop licking that we saw Bits and Bites had jumped on the wagon and posted an item today with suggestions for a market, burger stand and in-Tahoe scene. This is going to be the best ski season ever! Maybe we'll even get out on the slopes.

Eating Your Way To Tahoe [7x7]

The Road to Tahoe, Part 1 (Highway 80) [SF Chronicle]
The Road to Tahoe, Part 2 (Highway 50) [SF Chronicle]

It's sort of strange, we admit, but somehow the coverage of the two missing skiers who were rescued yesterday has got us thinking about skiing and how fun it is and how we don't go nearly enough. And that got us thinking about what we eat on the way to and from Lake Tahoe. And that got us thinking about this series that ran in the San Francisco Chronicle a million years ago called "The Road To Tahoe," all about the restaurants lining Highways 50 and 80. So we thought we'd link those here.

Now, around the MPSF office, we think the better roadside restaurants are determined by their bigger signs. This is especially evident driving through Vacaville. However, there are some spots with low signage that still boast good eats. The Chron covered some in its series, but these articles are about seven years old, so we'd encourage readers with any knew knowledge to chime in with updates.

The Road to Tahoe, Part 1 (Highway 80) [SF Chronicle]
The Road to Tahoe, Part 2 (Highway 50) [SF Chronicle]

Here, in the nick of time, is our new favorite news story of the year, discovered by the inimitable Camper English, who posted it on his Alcademics blog. Seems a man who was carrying a bottle of vodka in his carry-on luggage couldn't bear to part with it or check it, so he chose the only feasible option.

New airport rules prohibit passengers from carrying larger quantities of liquid onto planes, and he was told at a security check he would have to either throw out the bottle of vodka or pay a fee to have his carry-on bag checked.

Instead, he chugged the vodka — and was quickly unable to stand or otherwise function, police said.

Camper appropriately asks, what brand of vodka was it?

We just wish we had that guy's excuse. We had to buy our bottle at duty-free.

Stay tuned for more from Camper English later today with the Chronicle Over Cocktails.

Jet Fuel [Alcademics]
Man Nearly Dies After Drinking Bottle Of Vodka [Spiegel Online]

This is not really breaking news or anything, but we thought we'd give it a mention, as nothing has surfaced in Burritoeater or Burritophile, the go-to burrito sites around these parts: A Chicago (yes, Chicago) burrito blogger (and baseball stats geek) has developed what he calls the Burrito Bracket, a system for rating about 20 Chicago taquerias.

Now, you've surely seen Burritoeater's Slab Scrum, which pits eight of San Francisco's finest in a tournament-type competition for mustache ratings. The Burrito Bracket is sort of like that, but way more about the tourney stats and less about the individual subtleties of each restaurant.

But it's hard to say how accurate the Burrito Bracket could possibly be, as we've never been to Chicago and have never tasted what Chicagoans call a "burrito." If it's anything like a New York burrito, one might as well forget the whole thing and order a pizza.

Regardless of how accurate the criticism or how tasty the fare, however, the Burrito Bracket delivers a level of structure to taqueria rankings that far surpasses the wide-ranging Burritophile or hyper-specific Burritoeater. Not that these guys need to change, but it's interesting to compare notes. Surely, a competition like this would come in second only to a Bay Bridge Series in terms of local buzz, but it would be a hell of a lot more work.

The Burrito Bracket

Okay, let's be honest, how many of us had heard of Dr. Robert Cade, inventor of Gatorade, before he died today? Not many, I'm sure.

But his passing still feels momentous because Gatorade itself is a huge cultural institution. Athletes swear by it, drunks fight hangovers with it but, maybe even more importantly, the stuff revolutionized coach-dousing. Before the invention of the neon sports drink, game-winning coaches had to be drenched in clear, unexciting ice-water. Now, they can get soaked to the skin in bright colors, making photo-ops more memorable and cleanup a much bigger adventure.

But seriously, Gatorade is one of those American dream-type stories, where one guy uses his ingenuity and leadership skills to invent a product that turns around a middling football team, and in the process, the middling university for which it played.

According to the Gainesville Sun, Gatorade, which Cade led a team of university scientists to invent in order to better hydrate football players, "[generates] $150 million in royalties for the university and helping to establish UF as a premier research institution."

So what have you done for your alma mater lately?

Dr. Robert Cade, Gatorade inventor, dies at 80 [Gainesville Sun]

Word from Mediabistro is that the Food Network is giving Emeril Live the boot. According to MB's Fishbowl NY, the final taping will take place on Dec. 11, after which some reruns will air for a while.

Emeril fans don't despair, however. The Food Network is not getting rid of Emeril altogether, just kicking him down a notch. Production will continue on Essence of Emeril.

Here's some snarkiness on the subject from Epi-Curious's Epi-Log:

...it's an undeniable comedown for the catchphrase-prone guy who once stood on the top of the celebrity-chef heap and was Food Network's so-called "cornerstone" only four years ago. Four long years of more photogenic, bubblier, edgier, nakeder, cleavage-ier younger celebrity chefs, that is.

We have to criticize the readers of Epi-Log, as that blog suggested a hilarious bit of reader participation, soliciting clever headlines breaking the news. None of the comment-leavers played. Why don't you try it?

Bam! Emeril Leaves Food Network [Mediabistro]

Bam! Emeril Gets the Axe [Epi-Log]

We were told about this video by a friend of Miss CKC as we sat in a too-loud bar. Hearing every third word or so, we just nodded politely and promptly forgot about it. Amazingly, that same friend followed up with an e-mail and we're glad she did, because now we can proudly premiere what may be the first junk-food rap video to grace this site in Menupages history. Observe:

Oh, and happy Guy Fawkes Day, everybody:

This post in Burritophile’s Burrito Files should strike fear into the heart of all green-blooded guacamole lovers. While San Franciscans look from their redwood structures to the fog bank and back to their tinderbox homes with thankful eyes, it does appear the Southern California wildfires will affect us locally after all.
How will a city that runs on super burritos be transformed by a jump in guacamole prices? Probably very little, aside from more folks calling for “regular.” It’s still too bad, though.
But in more cheerful disaster-related news, the lauded Helmand Palace, a victim of February’s landslide in North Beach, has opened a new set of doors in Russian Hill. A commenter on Chowhound reports that the buffet is gone, but the menu and famous-by-association proprietor remain intact. The hillside restoration, on the other hand, has not gone as smoothly.

Burritophile's Burrito Files
Helmand Palace

•MP: Boston wanted to fatten you up and tell you about dirty restaurants.
•MP: Chicago uncovered a real real creepy article and wanted to deep-fry lobster.
•MP: Philadelphia found a nasty "burrito" and exposed us all to a turkey-cam.
•MP: South Florida discussed The Dread Derek Jeter and got a little fascinated by an IKEA opening.

•MP: Boston is not overly fond of slow news days.
•MP: Chicago is unimpressed by shills.
•MP: Philadelphia does not care for misspelled signs.
•MP: South Florida could do without picky children.

•...eat a meal of pigeon pie, followed by a cream puff?
•...drink breast milk and eat Big Mo' Candy Bars?
•...buy some beer from the supermarket?
•...make friends with your bartender?

•MP: Boston: "I can haz top modul punz, plz?"
•MP: Chicago: "Thoz dotz - iz constulayshun?"
•MP: Philadelphia: "Fwa gra: do want."
•MP: South Florida: "O hai. In ur soopermarkts, sellin ur organix."

MP: Boston rang in the school year with a balanced breakfast of beer cereal and then kicked off the fall arts calendar by interviewing a food critic-turned-playwright.

MP: Chicago warned of incoming frost, but couldn't quite quit summertime.

MP: Philly shared the joy of college. Sometimes college is hard, y'all!

Since MP: SoFla doesn't really experience autumn, the passing of Labor Day means the conclusion of Top Chef draws near and, um, Chipotle?

*No, we have no idea who "them" refers to either.

Over the weekend, Alice Waters made an appearance at the 22nd annual Farm Aid concert in New York. The event--headlined by the likes of Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John "This is ooooouuuuurrr country" Mellencamp and Dave Matthews--is the longest running annual concert event in the country.

Along with the big name rock acts, Waters spoke about the farm crisis looming over America:

We have an unimaginable food crisis, environmental crisis, a cultural crisis. We need to spend the money upfront and what the effects could be have yet to be realized.

For more information on Farm Aid, check out their official site. If all those, ahem, older rock stars can put on a show for 22 straight years, surely you can do something productive.

Farm Aid Concert Makes NYC Debut [WNYC]
Farm Aid [Official Site]

In MP: SoFla, common sense says that you should take your friends to Danny DeVito's restaurant to try his limoncello, but don't let them eat at robbery-prone Subway locations because those can be dangerous.

At MP: Philly, we learned that you should enjoy working hard, but you shouldn't enjoy hardly working.

MP: Boston provided us with some instructional videos. Some creative people understand the Farm Bill, but Mitt Romney doesn't quite understand grilling.

Finally, from MP: Chicago, all we have to offer you are two unappetizing photos.

Pardon the brief venture into the sports world, but we promise it makes sense. Back in 1992, the Summer Olympics were held in Barcelona. A guy with a bow shot a flaming arrow to light the storied flame, but the biggest--and perhaps most memorable--story from the '92 games might have been the inclusion of professional basketball players for the first time. The United States' squad was littered with legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The team, aptly dubbed "the Dream Team," steamrolled the competition en route to an easy gold medal.

Why do we bring up the Dream Team? Because if the sports gods could assemble a perfect team, that might have been it; in a similar fashion, the chef gods have unleashed a dream team lineup of their own upon the world, specifically Chicago:

Foodies are flying in from all over the world to eat a dream dinner at Charlie Trotter's on October 7 prepared by seven of the world's best chefs -- [Charlie] Trotter, Thomas Keller, Ferran Adria, Daniel Boulud, Tetsuya Wakuda, Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Herme.

But there are only about 80 invite-only slots and tickets cost $5,000 a plate.

Keller, Adria, Bould and more. For the sake of masochism, how much would you pay for a seat at that dining table?

Charlie Trotter invites local chefs to dream dinner -- well, lunch [The Stew]

As the city takes its last summer weekend in Tahoe or wherever, the Menuniverse also had some travel fun with planes, trains and automobiles (and one heroic boat) this week.

MP: Boston found a soda train! We didn't know what that was either!

Heavens. MP:SoFla shared the scary tale of a Florida restaurant-owner getting shot, dumped in the bay and then fished out by some nice people in a boat. Luckily, he's ok (considering).

MP: Chicago took a Tribunal tour of the Windy City suburbs, perhaps avoiding the city's storms.

MP: Philly took a look at what the tourism department is doing. They're trying to make themselves more gay-friendly and woman-friendly. Let us know when you meet 1993, Pennsylvania.

This week, the MenuBlog Universe experienced all types of cah-razy foods ...

MP: Boston tried some cat crap coffee along with her morning ravioli. O HAI, I'Z IN YER CUP, MAYKIN YER CAWFI.

MP: Chicago pondered the merits of purchasing a pound of $130,000 ginseng and of purposefully eating glass.

MP: Philly spent some time with snails in France's "Snail Capital of the World."

MP: SoFla drooled at a pretty plate o' dolphin. Thankfully, it was just mahi-mahi, not Flipper. She then went home and arranged vegetables in face-like patterns.

Northern California's alleged "flagship" Whole Foods has opened its sliding doors to the denizens of Cupertino. The new 64,000 square-foot monstrosity is the largest Whole Foods in the western United States and replaces the one across the street. It is full of all kinds of amenities, going far and beyond your run-of-the-mill supermarket:

.. this Whole Foods at 20955 Stevens Creek Blvd. features a Market Bistro (open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily) that serves made-to-order sandwiches, soups and salads. The store includes a center for cooking classes, as well as free wireless Internet access.

Shoppers will get their fill with a carvery and tossed-to-order salad station, a dim sum bar, a wood-fired pizza oven, hot teriyaki bowls and an expanded sushi section. Besides a bountiful organic produce section, the Cupertino store - reflecting its surrounding community's large Asian-American population - will boast a large selection of Asian produce.

More Morsels: California's biggest Whole Foods opens [Mercury News]

Food writing gurus will be interested to hear that there's quite a bit of buzz going on over on the other coast regarding the anonymity of several high-profile restaurant critics.

In the City of Brotherly Love, brothers aren't getting along very well, with Philadelphia magazine slated to print a picture of the Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan, thereby eliminating the anonymity his reviews provide. Predictably, LaBan and his newspaper aren't too happy about this development and are doing everything possible to stop it from happening. LaBan even showed up in court with a disguise. He had to remove it, but still.

Meanwhile, over in Manhattan, the big news in the restaurant world and food blogosphere is the first review from the Daily News food critic: Danyelle Freeman of Restaurant Girl fame. Why is important? Well, she's not anonymous. Like, at all. Food writing Hall of Famer Gael Greene recently shared a meal with the blogger-newly-gone-critic and expressed her dismay over Freeman's lack of anonymity:

Danyelle is suspiciously thin for a restaurant critic in a summery cotton halter dress.

“They say I can’t be a critic because my photograph is out there. I don’t think you need to be anonymous.”

“I think you do,” says her mentor.

“They can’t bring in a new chef,” she argues.

“But they can insist the chef come in if he’s on his day off. Jean Georges is always appearing in immaculate whites whenever I wander in – anonymously – to one of his restaurants. Let’s order and get it over with”

Thoughts from the Michael Bauer crowd? Anonymity is clearly important in reviews, but is it necessary?

Déjà Vu with Restaurant Girl At Fabio’s [Insatiable Critic]
Mag blows food critic's cover [Philly Daily News]

MP: Boston advised against placing eggs in the microwaves but recommended putting hamachi in your mouth.

MP: Chicago reminded us that when you go grocery shopping in China in a rollercoaster, don't forget to grab that lemon, because then you would have to go on the ride again and that just wastes time. On the other hand, an in-house chef dinner at the new Whole Foods is an efficient and fun way to spend a Friday evening.

MP: Philly didn't warn us against chickens that wear clothes, but he should have. On the other hand, Jersey tomatoes are a delicious, wardrobe-free alternative.

And finally, MP: SoFla blatantly and unwisely tossed caution into the Caribbean wind (get it? hurricane season... nevermind) and indulged in avocado cupcakes with lobster icing. She would have been much better served to reap the benefits of the local, in-season mangos.

[Image courtesy: Highlights]

It's been a big week around the Bay. We had Bill Walsh's memorial service, 756 and plenty of Stabuckian ire, so don't feel bad if you missed what's going on in the rest of the Menuniverse.

MP: Boston delved deeply into two Boston chains: Dunkin' Donuts and Boston Market. Turns out that the latter should really be renamed Golden, Colorado Market. MP: Boston is also responsible for the video gem seen above.

MP: Chicago revealed a new menu and secret items at Alinea. Also, we've noticed that Chicago restaurateurs don't spell very well.

MP: Philly found a cheesy video from England and a research article from Stanford.

MP: SoFla celebrated lobster season and mused on the possibility of bringing the LA-influenced health grades to Florida's dining scene.

Here's the good stuff from the other MenuBlogs that you missed this week while trying out your homemade submarine...

• MP: Boston played Cupid (or Eros, depending on whether you ascribe to Greek or Roman myths) in a little feature series, giving us ideas for where to go on your first and second dates. Then she took some liberties with her game and skipped dates #3 through #291 and suggested places to propose (... marriage).

• MP: Chicago shared a pretty, pretty picture, but we couldn't stop thinking about his analysis of people's age-defined flavor preferences.

• Let's just say that MP: Philly got really "into" this one story.

• Finally, the first week of MP: South Florida talked about the one culinary thing Florida is known for: Top Chef Miami. Just kidding; the blog was also abuzz with plenty of other quintessential SoFla things: alligators, dolphins and homeless people.

Via Grub Street:

Most brunches offer “your choice of eggs,” but Colin Alevras of the Tasting Room is taking the concept to an almost ludicrous degree. In an act of Haute Barnyard extremism, the chef is giving customers the choice of eight different kinds of eggs: goose, pea hen, duck, wild turkey, pheasant, guinea hen, black silky chicken, and of course regular organic farm eggs for the terminally unadventurous.

The Tasting Room Lays Eight Eggs on Us [Grub St]
The Tasting Room [MenuPages]
The Tasting Room [Official Site]

Yesterday marked the debut of the fifth member of our blog family, MenuBlog: South Florida. Your editor is the lovely Carolina Bolado, whose culinary expertise will undoubtedly make a splash down there. So, we encourage you to pass the word along to your Floridian food-loving friends, because it's going to be a great resource for those beach bums.

In the meantime, we thought we'd share some fun facts about Florida:

• The state bird is the mockingbird.
• The state saltwater mammal is the porpoise (not to be confused with the state marine mammal: the West Indian manatee)
• The state pie is key lime pie.
• Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.
• Gainesville's Fred Bear Museum is a tribute to Fred Bear, a promoter of proper wildlife management and the founder of the Bear Archery Company.

Discuss.

MenuPages Blog: South Florida [Official Site]
Florida [Wikipedia]
Florida Fast Facts and Trivia [50states.com]

Around the Menuniverse, it's been a very entertainment-centric week.

MP: Boston shared first-date destinations and showed us how to turn a banana into a Jello shot.

MP: Chicago found a forty-year anniversary party and looked forward to the upcoming television season.

MP: Philly met the king of tailgates and enjoyed some salsa made by the Wild Thing.

This weekend, in the wake of tragedy and waning business, Hoss Zaré served his last meals at his eponymous Napa bistro. However, Zaré's Persian-Californian cuisine will only be put on hold as he reassesses the shattered world around him.

In the first half of 2007 Zaré nearly simultaneously lost both of his parents; his father was murdered in his native Iran and his mother passed soon thereafter. With his restaurant struggling through as it was--he admits he didn't do sufficient research on Napa--he finally decided to concede (temporary) defeat:

“It was a tough decision, but I realized it didn’t make sense to invest in building a new restaurant and not get income for 12 months of the year,” he said. He had decided to close Zaré next November, but then moved the closing date up, so that he can take some time off before he moves on to his next restaurant venture. “I was losing my passion,” he said. “For the first time, I’m taking six months off. I’m going to travel in Europe, visit restaurants, get new ideas.” He is unable to return to Iran, he noted.

Zaré shuts its doors [The Napa Valley Register]
Bistro Zaré [Official Site]

In any case, Nigerian food, unlike its Eastern African counterparts, remains a rare commodity in the restaurant world, but Berkeley can now boast to have a rare representative. Luckily, Patricia Unterman's review of the just-opened Lagosia sheds a lot of light--for us at least--on the wonders and idiosyncracies of Nigerian cuisine:

[A dining companion] professionally pulled off a wad of gluey iyan (pounded white yam), rolled it into a ball, flattened it with her fingers and used it as a scoop for efo, a spinach and goat stew. I dropped my knife and fork and did the same thing.

This single change in the delivery system expanded the flavor, texture and tactile pleasure of eating the saucy, gently spicy dishes at Lagosia, a handsome new West African restaurant in Berkeley.

As for the actual dishes, here's what stood out:
• Scotch eggs ($4): "hard-boiled eggs encased in ground sausage, deep fried, cut into wedges and served with a sweet mayonnaise and mustard sauce"
• Suya ($6.95): "West African chicken kebabs in a spicy, ground peanut crust"
• Efo ($12.95): "... reminded me of an Indian spinach curry but with tender, mild, long-cooked goat"
• Jollof rice ($12.95): "A plate of aromatic, buttery red rice ... topped with spice-rubbed barbecued chicken with luscious fire-blackened skin"

Lagosia a nice intro to Nigerian cuisine [Examiner]
Nigerian Cuisine [Wikipedia]
Lagosia [Official Site]