MenuPages

We're keeping our eyes peeled, but so far there seems to be a dearth of reports-back from the ever-vocal San Francisco dining community on the fun food things that went down over the long, Thanksgiving weekend. We'd really like to read more impressions from all those special, holiday menus at restaurants, as well as audience-participation events such as Yats' deep-fried turkeys.

We did find an in-depth rundown of the Franciscan Restaurant's feast on Chow, where regular contributor rworange was not exactly impressed, but not truly disappointed either, with their traditional fare:

A long oblong-shaped white plate presented the entrée in a straight line … three thick slices of turkey breast covered in gravy, ‘mashed’ potatoes, a scoop of stuffing and a little cup of whole cranberry sauce … more sauce than cranberry. It was ok and not offensive.

SF: Thanksgiving at The Franciscan Crab Restaurant – frozen kustard [Chowhound]
So How Was Yat's Fried Cajun Turkey ?? [Chowhound]
Franciscan Restaurant [MenuPages]
Franciscan Restaurant [Official Site]
Yats' New Orleans Original Poboys [MenuPages]

[Image: Via snapscot/flickr]

Let's just check in with a few local food blogs this afternoon. There's good stuff out there.

• Mission Street Food is up and running in their new indoor spot. Let's go this week, ok? That menu looks awesome.

• Line Cook has some illuminating and terrifying insight into just how frantic a kitchen can get, especially when somebody goes into the weeds.

• Michael Bauer pays tribute to John's Grill, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last Friday.

• Yum Diary slaps around the infamous 2-lb meatball over at Zare At Fly Trap. "It's the size of a freaking grapefruit. " Ha!

• And Sam Breach, of Becks and Posh, finishes her Eat Local Challenge — eating only local foods for a whole month. Good job, Sam!

[Photo: Via "tanakawho/flickr]

From time to time, and frankly not often enough, we like to take a peek over the fence at other Menupages blogs, just to see what they're up to. This is one of those times:

Dang. We must have been hallucinating (thanks, Shuna) in an earlier version of this post that indicated that the bartender at Boston's Vlora threw a punch bowl at the cops when they tried to break up a particularly jovial party there. No, MP Boston editor Leila corrected us, he simply threw a punch. It's still a great story, though--full of mayhem. [What Happened At Vlora On New Year's Eve?]

Adam P seems to have taken advantage of a good opportunity over at MP Chicago. A celebrity chef opening two restaurants in the same neighborhood on the same day? Of course that's blog-worthy, but it takes a special kind of mind to use the word "ballsiness" in the lede. [Opening: Lao Beijing (Or Is It Lao Peking?)]

We're glad Neal posted something about that NY Times article on "extreme beer." You may see a unique post from us, as the Bay Area's very own Moylan's Tavern, in Novato, plays a big roll. Of course, all MP Philadelphia cared about was the Pennsylvania beers. Typical. [Taking Beer... To The Extreme!]

And way down south, in the state of Florida, MP South Florida celebrates the legalization of Jamon Iberco, which we had no idea was banned, or even existed for that matter. Now, however, we want to eat nothing but. The "Spanish cured ham made from a black pig that eats only acorns," as Carolina puts it, looks irresistible. [Jamón Ibérico Has Arrived!]

(Above: is this the kind of ingredient distribution they're teaching our students at San Francisco State University?)

There's a lot of interesting stuff being said in the local food blogs right now, but none of it is quite post-worthy on its own, so here's a little roundup:

Becks and Posh seems to really love Serpentine, we think. [Piss off From My Hood and Leave Serpentine for Me]

Bunrab's got some beautiful pictures up of sushi at Hime, in the Marina. [Daily Feed]

Chez Pim is doing a great job spearheading generosity among food bloggers [Menu for Hope IV]

Burritophile's Burrito Files gives us a glimpse into the nether burrito regions of the San Francisco State slabbery, ironically located in the Cesar Chavez Student Union [Burrito, Student Style]

The Line Cook has posted a list of goals for 2008, including hunting, killing, butchering and eating an animal--an admirable, if unsustainable, objective for morally honest carnivores. [Goals for 2008]

And at Alcademics, Camper has been running himself ragged trying to do our collective alcoholic homework for us. Thanks, buddy! [Two big nights, two slow days]

Start writing for Gridskipper.

Nah, just kidding, but Monday's "Bad Service Board-Game" was pretty hilariously mean. A top-six of local businesses notable for their poor service. Leslie Brenner would have a heart attack.

But the list is incomplete. Any San Franciscan who's ever left the house can tell you there are a lot more than six places where you can expect abominable service. Fortunately, the focused watch-dogs over at SFist re-posted the item with an invitation to fill in the blanks. And so readers did.

In an addendum to the Gridskipper list, SFist readers (who seem to be moody grocery shoppers) suggested such local notables as Rainbow Grocery, the Safeway on Geary and Webster and a bunch of places like skate shops, bars, etc. where service is traditionally "prickly."

One notable exception: Not one mention of a record store. Apparently that reputation of record store clerks for being snobs isn't well-earned after all. Or else no SFist commenter wants to be known as the kind of person to whom record store clerks would be snobby.

Also, no restaurants. Plenty of food markets but not a single eatery. Could it be that San Francisco boasts across-the-board pleasant wait-staff, hosts and managers? Amazing!

The San Francisco Bad Service Board Game [Gridskipper]

Gridskipper's Bad Service Board Game [SFist]

•The Green Chile Kitchen & Market gets it all right. [Bay Area Bites]
•Would that these delicacies from the State Fair of Texas could come to this fair city! [GrubGirl]
•Vegan panna cotta? What will they think of next? [Chez Pim]
•Eater SF thinks that Andrew Knowlton isn't the only Next Iron Chef cast member who looks like he belongs on The Hills. [Eater SF]

•Words cannot fully describe our desire to eat this bacon and egg risotto. [An Obsession With Food]
•Tourist-filled as it may be, there is damn fine ice cream to be had in Ghiradelli Square. [Bay Area Bites]
•Do you think the Cheese School of San Francisco gives homework? Because we would not procrastinate on that at all. [GrubGirl]
•Mmmm, fish tacos... [Jatbar]
•Who wouldn't love a ceviche bar? [Between Meals]
•Alice Waters prefers simple food to molecular gastronomy, which is sort of a burn on Grant Atchez. [Eater SF]

•How to get a burrito in the depths of Orange County! [Burritophile]
•How to slice a mushroom! [GrubGirl]
•Food for thought: should waiters serve women first? [Between Meals]
•Original Joe's had a bad weekend. [SFist]
•Food for thought, part two: How many signs does one restaurant need? [Eater SF]

•There's nothing wrong with a great small bite. [Bay Area Bites]
•We can think of no finer way to commemorate the end of a year than with a burrito (or three) [Burritophile]
•A delightful Thai dinner from Sai Jai Thai. [GrubGirl]
•Banned on Chowhound: everything. [Eater SF]

•Good news: there's a new frozen yogurt and cereal option in town. [Bay Area Bites]
•Bad news: Chipotle is trying to muscle Burrito Guy out of business. [Burritophile]
•Good news: OMG, there's Mexican Coke at Costco. [Confessions of a Restaurant Whore]
•Good news for consumers, bad news for diet authors: eating in restaurants can be perfectly healthy. [Between Meals]
•Good news for those who are sick of the aquarium: the soon-to-open Waterbar will feature not one, not two, not even three, but four 150-200 gallon fish tanks. [Eater SF]

•Word to the wise: try the dessert panino at SPQR. [Bay Area Bites]
•While you're at SPQR, you should probably order several pastasas well. [Confessions of a Restaurant Whore]
•If anyone wanted to show up at MP headquarters right now with some toast and a jar of Nam Prik Pao, we wouldn't be sad. [Chez Pim]
•Beware! Restaurant gift certificates can expire! [GrubGirl]
•Why isn't the line for Out the Door well, out the door? [Eater SF]

•Non-family style Vietnamese food may not be authentic, but damn if it doesn't look delicious. [Bay Area Bites]
•Aw. This is the cutest plug we've seen in quite some time. [Chez Pim]
•Which restaurants are actually putting the "farm-to-table" philosophy into practice? Spruce, for starters. [Between Meals]
•What, exactly, does Haterade taste like? [Eater SF]

•Mexico DF provides San Francisco with some damn fine sit down Mexican food. [Bay Area Bites]
•Drunken college students and good food abound at Midtown Taqueria. [Burritophile]
•Looking for bargain congee? Try Hing Lung Restaurant . [Grub Girl]
•Michael Bauer blogs about restaurant bloggers. How meta. [Between Meals]

•Summer is over, which is sad news indeed. [Bay Area Bites]
•Don't be too sad, though, because the newly crisp weather is a perfect excuse to make consomme. [An Obsession With Food]
•Cafe Gratitude's owner responds to an unpleasant incident from last week. [Becks & Posh]
•Guys, there are apparently some awesome burritos in Mountain View. [Burritophile]
•There are still sushi bargains to be had in San Francisco! [Grub Girl]
•What can you do when you're served awful wine at a restaurant? Talk to the sommelier. [Between Meals]

•Morissey says: meat is murder and you can't eat it around him. [SFist]
• We're pretty sure the Mozzer also believes that eggs are murder, but that shouldn't stop you from raising a chicken. [Curbed SF]
•We sure wouldn't mind a dark and stormy and some lomo embuchado right about now. [Gastronomie]
•Our lust for the Old Mandarin Islamic menu just increased threefold. [GrubGirl]

•The doughnuts of the Pacific Northwest sure sound mighty tasty. [Bay Area Bites]
•What's so American about the American edition of The River Cottage Meat Book? Apparently, not much. [An Obsession With Food]
•Cafe Gratitude didn't quite live up to its mission recently. [Becks & Posh]
•A fistfight in the kitchen does not make for a great night at a restaurant. [Buon Appetito!]
•Why is a burrito eating competition taking place in Maine? [Burritophile]

• Fancy plates in restaurants are fun to look at, but can often be impractical. Just try cutting a whole-leaf Caesar salad in a deep-sided bowl. [Between Meals]

• Bloggers love the puns, and when a McDonald's employee put extra, extra salt on a policeman's burger, the comedy pyramid just flourished. [The Grinder]

• Chefs and fashion collide at Toast of the Town. Hey, it's for charity. [Bay Area Bites]

• An inside peek at the Potrero Hill Whole Foods. [Curbed SF]

• Congrats to the Restaurant Whore, who just finished her first book. Hooray food bloggers. [Confessions of a Restaurant Whore]

• Another event for a good cause is Wine By The Bay 2007, which benefits CUESA and Friends of the Children. Click through to the SFist link for more info. [SFist]

• Zagat reveals some cheap eating destinations for undergrads. Because poor college students go to Zagat-rated restaurants. [Zagat Buzz]

• BAB takes us to the candy shop. [Bay Area Bites]

• Vodka wars! Vodka wars! [Serious Eats]

• Michael Bauer discusses restaurant design flaws. Here's one that we get annoyed with: the three-seat bar. Like, other than aesthetics, what's the point? [Between Meals]

• The winning design for the Transbay Terminal Building is .... [SFist]

• Michael Bauer hearts our local "tourist goods." And why shouldn't he? San Francisco sourdough > New York bagels. [Between Meals]

• To what restaurants should you take visitors? Choose from iconic restaurant, regular destinations and current favorites. [Bay Area Bites]

• So how exactly does a restaurant run out of water? [Diner's Journal]

• ♫ Free bird on the free bird freeway ♫ [The Grinder]

• Food bloggers took plenty of gourmet (almost) food to Burning Man. Also, Burning Man is not a "big, drug-addled, fur-covered rave." Wait, what? [Gastronomie]

• Chris Cosentino's blog seems to have been reawakened. The Incanto chef just had to find his muse his Beatrice a gourmet pig head. Here's hoping this is the genesis of frequent autumnal postings. [Offal Good]

• Alice Waters warmly remembers the late Alfred Peet, the man responsible for bringing gourmet coffee to the Bay and Chez Panisse. [Curbed SF]

• Cyrus is easily one of the best restaurants in the greater Bay Area and an early favorite to catch a Michelin star (or two) in the next go-around. It also showcases a "birthday bong" for select diners. Really. [Between Meals]

• CHOW's Cocktail Square Off will take place on September 25th. Expect an Iron Chef-like competition. Mario won't be there, but there may be drunk people nonetheless. [Jalapeno Girl]

• "Yellow haricots verts." [Hedonia]

• This weekend marks the inaugural Gastronomy by the Bay conference at San Francisco's Ferry Building. Food big wigs will be discussing all the usual hot topics, from organic produce to food blogs. [Zagat Buzz]

• Fried chicken at Chez Panisse? Now we've seen everything! [Between Meals]

• Scotch eggs, explained. [Becks & Posh]

• AHT offers some grilling tips for your holiday weekend festivities. [A Hamburger Today]

• Here's more than you ever wanted to know about calling men and women fat. For instance, men are "portly" while women are "plump." Conclusion: the University of California Press is spending their money very well. [The Grinder]

• Opening and operating a restaurant in San Francisco is hard. Very hard. [Bay Area Bites]

• Pres a Vi has another encouraging review to put in its portfolio. [Daily Feed]

• Hard Knox Cafe: still a great name for a soul food joint, still holding down the Dogpatch and still delicious. [GrubGirl]

• The finest Middle Eastern restaurants in San Francisco. Marrakech is on the list but Tajine isn't? Curious, no? [Gridskipper SF]

• The New Yorker's annual food issue hits this week. [An Obsession With Food]

• Giants fans have a new watering hole and dining option in the area: Pete's Tavern. Coming soon to a MenuPages near you. (Hopefully this one) [Zagat Buzz]

• Hot dog pizza? Shrimp roll pizza? Only in Korea. So far. [Slice]

• Bunrabs made some delicious-looking quince paste, reminding us of our favorite quince quote from Rosie Perez. Name that movie: "What's a quince? It's a food Billy that starts with the letter Q, and I got seven more! I can't believe you lost the goddamn money!" [Bunrabs]

• Here's all the information for what will probably be one of San Francisco's top culinary events of the year: “Women Chefs of San Francisco Celebrating 20 Years of James Beard.” [Jalapeno Girl]

• Even though "Ratatouille" may have struggled at the box office, it was a hit among the critics and food industry alike. Plus, it sparked a new trend: kids and food. [The Grinder]

• A tea gadget worth buying. [Chez Pim]

• Hotel dining: you can't stop it, you can only hope to contain it. [Between Meals]

• Which Napa winery has "the most pleasing aesthetics"? [2cents]

• San Francisco's finest "Irish Pubs for Heavy Drinking." [Gridskipper SF]

• Some buzz about the Amateur Gourmet's upcoming book. Yay bloggers! [Amateur Gourmet]

• That elusive Korean BBQ truck that the Chowhounds were looking for? Bunrabs found it. [Daily Feed]

• Taylor's Automatic Refresher in Helena is getting a lot of votes as one of the best burgers in the entire country. [A Hamburger Today]

• Contests are always fun, especially those that involve words like "Chocolate Adventure Recipes." [Bay Area Bites]

• This week's sign of the apocalypse: an Italian nutritionist has created an "anti-wrinkle" pizza. [Slice]

• One of the main downfalls of food blogs is their penchant for releasing reviews after a mere single visit. On the other hand, newspaper reviewers often go at least three times. [Amateur Gourmet]

• This week in the Eatsdropper: "Your tag-li-a-tell" [Hedonia]

• You now have a new reason to get your Kerouac-lovin' self back to Big Sur. [Zagat Buzz]

• Least. Vegan Sandwich. Ever. [Hedonia]

• Sam's back and is sharing the single-best cooking tip we've heard in the last ... seven weeks. [Becks & Posh]

• Does anyone actually care that some restaurants are super-loud? [Between Meals]

• Here's the scoop on "Gourmet Next Door," the new show starring Amy Finley, the winner of "The Next Food Network Star." [The Grinder]

• An ode to the mother of all cooking shows, Julia Child. [Bay Area Bites]

• On the Americanization and San Franciscanization of Asian food, by Michael Bauer. [Between Meals]

• Macarons, Macaroons. Macarons, Macaroons. [Gridskipper SF]

• File this in the "Huh?" Category: "...now there’s news that [Gwyneth] Paltrow will be cohosting a cooking show with Mario Batali." Rumor has it that the PBS program will feature the lithe Paltrow and rotund Batali on a culinary tour of Spain. Oh my. [The Grinder]

• The king of Cow Hollow returns. Brasserie Vache will be back in November. [Zagat Buzz]

• The big bowl of braised beef at Bar Bambino beckons. [Daily Feed]

• Cooky folk abound in New York. [Eater]

• Food blog fight! Food blog fight! Los Angeles, still apparently stinging from Michael Bauer's opinion-laced article about their restaurants, found some faults with Bauer's definition of "esoteric ingredients." Your move, Signore Bauer. [The Grinder]

• Meanwhile, on the original glossary-like post on the Bauer Blog, no one really cares, despite a commenter's attempt to create a ruckus. (And we have to side with the non-plussed crowd, aka San Francisco.) [Between Meals]

• The 20th Anniversary shindig at Toronado was quite the specialty beer-laced party. Bonus: they will continue to serve the anniversary ales until they run out, so we recommend stopping by this week. [SFist]

• Lol Tun Restaurant in the Mission: mediocre tacos, subpar burritos but ample, ample amounts of heroin. And by ample, we mean $170,000 worth. Heavens. [SFist]

• Raw milk has been in the news a lot lately, hasn't it? [Chez Pim]

• In the video below, Domino's presents the Oreo Pizza and the Oreo Pizza Mustache. See, you get the mustache because there are just so many Oreos on the pizza. And you thought Domino's was gross! [Slashfood]

• BAB heads to The Old Clam House for some seafood, fresh and en fuego. [Bay Area Bites]

• Both the food and design at Farina have received quite the praise from local architects. [Curbed SF]

• They know what you want: the best people-watching destinations in San Francisco. [Gridskipper SF]

• Piperade inspires a delicious-looking quinoa salad. [Hedonia]

• Knowing what those Italian words on a menu mean is well important, isn't it? Ma certo. [Between Meals]

• Remember how we reported earlier that Gavin Newsom is banning bottled water from municipal buildings? Yeah, the bottled water industry isn't thrilled about that. Insert your "Zoolander" jokes here. [SFist]

• Brick is just the latest restaurant to switch from small plates to, um, normal-sized ones. [Between Meals]

• San Francisco dive bars! We see how some of these places are considered dives, but a real dive bar makes the first-time visitor feel one thing and one thing only: discomfort. [Gridskipper SF]

• Have you ever wondered just how much and how often menu prices change? [Diner's Journal]

• The "Top Chef 3" finale is being taped right now ... in Aspen, of all places. [Eater LA]

• Here's one item to scratch from your list of ideas on how to get that 8pm at Myth. [Between Meals]

• Bottled water has been banned from municipal locations. Look for filtered systems all over town soon. [Curbed SF]

• We kinda love the idea of "figs in a blanket." [Bunrabs]

• Holy Killer Tomato Tasting Menu Batman! [Zagat Buzz]

• Do not talk to Pim about Thai green curry paste. [Chez Pim]

*not really evil

• Anyone who's anyone knows that wifi cafes are only for yuppies. All the cool kids go to wifi bars. [Gridskipper SF]

• Napa Valley: SOLD! [The Grinder]

• Trader Joe's ventures into Asian slur territory. [Becks & Posh]

• Good champagne and food can be had in the Financial District at The Bubble Lounge. As an added incentive, a certain former mayor has also been rumored to partake in imbibing there. Former! [SFist]

[Video of British people walking on desserts via The Grinder]

Know of a blog that should be on our blogroll? Share it!

• A confession: one of our favorite food blog weekly "events" is the "Eatsdropper" feature at Hedonia. Notable from this week's overheard conversation is the following market exchange: Girlfriend, tasked with getting the largest free-range roaster, after being shown a gigantic 8-1/2 pound bird: "Do you have anything bigger than this?" Meat counter guy (deadpan): "Yeah, they're called turkeys." [Hedonia]

• From The Four Seasons to Per Se, even most upscale restaurants have bountiful tales of drunken debauchery. [Eater]

• SoMa's Bacar has gotten a nice little facelift, including a wine salon. [Zagat Buzz]

• That is certainly one super market. [Cooking with Amy]

• So, about those USDA regulations that say raw almonds have to be "either steam treated or doused in carcinogenic motorcycle fuel" ... [The Grinder]

• The San Francisco Drunken Dining Guide, brought to by Gridskipper. On the list (among others): Pizza Orgasmica, El Farolito and Grubstake. Not on the list: Taqueria San Jose and the always fine Mel's Drive-In, but all in all, a pretty darn good list. [Gridskipper SF]

• Many North Beach goers have found a Nua favorite wine bar/restaurant. [Bay Area Bites]

• Now he's done it. Bauer's take on the LA dining scene has (predictably) sparked some controversy. [Eater LA, Between Meals]

• Happy National Cheesecake Day! [The Grinder]

• A new book details an actor's relentless pursuit of top-notch wine and food in a new Italian life. Sounds like a must-read for both food enthusiasts and "L.A. Law" fans. Either way. [Jalapeno Girl]

• Manresa, arguably the second best restaurant in California, has been cooking bugs and moths ... for its biodynamic garden. [Chez Pim]

• There's a new website (www.bringsome.com) that helps expats find those precious, precious items that can be found in abundance at home (wherever that may be) but not in their current country. For example, there's one user by the name of mikenstn that wants a carton of Virginia Slims quite badly. [Gridskipper]

• This isn't food-related, but it's internet-related and drink-related. Yesterday, some of you web-surfer folk may have noticed that some of your favorite websites (Yelp, Technorati, Craigslist, Typepad et al.) were down for a period of time. At the time, it was assumed that the problem was related to yesterday's power outages in the Financial District (the affected sites all use datacenter 365 Main). Well, the truth is that it's because a drunk person "went beserk and f***ed up a lot of stuff." No, really. [Valleywag]

• Michael Bauer's take on Grant Achatz. [Between Meals]

• Sam from Becks & Posh presents a guide for showing foreign visitors San Francisco's best dining and drinking destinations. It's like the food bible for tourists. [Becks & Posh]

• By looking to pass a bill that increases corn subsidies, Nancy Pelosi is experiencing the wrath of food activists. Don't mess with them, Nancy. They're scary. [The Grinder]

• As usual, Zagat's got the first look inside a new restaurant. This time, Cow Hollow's Palmetto. [Zagat Buzz]

• Nothing says delicious like oven cleaner in your ballpark french fries. Yum! [With Leather]

• Very sad news from Chicago: Alinea's Grant Achatz, easily one of the best chefs in the country, has been diagnosed with cancer. Here's wishing him a speedy recovery. [Diner's Journal]

• G'skip provides a list of destinations in the Mission that are sure to seal the deal. Now we're not sure that the Mission is the best neighborhood for business dining, but ... oh. [Gridskipper SF]

• A food blogger gets an (excellent) article published in the Chron. The blogsphere is confused as to whether or not they should direct snarkiness toward it. [SFist]

• When the timing between courses is all messed up, who is really at fault in the restaurant? [Between Meals]

• Even McDonald's gets priced out of some cities. [Grub St]

• Gluten-free cooking can be tricky, but there are plenty of options out there. [Bay Area Bites]

• Food Pornography 101, from one of the people behind the computer graphics from "Ratatouille." [Becks & Posh]

• Forget iPhones, the new in-demand items are ... shopping bags? [Chez Pim]

• The guide to Sam Spade's San Francisco. [Gridskipper SF]

• It's official: Bocadillos is a must-try. [Between Meals]

• Fort Mason was chocolate-y this weekend. [SFist]

• In today's shocking news of the day, a food critic feels airline food could use some improvements. [Diner's Journal]

• The Restaurant Whore found a new favorite website. Sadly it's not ours. You might be interested in it nonetheless. [Confessions of a Restaurant Whore]

• UC Davis is working on turning sheep into walking lawnmowers. No, really. [The Grinder]

• Michael Bauer thinks there might be an East Coast food bias. [Between Meals]

• The early verdict on District Wine Bar is ... [Zagat Buzz]

• That Whole Foods CEO has quite the non-anonymous mouth. [Becks & Posh]

• Speaking of which, the Potrero Whole Foods is getting closer and closer. [Metroblogging SF]

• MenuGate is back in New York! [Eater]

Oh, and don't forget about Sunday's AIDS Walk!

• What does "Ratatouille" have to do with Jewish assimilation? Funny you should ask. [The Amateur Gourmet]

• There was a huge celebrity wedding in Europe this past weekend. Yes, that's right! Wolfgang Puck got hitched! [Eater LA]

• Gratuity tax, explained. [Between Meals]

• "99 bottles of beer from around the world on the wall, 99 bottles of beer from around the world ..." [Slashfood]

• Very few things are more entertaining than urban legends, and there are scores of food-related ones out there. Among the best: Red Bull gives you tumors, worms in Big Macs, no chicken in KFC, and the granddaddy of all food-related urban legends: Mikey exploded from Pop Rocks and Coke. [The Grinder]

• Stop the presses! Hide your babies! The yogurt wars are coming to San Francisco! [Curbed SF]

• Now that American produce has eclipsed its Euro counterparts, David Lebovitz asks the big question: is American food better than French food? [David Lebovitz]

• While in Sin City, Sam visited one of the best people-watching lunch spots in the country. [Becks & Posh]

• In case you were wondering, Range is still delicious. [Between Meals]

Know a food blog that should on our blogroll? Email us.

• SFist helps out the world and themselves at Mission Pie. [SFist]

• The Oakland outpost of Levende is getting high marks already. [Gastronomie]

• Burritoeater headed to a much-improved Taqueria San Francisco and had this to say about the burrito there: "the whole exceeded the sum of the parts, and at our favorite corner table on a sunny summer evening, everything seemed pretty alright for awhile." [Burritoeater]

• If a burrito at Mariachi's Taqueria comes with tofu, jasmine rice and Thai spice, is it still a burrito? Uh, no. [Burritophile]

• So, what exactly is a biodynamic wine? [Bay Area Bites]

[Photo courtesy: what about the plastic animals?]

• Do you want to be a food snob? Are you aching for the proper vocabulary to describe a particularly jammy red wine? Do you find yourself aimlessly nodding and smiling when your more sophisticated pretentious co-worker uses the word "lusty" to describe a salad from Mixt Greens? Look no futher than David Kamp's "The Food Snob's Dictionary." [Grub St]

• The Italians, never a people to bicker about inconsequential matters, are having a civil war about garlic. Former PM Silvio Berlusconi hates the stuff: “He considers garlic very dangerous for the environment, his personal environment." Bravo Italia. [The Grinder]

• It was only a matter of time: choco-maps. [Gridskipper]

• Decanting, deconstructed. [An Obsession With Food]

• Tasty free range burgers abound in the East Bay. There's a "we didn't know burgers could walk" joke in here somewhere. [SFist]

Know of a Bay Area food blog that should be on our blogroll? Send us an electronic letter.

• Durian tastes like butterscotch. What are we missing here? [The Grinder]

• Everyone and their mom is becoming a blogger: McDonald's hires "Mom bloggers." [Slashfood ]

• There's a lobster war going on in New York. Nothing's more entertaining than chef feuds. Nothing. [Gawker]

• Sorry Rob Zombie, the World's Sexiest Vegetarian is ... [Stereohyped]

• Here's the meat on the looming San Francisco burger craze; at least three will open soon. [Zagat Buzz]

• A new blog has magically appeared on Chowhound, and it's already showing love for Perbacco. [Tasting Notes]

• Tired of plain, tired apricot jam? Try jam made from endangered apricots! It goes great as a garnish for giant panda ribs. [SFist]

• Eating 60 hot dogs in 10 minutes is not good for your jaw. [Deadspin]

• Finally, RIP Rod Beck. A true Giant in the Bay Area. It's never fair when people like Rod Beck die.

• On the value of smell, when it comes to wine. [An Obsession With Food]

• On the uptight service at The French Laundry. [Bay Area Bites]

• On duck testicles at Incanto. [Daily Feed]

• On the (Faulknerian) opening night of a restaurant. [Gastronomie]

• On smoking chefs. [Between Meals]

• This week's sign of the apocalypse: eWine Match allows you to text an ingredient or dish to an easy-to-remember number (411511) and it will tell you what wines match. It works pretty well. Or so we've heard. [SFist]

• Hey ... so ... about those carcinogenic almonds you're eating ... [The Grinder]

• Restaurant critics can be unpopular amongst restaurateurs. [Between Meals]

• Who likes tiki bars? Eh? [Gridskipper SF]

• Michael Bauer lists his favorite dishes of all-time. [Between Meals]

• Does it get any better than a bacon picnic in the park, with a little bit of fruit? [Bay Area Bites]

• It's always nice when you can take some time off to write a food book. [Confessions of a Restaurant Whore]

• Technology is well important, isn't it? [Becks & Posh]

• Add small plates revolutionary Chez Nous to this morning's list of closings. [Zagat Buzz]

• Now you can make your own custom wine at Crushpad. We'd explain more, but we don't really get it. [SFist]

• Someone has been stealing Pim's content and she is pissed (rightly so, we might add). [Chez Pim]

• Absinthe has legally come to the shores of America. [Grub St]

• Why we heart California: at Sonoma State, you can now earn an MBA in Wine Business. [SFist]

• Massive debt. Minimum wage. Sign us up for cooking school at the California Culinary Academy! [Jalapeno Girl]

• There's nothing like the thrill of promotion to restaurant management. [Buon Appetito!]

• Chatting on cell phones at restaurants is obviously in poor taste. Is it any worse than screaming babies? Discuss. [Between Meals]

• Your mission for Mission coffee in the Mission just got a little bit easier. Mission. [Gridskipper SF]

• Sometimes, ordering correctly is half the battle. [Bunrab]

• Discover why so many people consider Bi-Rite Creamery to have the best ice cream in the city. [Confessions of a Restaurant Whore]

• Who isn't a sucker for new beverages? Especially liquid rhubarb. [Becks & Posh]

• Pim's got a load of beautiful pictures from her Spanish vacation. [Chez Pim]

• Everybody's talking about brining meat a la Judy Rodgers and we heartily approve. [An Obsession With Food]

Some things to consider after you finish rounding up the usual suspects ...

• What kind of restaurants will never get a Chron review? Non-trendy ones, basically. [Between Meals]

• Remember that New York burger craze a little while back? It's about to hit the West Coast. [Zagat Buzz]

• Having trouble getting your kids to eat their ice-cream sandwiches? Try animal molds. [The Grinder]

• Tired of the same old Asian noodles? Angkor Borei might be a good option, what with Cambodian food being the new Thai food. [The Digest]

• Confused? Mario Batali's list of his top five cities for foodies includes six cities and not one of them is San Francisco. [Eater LA]

• Michael Bauer lists the best breakfast joints in the city. Dottie's True Blue Cafe and Pork Store Cafe made the list; Boulettes Larder and Los Jarritos did not. [Between Meals]

• Taqueria Vallarta is back, baby! [Burritoeater]

• Bursa Kebab would like to have a word with your list of Best Middle Eastern eats. [Gridskipper SF]

• Ever wonder what a sushi restaurant looks like from the fish's point of view? [An Obsession With Food]

• New menu-listing sites are popping up faster than new presidential hopefuls. [SFist]

• Houston's is one of the most clicked menus on both our San Francisco and New York sites. Sam from Becks & Posh, who fancies herself a foodie extraordinaire, had an evening there that was "perfect." Beware the rise of the chain restaurant. [Becks & Posh]

• At some point, every parent has to introduce his/her child to the horrors of fast food. For one father, it was a successful mission. This line alone is worth the read: "We walked up, ordered a Happy Meal from the predictably apathetic and idiotic cashier -- he screwed up our order, and all he had to do was press a button with a picture of a cheeseburger -- and sat down at a booth." [The Poop]

• In Manhattan--the land of holy pastrami, $30 lobster rolls and gourmet burgers--the best sandwich in New York City is .... 'wichcraft's bacon, egg and gorgonzola. We have one here too. Let the scrutiny begin. [Grub St]

• What's the deal with whale meat? [The Grinder]

• Chinatown has become a standard-bearer for the homecooked Chinese meal. [Between Meals]

• Gridskipper got a facelift. And drunk. [Gridskipper SF]

• Everything, everyone goes mainstream at some point. [Between Meals]

• "Ultrarare Burmese Fermented Tea Leaves, To Go." What more is there to say? [The Digest]

• Toasters have come a long way. [Slashfood]

• What is this? Pinkberry ... at Stonestown? Maybe? [Curbed SF]

[Photo courtesy: Roadfood]

• Oh thank heavens: Carlo Petrini and CUESA have commenced peace talks. The world's farms can continue growing potatoes. [Bay Area Bites]

• With all the controversy in New York surrounding the lack of female chefs in the kitchen, it's nice to know that this progressive little city of ours doesn't have the same issues. [Gridskipper SF]

• At Perbacco, Sam went through a lengthy trial and error process to uncover the new Italian restaurant's gems: pasta and salumi. [Becks & Posh]

• If you can't get in to Zuni Cafe, you could do worse than Foreign Cinema. A lot worse. [Bunrabs]

• Nothing says patriotism like a boozey weekend. [SFist]

• Restaurants spend a lot more money on bread than you think. Some spend up to $60,00 a year. [Between Meals]

• Chocolate mousse + basil gelee = deliciousness. [Chez Pim]

• Zagat put together a list of the best outdoor dining destinations in the city. On the list: Isa , The Terrace at the Ritz-Carltone, Zazie and more. [Zagat Buzz]

• The Burritoeater speaks! [SFist]

• The Harry Potter craze has now reached the culinary world. [The Grinder]

• Online quizzes are always fun, even ones about the history of the hamburger. [A Hamburger Today]

• "Hey let's make a perfume that smells like a food item" ... "Great idea, what were you thinking along the lines of? Cherries? Truffles?" ... "No--blue cheese!" [An Obsession With Food]

[Photo courtesy: Burritoeater]

• A new study says that more than 10 cups of green tea a day might be harmful. Is this like that "betcha can't drink a gallon of milk!" challenge? [Megnut]

• Marco Pierre White, en fuego. [Gawker]

• Nice restaurants are totally ruining the world. [The Grinder]

• Ever wonder how many times a critic usually goes to a restaurant before reviewing it? [Between Meals]

• Ever wonder if that mandatory gratuity for a large group is actually mandatory? [Between Meals]

• If the Beatles turned into pizzas, they would look like this. [Slice]

• Veganism ... probably not so great in the long run. [Accidental Hedonist]

• And to prove that point, the Dalai Lama developed hepatitis after undertaking strict vegetarianism during the 60s. He now apparently loves veal. This just goes to show you that not all Buddhists are vegetarians. [The Grinder]

• Tired of the same old burgers on Memorial Day? Here are recipes for ten creative burgers, including lentil-almond burgers and a wasabi salmon burger. [Slashfood]

• On his blog, Chris Cosentino explains that duck fries are not french fries cooked in duck fat. They are duck testicles. Get it right, people. [Offal Good]

• Gridskipper put together a little list of the "culinary highlights" of The Bay. On the list: Anchor Steam, The Slanted Door. Not on the list: Chez Panisse, The Cheeseboard Collective. [Gridskipper SF]

• Michael Bauer's going on a diet. Um, what? [Between Meals]

• What the deuce? Someone is arguing that San Francisco burritos "aren't even close" to San Diego burrito. Sacrilege. [SFist]

• First impressions at Piqueo's were mostly all favorable for the KQED bunch. Piqueo's piquant picadillos in particular piqued interest. [Bay Area Bites]

• What should come first: a smoke break or customer service? [Buon Appetito!]

• Bauer's got more proof that prunes really are old-people candy. In a recent survey of "Senior Favorites," prune juice was #1, canned prunes were #4 and dried prunes were #8, which leads us to a very important question ... who the hell sponsors these surveys? [Between Meals]

• San Francisco's going through a bit of a chef merry-go-round. Jamie Lauren is switching from Levende to Absinthe, while Mauro Pando, formerly of Lark Creek Inn is jumping over to Grand Cafe. A host of other types of upheaval abound as well. Chaos is sure to ensue. [Zagat Buzz]

• Speaking of ensuing chaos, Michael Bauer wonders about a child's right to drink wine ... [Between Meals]

• ... while Grub Street, hot off their big absinthe scoop, takes a peek at the forbidden fruit of alcohol, moonshine. [Grub St]

• If you don't know what vacherin is, just know that Coco500 has it on the dessert menu and it's really just a "powerhouse dessert." [Bunrab]

• We are oh-so-glad that The Grinder picked this up, because without a doubt, this video is the most brilliant thing you'll see today. [The Grinder]

• An aesthetically-pleasing photo essay of a "Food and Wines of Spain" cooking class at Tante Marie lies at Becks & Posh. [Becks & Posh]

• It's turning into a very alcoholic day around the San Francisco blogosphere as our gal Amanda Kludt serves up the city's best whiskey bars. [Gridskipper SF]

• The secrets to plating fancy desserts, revealed. [Bay Area Bites]

• "Ice creeeaaam!! Ice creeeaaam!!" (Eddie Murphy standup anyone? No? Ok then.) [SFist]

• The Edinburgh Castle apparently serves up a Brit-approved version of fish and chips, but the big news is that they're served in newspaper, which was banned in Britain during the 80s. [Becks & Posh]

• The Bunrabs crew ventured into Out the Door at the Westfield San Francisco Centre, only to discover that the latest dining option in the mall is a couple steps above the likes of Panda Express. [Bunrab]

• Daniel Patterson's opening day for Coi was so busy that it warranted two posts on Chez Pim. Here's the second installment. [Chez Pim]

• Marco Pierre White's book, read and analyzed. [Jalapeno Girl]

• Food bloggers are all about new technology ... well, except us. [The Grinder]

• About a year ago, Daniel Patterson opened Coi. Since then, his little fine-dining joint has quickly become one of San Francisco's best overall restaurants. In honor of his one-year anniversary, he's taken guest blogger duties at Chez Pim in order to share the terrors of a restaurant's opening day. [Chez Pim]

• Crossing the border into Berkeley bodes well for Ms. Gastronomie, and with drinks like "Death in the Afternoon," you have to wonder why T-Rex BBQ isn't a more popular brunch destination. [Gastronomie]

• Girlfriend Getaways is a new travel magazine for women aged 22-72 (no, really) that has highlighted some feminine destinations in San Francisco. Among the picks: Nopa, Quince and Zeitgeist. One of these is unlike the other. [Gridskipper SF]

• Some people get all the breaks. We've been on that soup list for god-knows-how-long and do we ever get a free soup? Noooo. [SFist]

• Our pick for the most underrated Mexican delight? No, not Rodolfo Neri Vela. Tortas! [Jalapeno Girl]

• Ms. Pim got a digital camera with a video feature. Now you can watch her purchase unidentifiable culinary goods in video form. [Chez Pim]

• A return to Oliveto (kind of) changes one blogger's prior opinion on the Oakland restaurant. [An Obsession With Food]

• There is a Malaysian-taught, Swiss man who roasts pork knuckles for the Filipino market in Daly City. And why shouldn't there be? [Gridskipper SF]

• We already told you about Marco Pierre White's San Francisco stop, but here's the rest of his American tour. [Zagat Buzz]

• You never know what that wacky Danny DeVito is going to do next. Now, he's putting his name on limoncello. Oh, that Danny. [The Grinder]

• And in case you were wondering what exactly limoncello is, check out one of our local blogs. [Hedonia]

• Anyone want anything from Starbucks? [Eater]

• Because we bet you didn't know that araucana chickens naturally pop out multi-colored pastel eggs ... [Bunrab]

• Because the literary underground needs to eat as well ... [Gridskipper]

• Because now you finally have a way to have vodka with cereal ... [Slashfood]

• Because nothing screams cool and slim like a computer game about a chocolatier ... (we kid, we kid) [Bay Area Bites]

• Because you needed something appetizing before dinner ... [Megnut]

• Because sometimes restaurants have silly but entertaining names ... [Diner's Journal]

• And because your meat identification skills can win you $10. [Gastronomie]

• At BAB, Presidio Social Club gets a somewhat mixed review. Lots of points are awarded for the nostalgia-inducing menu and the dessert tastings, though many of other dishes are described as "poor attempt[s]" suffering from some "false advertising." [Bay Area Bites]

• Manresa has announced its special events for the year. You best run to the nearest phone before everything gets snatched up ... Too late. [Manresa Blog]

• A return to a Globe reminds one diner that good restaurants can definitely remain that way, despite the evolution of San Francisco. [Gastronomie]

• Becks & Posh, relishing in the success of the last Thursday's success, reminisces about how this whole "blog" business got started. [Becks & Posh]

• The Beer Fest: could it not be fun? [SFist]

• If you don't save our chocolate, who will? [Chez Pim]

• We're jealous of the extravagant English dinner party--complete with a deconstructed beef Wellington--tossed by Amanda Berne and Sam Breach. We promise to lay off the English food jokes .. for a month. [Becks & Posh]

• What does a restaurant critic do when there are no new dining destinations to go visit? Why, recycle the greatest hits, of course. [Between Meals]

• Food Philosophy 101: If Restaurant Magazine's list of the top 50 restaurants in the world includes one Asian entry, is it still a list of the top 50 restaurants in the world? [The Grinder]

• Jeez, those Angelenos sure got a little carried away with National Grilled Cheese Month. [Eater LA]

• Sometimes, people just really want to look in the restaurant's kitchen, OK? [BBC]

Well, guess what? It turns out the AG spent a few more days in the City, continuing his greatest hits tour of the Bay.

Adam tackled one of the best (read: busiest) bakeries in town on a lazy Monday morning, thinking that it couldn't possibly be busy. Wrong. Tartine was buzzing with people waiting in line, but the jamon and gruyere sandwich hit the spot, despite being a little greasy. A huckleberry-almond tart polished off a harried but satisfying experience.

Continue reading "The Blueprint, Continued" »

• Very few things are more entertaining than a shill, revealed. And then denied. [Gastronomie]

• Exploring Chinatown--any Chinatown--should be a mandatory requirement for anyone who likes food and adventure. [An Obsession With Food]

• Bunrabs looked for the late-night dining scene and found it at Grubstake, a no-frills diner that used to be a railroad car. [Bunrabs]

• Sorry drunk hippies, there will be no booze at this year's 30th Haight Street Fair. [Curbed SF]

• Pim returns in a blaze of strawberries in hibiscus and vanilla syrup. [Chez Pim]

[Photo via SFist]

• In yet another positive review for the new Hawthorne Lane, Bay Area Bites likes TWO much better the second time around. There's dumb wisecrack about numbers in here somewhere. [Bay Area Bites]

• Lamb sugo and shells at Wood Tavern make the Oakland newbie an instant favorite. [Gastronomie]

• Farms: so hot right now. Farms. [ZagatBuzz]

• Mr. Bauer wants beef Wellington ... now! [Between Meals]

• Hey, weird. [Gridskipper]

He started off his trip on Saturday morning at the Ferry Building and Farmers' Market, with the help of some other food bloggers. The team then proceeded to sample the marketplace's greatest hits: fancy jams, berries, artichokes, oysters ("like the sea in a glob"), salami, gourmet chocolates and finally, some ricotta from Cowgirl Creamery. Oh, and champagne. Because nothing says decadence like drinking before noon.

After the jump: Ad Hoc, Taqueria Pancho Villa and Zuni. One of these is not like the other.

Continue reading "Blogging About Blogging: The Amateur Gourmet Comes To The Bay" »

It's Patriots' Day (not to be confused with Patriot Day); did you show your appreciation to your local minutemen?

• Continue to make your reservations for Thursday, April 26th, which is Dining Out For Life Day. A full list of participating restaurants is available here. Meanwhile, Sam suggests stopping by Acme Chophouse, not only one of the city's finest steakhouses but also one of its most progressive businesses. [Becks & Posh]

• Pim is in France. They have pigs there as well. C'est vrai! [Chez Pim]

• The anatomy of the buyback, continued. [Eater]

• Bunrabs is back and better than ever! Sure, we love every pixel of every photo essay at The French Laundry, but we can't help the bitter, bitter envy that arises during viewing. [Bunrabs]

• A Chowhound-recommended charcuterie that's not named the Fatted Calf? Blasphemy! [The Digest]

• Michael Bauer stopped by AT&T Park for a baseball contest involving the Giants. He wondered why the Grill Giants Dog is smaller than the Super Dog. No word on his take on the Giants' bullpen. [Between Meals]

• One of our favorite bloggers, Derrick Schneider, reveals that the official beer of the Slow Food movement just might be Cantillon, one of Belgium's last remaining lambics. He even wrote a piece in today's Chronicle about it. Required reading for beer lovers. [An Obsession with Food]

• If illegal drugs can't be turned into soda pop and marketed to kids as "Liquid Cocaine" and "Speed in a Can," then the terrorists have already won. Won't someone please think of the children? [The Grinder]

• The Bay Area's finest Japanese food blog has a beautiful photo essay from a visit to New York's A Voce. The blog's written in Japanese, not about Japanese food. But you can still look at the pretty, pretty pictures. [Where The Wild Things Are]

• The 13th episode of the Beard-nominated "Check, Please!" is now available online. This week, the crew visits the House of Prime Rib, among others. No cloned meat has been reported there ... yet. [Bay Area Bites]

• Are you a certified Super Taster? [Jalapeno Girl]

• What's this? A health food(ish) craze that didn't start in San Francisco? Let's get on the ball, people. We're slippin'. [Gridskipper]

• Good news: Dive hasn't dove. It's just been pressing bacon or moisturizing or something. We're not really sure. [Dive]

• Our Gridskipper gal Amanda Kludt reveals where the old things are in San Francisco. Sadly, no San Francisco Giants made the list. Thousand-year-old eggs and sourdough did though. [Gridskipper]

• Think you're smarter than Michael Bauer and the rest of the Chronicle food staff? Prove it. [Between Meals]

• We told you that grilled cheese sandwiches have replaced Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole Smith as the most-discussed subject on the internets. [The Grinder]

• Mario Batali's name will be put on General Mills frozen dinners. This is almost as bad as his NASCAR cookbook. Can't you just see Courtney Love in the supermarket frozen food section, looking absolutely flummoxed: "Batali or Stouffer's? Batali or Stouffer's? Well, I've got history with Mario, but that meatloaf is just too good to pass up. Screw it, I'm going with Stouffer's." [Megnut]

• And here we thought that we were wasting our time. [A Hamburger Today]

• The Social Diva reminds us that April 26th is the Sixth Annual Dining Out For Life. 25 percent of your bill at participating restaurants is donated to the Stop AIDS project. Consider this is the first of many reminders you will encounter here at MenuPages: The Blog. [Social Diva]

•The Accidental Hedonist follows in Wolfgang Puck's footsteps and goes organic and all-natural. But for Easter egg dying. Same thing. In true organic form, the eggs looked worse but were more expensive. [Accidental Hedonist]

•The red coloring of Greek Easter eggs represents the blood of Christ. Cracking the Greek Easter egg symbolizes Jesus resurrecting from the tomb. Throwing away the shell of the Greek Easter egg signifies how the Pope doesn't like abortion. [Bay Area Bites]

•Just because we love Kinder eggs, here's a wonderful photo essay. [Becks & Posh]

•Jalapeno Girl's Easter menu includes no jalapenos. We feel ripped off. [Jalapeno Girl]

•Never one to wax poetic on inedible eggs and (hopefully) inedible rabbits, the food critic with the most weight in the land instead muses on how many upscale eateries have become exclusive communities. So Mr. Bruni, is The Waverly Inn more of a Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard? [Diner's Journal]

•The Chronicle's own food guru also eschews this so-called "Easter" in favor of real topics, like the surprising lack of izakayas in San Francisco. [Between Meals]

• KQED reveals that the FDA is considering altering the standards for what qualifies as chocolate. We wonder if this had anything to do with it. [Bay Area Bites]

• Some people just like to brag. [Between Meals]

• Us? We like to complain. Like about how Bunrab's Gutenburg's extended vacation makes us yearn for Europe. [Daily Feed]

• Speaking of European dreams, these amazing photos of Paris during printemps don't exactly quell the aforementioned depression. [The Girl Who Ate Everything]

• And now you know: cows give us energy in more ways than one. [Curbed]

• Breaking: Due to the scrutiny and controversy, Becks & Posh quits writing about food! And wishes us a Happy April Fool's Day in the process. [Becks & Posh]
• Meanwhile, Pim tosses her hat into the blogger versus food writer ring, saying she doesn't want to be identified with all bloggers, but she's just as qualified as many food writers. [chez pim]
• Getting back to normal food blog topics, Disney is in some heat due to its new product: champagne for kids (really). Just when you thought Disney had reached rock bottom with Chicken Run, they go and produce champagne for kids. No word on whether the public is reacting better to Disney's other new product, toddler cigarettes. [Grub Report]
• The Gastrologica guys have a beef with the labeling of Wagyu and Kobe beef. Get it? They have a beef! Nevermind. Nonetheless, it's a pretty interesting post; we had no idea we were going to learn about Kobe beef when we woke up today. [Gastrologica]

• Pollo Asado: good in combination with other meats (like pastor), but not so hot on its own. [Burritophile]
• La Toma Taqueria: reviewed. The cheese: not melted. The construction: infallible. The result: 8.08 mustaches. [Burrito Eater]
• Becks & Posh, fresh off a tiff with the big-shots, decides to make Hot Cross Buns in order to make the house smell like Easter. [Becks & Posh]
• Speaking of strong odors, Michael Bauer does not like cologne. And you thought blogs just covered worthless fodder. [Between Meals]
• And, in case you missed the whole no-more-plastic-bags-in-SF deal earlier this week, SFist has a nice lil' recap. [SFist]

• Continuing his national tour, the BauerBlog headed to New York and was not very impressed with two of Manhattan's newer (and lauded) hotspots, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Devi. According to the great MB, Robuchon's new spot was thoroughly o-k. The cuisine wasn't terribly original and despite some outstanding dishes (like the foie gras mousse), it was a surprisingly expensive meal that was simply not in the same league as Per Se, Alinea or even the Bay Area stalwarts. He had similar thoughts on Devi; though Devi was impressive in its own way, Palo Alto's Junnoon is still preferable in the upscale Indian department. [Between Meals]
• Pim at Manresa, the photo series. Wow ... just wow. It's photos like these that remind us why Manresa is consistently ranked at the top of the Bay Area food chain, right next to The French Laundry. [chez pim]
• Becks & Posh, experimentin' in the kitchen.[Becks & Posh]
• Our favorite spelunker, closin' down restaurants. [Dive]
• Speaking of negative news, don't be in a hurry to check out District Wine Bar, unless of course, you want beef carpaccio "slathered" in bottled Caesar-salad dressing. Hm. [Gastronomie]
• Of the 50 signs that you might be an asshole customer, our favorite is #20: "You get sat five minutes before closing and say 'We don’t want to be rushed.'" #31 and #42 are up there too. [Waiter Rant]