Friday, January 28, 2011

Sushi Sasabune


Sushi and seafood top the list of food's I miss while living in Buenos Aires. So if you can only eat so much when coming back for a visit, Sasabune is the my choice. I had good sushi in San Francisco, but none tops the omakase at Sasabune in Los Angeles for me. 

The photo above is something I can't seem to get in BA: good albacore sashimi. It's the starter everytime and is perfect. It melts in your mouth like butter and preps you for the next 6-7 plates that come your way. Perfect.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) from Yank Sing



After Suppenküche, my other food "must" in San Francisco are the Yank Sing soup dumpling. These little morsels of heaven are too hard to find elsewhere at their level of quality. Cold broccoli with oyster sauce is always a good pairing. For all my trips there, this was the 1st when I was with J Abromovitz

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Memphis Minnie's BBQ Joint in San Francisco

Virgil's BBQ in New York was a nice change from typical Argentinian parilla's. But I went to Virgil's my first day in the United States...and I'm here for 3 weeks. So I had to try some new places this trip.



Upon a recommendation, I went to Memphis Minnie's BBQ joint on Haight St. Couldn't ask for a better meal. I ordered the St. Louis Ribs and Memphis meat combo. So the ribs were smoked with dry rub and bare for whatever sauce I wanted. The meat was slow cooked/smoked pork shoulder that was juicy and had the perfect texture. Their side dish options are solid, with big chunks of sweet potato and smoked beans as my choices...and the included cornbread.

The photo does not do the quality of the meal any justice.

Memphis BBQ Ribs from Virgil's



I've been to well over 100 BBQ joints in the United States over the years. In the past, I'd hop in the car and go on month long road trips with my pre-cell phone, paper directory of BBQ locations. Once I had a cell phone and 7 years later and iPhone, it made it that much easier to go on BBQ exploration.

So it's at times embarrassing when I tell people I meet in places like Memphis and Arkansas, that my favorite Memphis style rib, or any BBQ, is in fact in New York City. Even worse, is that it is in Time's Square. In my defense, Virgil's has been a landmark and was in Time's Square back before the drugs and prostitutes were replaced by Disney plays and corporate chains.

I often go out of my way to get to Virgil's. Sometimes it's just a random trip from California to New York to go there. Other times, it's planning a 2 day stop in New York before heading to Europe. Or last week, I opted to fly to New York first from my home in Buenos Aires, before heading to California for 2 weeks. When it comes to Virgil's, it's worth it.


There are a number of items on the menu that you won't regret getting.

But the gauge of a good BBQ joint is in the ribs. You can dress up pulled pork with different sauces, but a good rib will prove itself without the need for sauce.

Through my many excursions there, I was told by the staff to try their chicken wings. They marinate them for 3-4 days, are smoked, and the staff prides themselves that it' all about the flavor, not just splashing a ton of hot sauce on them. I knew I didn't have any room in my stomach for a full rack of ribs, mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and cornbread AND the wings, so I didn't order them. But the staff still brought me a plate free of charge just so I would try them. Can't beat that service.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Suppenküche

Suckling Pig in Bier Sauce &Venison Medallions with Potato Pancakes

Just like pizza, pastrami and Virgil's BBQ are necessary components of every New York trip I go on, Suppenküche is the key to my trips to San Francisco.

I always try to plan a SF trip with a Saturday involved, since it's the only say they serve their special Suckling Pig in Bier Sauce. I've posted about this perfect meal before. Here's my most recent Saturday Suppenküche trip from 1/8/11.




You can't go wrong with the rest of the items on the Suppenküche menu. 

When I'm fortunate enough to be in the Bay Area for a few days, I usually go there for the venison medallions for my second trip. Swapping out the spätzle for potato pancakes is a big win.



UPDATE: June 24, 2011

It's time for a new dish to be added to the Suppenkuche mix here. Behold: roast goose in bier sauce with potato pancake and red cabbage. This dish is perhaps even better than the suckling pig, which is saying a lot.


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