The Fro Fro Blog

New York Postscript

I've been back from my wonderful week in New York for a week now, and realized I neglected to report on my last day there.  Before heading out to JFK, I paid a visit to my old stomping grounds on 92nd and Madison.  A stone's throw from Spence, one of the cornerstones of my education, which is next door to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, a must-see for design devotees and, if I'm not mistaken, the setting of Lily and Bart's Gossip Girl wedding.  Not that I watch that show religiously or anything.

Anyhoo, 92nd and Madison for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Berries at Sarabeth's Kitchen with Cousin Emma.  We did the full debrief on her round-the-world travels and my dating travails.  The pancakes and the catch-up were both such treats.

 

Before heading back to San Francisco I made a couple of quick stops to pick up items so difficult to find there: really good rare roast beef from Milano Gourmet and a bagel from NY Hot Bagels (both on 89th and Third).  I savored every bite on my flight home.  

'til next time, Upper East Siders...xoxo

Park Avenue Autumn (New York)

One of the things I hear most often from fellow East Coast transplants in San Francisco is that they miss is the change of seasons.  While I was home for Thanksgiving, I got a taste of a restaurant that changes with each season.  Not just the menu, mind you -- come on, isn't everyone doing that by now?  -- but everything from the menu to the furnishings and decor, to even the name of the restaurant itself.  It's Park Avenue Autumn now, in December it'll become Park Avenue Winter, and so on.

Our family's party of eight was seated at a large, round wooden table and treated to an a amuse of sweet-tart caramel apple pops topped with seasoned bread crumbs.  I popped one in my mouth and nibbled on gingerbread while poring over the menu.  So many great-looking choices made it very difficult to decide.

   

I ultimately decided on an appetizer of Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli with Cider Lacquered Grapes, and an appetizer-sized portion of Local Diver Scallops with Red Delicious Apples in Lemongrass Broth for my main.  The ravioli were al dente, buttery rich, and topped with toasted pine nuts and parm.  The scallops were also beautifully prepared, swimming in a sea of tapioca pearls.

     

An entree size of the scallops is available, but I wanted to save room for several sides: Haricots Verts;  Miso Glazed Brussels Sprouts; Creamed Corn, Jicama & Thai Basil; and Broccoli & Cheetos.  That's right, Cheetos.  The menu even displays the registered trademark symbol, so you know it's the real thing.  Cousin Jay thought it was "gimmicky," and I thought it was odd amidst a menu and ambiance that are the antithesis of the Cheeto.  But oddly enough, it worked!  Like Indian Summer, I suppose.

   

         

Dad is usually a very good sharer, and I'd wanted to get a taste of his Lamb Shank with Saffron Cauliflower, Mint & Pistachios -- but by the time I snapped out of the trance my own dishes had put me in, all that was left on his stark white plate was a large naked bone.  Mom, on the other hand, saved me some of her Atlantic Cod with Butternut Creme Brulee and Hen of the Woods Mushrooms -- even thought it was her bargaining chip to score a taste of my scallops.  It was worth the trade: the smoky cod with the sweet creme brulee was a real winner.

For dessert, I had trouble convincing my tablemates to order any, but a few forks all around ended up digging into the Chocolate Cube (a hard chocolate shell filled with cinnamon mousse and devil's food cake) and the Caramelized Banana Crepe, Frozen Maple Mousse & Crunchy Bacon Crumbs. 

    

Fall is fleeting...in a few weeks Autumn will be gone.  Looking forward to coming back to Park Avenue to see the change of seasons.

Fro Fro's FYI:  If I have one note of caution, it would be to keep an eye on your wait staff and your bill.  They poured a second bottle of wine without asking permission, and put not one, not two, but three bottles on the bill, one of which they removed at Uncle Billy's request.

New York Post, Saturday Edition

"Shopping is my cardio." -- Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw

After Mom's magnificent Thanksgiving feast and a couple of days of the ensuing leftovers, I was ready for some Carrie Bradshaw-style cardio.  Thankfully the holiday sales are in full force, so the damage wasn't extreme.

My first stop was Smythson, the Bond Street stationer, to replenish my supply of little leather-bound books to jot things down in, plus notecards and envelopes.  There's always lots to be thankful for not just at this time of year, and Fro Fro believes in handwritten expressions of gratitude.  My parents raised me right.

Next, I hit one of Carrie's favorite cobblers, Manolo Blahnik, and a few of my favorite Fifth Avenue F's including  Fendi (It's my monogram after all!) and Ferragamo (lured in, no doubt, by the poster for Australia -- Ferragamo did Kidman's shoes for the movie). 

 

Product (RED) has set up a retail store on Fifth Avenue between 53rd and 54th where you can buy (RED) merch and support their efforts in Africa.  While there, I signed up for (RED)WIRE, their digital music magazine launching December 1.  You get exclusive tracks from major artists and (RED) gets $5/month for AIDS relief in Africa.  Learn more about (RED)WIRE and sign yourself up here.

 

After a few hours on my Fifth Avenue treadmill, I'd worked up quite an appetite.  What would Carrie do?  Lo and behold, I found sweet relief at Crumbs Bake Shop's 52nd & Madison location.  You may recall on an earlier NY visit, Crumbs was my winner in a chowdown versus Magnolia, and I'd been craving their Oreo cupcake almost every day since (on the days I'm not craving the ones from Hey Cupcake in Austin, but that's another story).  Yesterday I scratched that Oreo itch, and got a taste of their Hostess (OMG...watch out Thomas Keller!), Reese's and Cappucino varieties too. 

 

Just a taste, though.  I didn't want to spoil my appetite for dinner at Park Avenue Autumn.  Stay tuned for the delectable details!

New York Post, Tuesday Edition

I'm home-sweet-home for Thanksgiving and while of course that means family time for Fro Fro, it also means exploring some of my favorite stomping grounds. 

I hit some of my best-loved Madison Avenue boutiques that don't have San Francisco outposts, like G.C. William (1137 Madison), Olive and Bette's (1070 Madison), and Searle (1124 Madison, 805 Madison). 

My day also included:

Hot chocolate-to-go from La Maison du Chocolat (1018 Madison) that was so deliciously thick, sweet and rich that it stopped me in my tracks...

 

...appreciating the fine art at Christian Louboutin (941 Madison)...

 

...and a journey back in time at Kenneth W. Rendell Gallery (989 Madison), poring over historical letters, autographs, documents and manuscripts....  One of my favorites was a letter from Frank Lloyd Wright: "I am willing to do my part when doing it will get results.  Are you ready to go?"

Speaking of doing my part to get results, I did mine to try to stimulate the economy.  Unfortunately, there were very few other customers in the stores despite amazing sale prices.  Definitely not good news.

So what's this little slave to commerce to do?  Head down to the Barrymore Theater in Times Square to see Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), and Raúl Esparza (Pushing Daisies) in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow."  Now that's a hot lead!

 

   

Morton's the Steakhouse: Anniversary Burger

Certain special occasions come around once in a blue moon.  The Jets leading the AFC East -- and showing previously undefeated Tennessee who the real titans are today -- is one.  Morton's 30th Anniversary is another.  So I decided to celebrate today's win at the Steakhouse, which is offering their very special Prime Sirloin Burger on Sundays for $19.78 (to commemorate the year of the restaurant's founding).  

While $19.78 may seem excessive for a hamburger, keep in mind that:  a) $5 per patty goes to the Make-a-Wish Foundation,  and b) the burger is amazing.  While I know all hamburgers are, technically, ground steak -- Morton's is a cut above -- from the quality of the meat itself to its texture, seasoning, preparation and generous portion.  Not to be overlooked are the toasted bun and the fries -- both of which had slightly crunchy crusts and fluffy middles.     

Don't hide, little piggy -- you deserve this!

The anniversary burger was originally slated to be available only on Sundays until the end of September, but it turns out they plan to extend the promotion through December.  Let's pray the Jets' winning streak follows suit!

Read more about the burger here.

Find your nearest Morton's the Steakhouse location and make a reservation here.

Fro Fro's FYI:  The Prime Sirloin Burger normally isn't available in Morton's restaurants that don't serve lunch, so if you don't see it on the menu, you'll have to ask for it.  And you will love it.  I guarantee it. 

Dynamo Revisited

Ever since my first visit to Dynamo Donut and Coffee, I'd been wanting to try their Maple Bacon donut.  But they only serve that specialty on Friday and Sunday, so I hadn't been able to satisfy that particular craving until today.  Since my J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets beat the Pats on Thursday, my Sunday morning was freed up to pursue a different type of pigskin.  

Boy oh boy, was it worth the wait!  

I also got a Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Glazed, good for two more punches in my Dynamo Frequent Fryer Card.  The Vanilla was just that, but the Chocolate was my kinda donut -- dense, with a layer of chocolate glaze and a little kick in the anise.  

Dynamo Donut & Coffee | 2760 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 | 415.920.1978

Pizzeria Delfina (San Francisco)

Delfina consistently earns raves as one of the top restaurants in San Francisco, and is a perennial favorite among many of the Fro Fro faithful.  There's the main restaurant, and next door on 18th Street there's Pizzeria Delfina, which has been serving up thin-crust pies to adoring crowds for some time.  But they don't take reservations, and it's a bit of a schlep from my 'hood.  So I took a number on the excited line when I heard that they were opening an outpost on California and Fillmore.

Dena, Steve and I went to check it out last Sunday.  After waiting about an hour, constantly making sure our name hadn't been inadvertently erased and not replaced on the chalkboard waiting list, the three of us were seated at the counter.  Some people prefer tables, but I want to be as close to the action as possible.  There was one cook in particular, a young woman, who looked like a rising star.  I always thought that cooks in restaurants had defined stations, but it looked like she was doing it all -- and getting it done without losing her cool.  I started having a daydream that in the future we'll all be eating in her eponymous restaurant.  But that'll be another blog post, I guess.  

Back to present day.  Our waitress warned us that the Pane al Pomodoro with Marquita early girl tomatoes and Belfiore ricotta would only be on the menu one more week before the tomatoes went out of season.  That's what we in the sales biz call "creating a sense of urgency."  So of course, we had to have it.  Steve and I liked it a lot - the olive oil was luscious, the bread nicely toasted, the tomatoes sweet, the cheese creamy.  Dena wasn't as big a fan - for her it needed basil in order to fire on all cylinders.

Time for pie!  We ordered three:  a Margherita (Tomato, fior de latte mozzarella, basil), 

a Salsicca (Housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions and mozzarella) 

and one of the evening's specials, the Funghi (Hen of the woods mushrooms, taleggio, nepitella, panna). 

 

All three were quite good, but we each had our loyalty -- Steve to Salsicca, Dena to Margherita, and yours truly to the Funghi.  I think I liked it best because of the white panna sauce instead of tomato.  The tomato sauce on the other pies was more on the sweet side, and I personally tend to prefer a heartier sauce, and more cheese.  But that's just me.  Personal preference plays a huge role at pizzerias, and I have a feeling that Pizzeria Delfina at their new location will be just as beloved as the original.   If you like a thin-crusted, wood-fired pie, head right on over. 

And when you go, don't skip dessert.  All of Pizzeria Delfina's gelati are house made daily.  Flavors include chocolate, vanilla, lemon, peach, raspberry and soy-straciatella (an Italian version of chocolate chip).  They'll even make you their version of an ice cream sandwich:  one or two flavors, in a brioche bun.

What we missed that I'll have to try next time was the fried pizza dough -- we watched it being made several times, but didn't see it on the menu -- and by the time we asked what it was, we were too full to order.  ...'til next time!

Check, please!

Pizzeria Delfina | 2406 California Street | San Francisco, CA 94115 | 415-440-1189 | pizzeriadelfina.com

also at...

Pizzeria Delfina | 3611 18th Street | San Francisco, CA 94110 | 415-437-6800

Race Report: Bridge to Bridge 12K

The Bridge to Bridge has always been one of my favorite races.   It starts at the civilized hour of 9am, I don't have to schlep anywhere except downtown, the weather is usually exceptional and the course is a nice, flat stretch from the Bay Bridge area (Ferry Building to be exact) to the Golden Gate (Fort Point) and into the Presidio.  That's the 12K course - FYI there's also a 7K version that cuts out the Fort Point loop.

Last Sunday, My J-E-T-S, Jets Jets Jets had a bye, freeing me up to do the race without missing a minute of Gang Green action.

About 8:15 am I called the trusty Veterans Cab company.  When my ride arrived I got in and was immediately entranced by the smell of delicious coffee.  It was so amazing I had to say something to the cabbie.  

"That coffee smells so good!  Where did you get it?"  

"At Ritual," he replied.  "People think Blue Bottle is the best in the city, but I think Ritual is.  Do you know it?" 

"Do I know it," I exclaimed -- giddy that I might actually be one of the coffee cognoscenti.  "I was just there yesterday picking up my supply of Misty Valley," referring to the beans with the distinctive fruity notes from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia.  "Do you know it?"

"Do I know it," he exclaimed -- equally giddy -- "I'm from Ethiopia where they're grown!"  

We engaged in coffee talk the entire ride to the Ferry Building.  He told me about beans from Panama called Esmeralda that are so rare that they can cost $20 for one brewed cup.  But they're that good, he affirms.  I'll have to go on a mission to the Mission for that someday soon.

But back to the task at hand. I said goodbye to Cabbie in front of One Market and made my way to the Ferry Building. As I ate my Builders Bar I wondered why I hadn't paid more attention to the weather report.  It was gorgeous, sunny and warm -- and I was wearing long running pants and a long-sleeved shirt.  That made me cranky.  That and the fact that I was PMS-ing.  TMI, perhaps, but I feel I owe you the full scoop.  At least I'd remembered to bring my sunglasses.  I stretched a little, and listened to the radio station announcers trying to psych up the crowd -- "Who here is a FOG-head?"  -- but people were either too tired or too busy chatting to care.  

The race started on time, but since there were so many people running, it took me several minutes to cross the starting line, which made me even more cranky, since this race doesn't use timing chips.  Therefore, I couldn't really compare my time accurately to previous races -- and my main yardstick of achievement is whether I've gotten faster as time goes by.  I put this out of my head and tried to simply enjoy the beautiful day in my beautiful city with thousands of my fellow San Franciscans.

We made our way around the Embarcadero, through Aquatic Park, up and over that infamous hill, down to the Marina and Crissy Field.  Then - whaddaya know - I heard someone cheering for me.  It was Dena!  I was so excited and grateful that she'd come to show her support.  What a sweetheart.  Dena and I ran together for a mile or so, then I went ahead as she hung back and, in true Dena fashion, struck up a conversation with a stranger who looked like she needed a little encouragement to keep on running.  

By now I'm on my way out of the Fort Point area and making my way toward the Presidio.  Smile for the camera!  One last hill, and then a strong surge to the finish.   

    

I wasn't too pleased with my time, which was 1:22:27.  Five minutes slower than the last time I did the race two years ago -- but like I said, that could have been a starting line issue.  Whatever, it's done.  Check the box and move on.  It's time for brunch!

I walked home from the Presidio (adding another two miles to my 12K), showered, and made my way over to Peter D's for some scrumptious raisin bread French toast and bacon.  

As I ate, I read an interesting article in the New York Times Magazine about the power celebrity-endorsed brands may have to subconsciously improve your performance.   If that's the case, I need some Usain Bolt gold Pumas.  Or a Thomas Keller spatula.

Race Report: DSE Stern Grove 4M

This race wasn't on my original schedule for this year, but I'm considering it "insurance."  I'm still doing the race-a-month routine, and staring down the prospect of a triathlon on the 27th.  I'm 99% sure I'll do it, but it's that 1% nagging at me that got me over to Stern Grove this past Sunday for the Dolphin South End Runners Stern Grove 4M (4 miles).  That and Big Bob, whom I recruited to be my chauffer, running coach and brunch buddy.

Bob's much more serious than I about the whole running thing.  He geeked out on me with talk of calibrating his race watch and getting there early to do a substantial warm up in order to increase the odds of a p.r.  I told him, "Duuuuude.  I just wanna run."   In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to Big Bob's training regimen shaving minutes off my time, but after having done a big brick training workout the day before (over two hours of swim, bike, run, bike, run) I really did just wanna run.  I was able to be convinced to do a bit of a warmup, and then shortly after 8am we were off.    

DSE races are usually as flat as pancakes.  Mmmm, pancakes.  With syrup.  Wait a minute, where was I?  Oh, right.  Flat courses.  NO, not for this one.  Surprise!  Hills -- big hills!  Steep, steep climbs, as well as descents you had to take carefully to prevent yourself from careening into a face-plant.  So much for the nine-minute mile.  I had to reset expectations and shoot for different goals: a sub-40, and having no one pass me once we got going and the pack thinned out.

For the first half of the race I was biding my time behind two guys - one obviously coaching the other.  (After some words of encouragement, my coach had taken off like the wind.)  As luck would have it, right around mile 2.25, the coach friend picked up a nearby branch and gave his buddy a friendly "crack of the whip."  It got me going too -- and I kicked it into gear to pass them and kept that pace going for the rest of the race (monster hills not included).

For most of the second half I was running behind two women -- one in a bright red top, the other in blue.  So I decided to play a little game:  Red for Republican, Blue for Barack.  The two women kept trading places with each other, and I pretended they were representing the candidates' standings in the polls. I had to keep up with them to see who would win!  Thankfully, it was blue.  Let's all pray for the same outcome in reality.

I came to the home stretch and was really feeling great.  Steep hills behind me, I was cruising!  I'd achieved my goal of "no passing," and when I spotted the time clock, the other goal was in sight.  Mission accomplished: 39:39.

After the race, Big Bob and I headed over to Presidio Social Club, which now serves brunch Saturdays and Sundays, 10-2.  There were beignets to start -- the same light, fluffy ones they serve for dessert at dinner, with maple syrup for dipping.  

No fillings like my faves at Brenda's and Magic Flute, but still a great warm-up to the main event -- Rum-Soaked Challah French Toast with Bananas and a side of bacon for me, Scrambled Eggs and Hash Browns for Bob.  I would have hollered for thicker challah, but what I got was still quite good.  One of my favorite bites of the meal was a crispy edge of Bob's hash browns.  

 

It's also worth noting that the service was prompt and very friendly.   So if you're looking for a new brunch option in San Francisco, join the Club!

Presidio Social Club | 563 Ruger Street, San Francisco, CA 94129 | 415.885.1888 | presidiosocialclub.com

Now That's My Kinda Diet!