A delicious meal was had by all

We meant to go to Chez Panisse, but there was a fire there earlier this month, so we had to make alternate plans. This one was a winner.

Lunch at Chez Panisse

I was out of town for a few days. The weather in California was pretty crummy, alas, but it may be what allowed us to get a last-minute lunch reservation here:
We were eating in the "café" upstairs. The downstairs, main restaurant is dinners only, prix fixe. Upstairs is lunches and à la carte dining (they also have one prix fixe option), and is slightly more affordable, i.e. $30 to $50 per person instead of $80.
For starters I couldn't resist the pizzetta with pancetta, arugula and artichoke. Nom.
My companions enjoyed the "Russian salad" of beets, potatoes, peas, chervil and an egg:
And oven-baked white beans with an egg and kale and fresh turmeric and ginger pickle. Oh my gosh. So good.
As it turned out, all three of us wanted the pasta, which our server was most enthusiastic about: Spaghetti alla Pallina with cauliflower, pine nuts, currants, saffron and toasted breadcrumbs.
Super tasty! I will have to try to re-create that at home, along with the white bean dish. The menu was "inspired by Niloufer Ichaporia King," so I may be able to find some clues in her cookbook, My Bombay Kitchen.

When our entrees arrived, we had to ask for the check (and skip dessert) because we were running out of time (there were kids to be picked up at school). Our server brought it with apologies and a plate of cookies and figs. She noted that some of the bill had been comped because the pasta took so long to come out. Oh? I guess it had, but we were enjoying the leisurely pace. We appreciated the gesture just the same. And the cookies.

Good haul

I went bowling for produce and scored big! It's been almost a year since I last (and first) visited Berkeley Bowl Marketplace. Though the weather was fine and sunny in both the Bay Area and Denver, it's still winter, so a little fresh produce therapy seemed like a good idea.

This is just a representative sample of the citrus and artichokes I picked up, along with spring ginger, mangos, papayas, feijoa, fennel bulbs and celeriac, all of which are either nonexistent or way pricey in Denver. I also got a few snacky treats at Trader Joe's.

No, I probably didn't need to get all that, but I was having fun shopping, and I had room in my bag, especially with the addition of a sturdy Berkeley Bowl shopping tote (available at the checkout for 99 cents).

The place was a bit of a madhouse, maybe because it was a holiday. Though if some people are to be believed, it's always that way. (Hence the nickname Berkeley Brawl.) Certainly, there was an assertiveness of cart- and stroller-maneuvering that spoke of priorities more important than my own little foodie-tour.

The pet parrots parked outside in the "no pet parking" zone are a pretty good symbol of the ethos.

Then we went to Moe's Books and I didn't buy a thing.
I was not remotely tempted by the Alinea and elBulli coookbooks, unlike the rest of the food-blogging world. Seriously, I do not understand their attraction. Maybe one of you can explain it to me?

I was tempted by a signed copy of Marilynne Robinson's latest novel, "Home." She's only my all-time favorite author, but I don't need to be spending $20+ on another book. A more affordable copy will come my way eventually and I'll read it then.

Yes, I've come a long way in the self-restraint department. At least when it comes to books.

Behave!

I'm back! Had just enough time to run home, greet the poodle and dash to work. Long day. And I think I lost a necklace en route, dammit. So much for jewelry luck.

I'm too tired to do any kind of proper post, so I'll just leave you with this bit of security camera amusement.

Banh mi at Cam Huong, Oakland

There's a hole-in-the-wall banh mi place in San Francisco that the Sergeant likes, but we missed the ferry and opted for Oakland instead. Cam Huong gets mixed reviews on Yelp, but we were quite pleased with the place. It's a tiny, narrow space, with a display of deep-fried goodness in the front window, a long counter packed with extra snackage, and a handful of booths in the back.

There was a steady stream of customers in and out, even mid-afternoon on a Monday. I got some ribbing for taking photos until I explained that I was looking forward to seeing how their banh mi compared with Denver's.
The guy behind the counter (whose name I should have asked!) told us they've been there for 23 years. His grandmother is/was friends with the original owner of the Ba Le franchise. His grandma stuck with restaurants (they have four), while her friend went into making wholesale ingredients (including headcheese!) and franchising. Some of Cam Huong's ingredients come from Ba Le wholesale, but they also have their own bakery up the street, so the rolls are fresh.
We couldn't wait to take a bite of our large sandwiches! They are about 8 inches long compared with the usual 6. The Sergeant got the curried tofu sandwich:
While I opted for the barbecued pork:
The sandwiches are heavy on the vegetables, which I like. If you prefer meatier, you can ask to double up on it. I got mine without jalapeños, but I should have taken them anyway and given them to the Sergeant. I do like the little bit of bite they add for having been in the sandwich briefly.

On the way out I help my camera up and snapped the security mirror:
Parking in the neighborhood can be tricky, but it's worthwhile to find a spot and do a little exploring in the Chinatown shops while you're there. Or you can have a friend circle the block while you get some banh mi to go.

Give it a try!

Cam Huong
920 Webster St
(between 10th St & 9th St)
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 444-8800
7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily

Sumthin' tells me I'm into sumthing good

Really, is there anything better than dim sum for Sunday brunch? Talk about bang for your buck. Four of us returned once again to East Ocean in Alameda for a table full of deliciousness. You needn't worry about trying new things; it will probably be quite tasty, and if it's not, you haven't broken the bank. We loaded up and chowed down until we could eat no more.

The only dud was the beef balls, which were a bit too gelatinous. The salty tempura asparagus (in the foreground above) was a favorite. I love the mango pudding with sweetened condensed milk so much that I got a second dish just for me. It's hard to photograph gelatin! It wouldn't stop wiggling.

Total bill was $54, and we are stuffed. I think I need a nap.

Into temptation

I found this card on the sidewalk yesterday:
It made me smile. And I wonder what S. Makishima's Swedish meatballs taste like. I've only had Ikea's.

Speaking of. I skipped the meatballs there Friday and went straight to the cooking gear. Plenty of things to tempt me!
If you are looking for a new enameled cast iron Dutch oven, the prices are quite competitive on these blue 4-quart ones.

It's a good thing I already have a large one, or I might have been tempted to make a purchase based solely on matching my shopping outfit:
I've been into green lately. I do love the color, but for years thought I couldn't wear it. Yes, for a long time my fashion choices were dictated by "Color Me Beautiful."

Does that take you back, gals? (Guys, I know not to ask you!)

I'm a "spring." What season are you?

Dinner at King of Thai Noodlein Alameda, Calif.

	On Saturday night we checked out the new King of Thai Noodle on Park Street. It's been open a month, in a spot that used to be a Bulgarian bakery and then a Mexican restaurant.

Alameda's King of Thai Noodle is the newest in a chain of 13 restaurants in the Bay Area. The space is bright and clean and was filled with customers. (When we were looking at the window menu earlier in the day, a woman going in stopped and said "This place is great. You won't be disappointed.")

We started with Som Tum, a green papaya salad with long beans, tomatoes, peanuts and dried shrimp in a tangy lime dressing. Wrapped up in the accompanying cabbage leaves, it was very tasty.
The Sergeant ordered the chef's special, pumpkin curry. He asked for it spicy, but I think they dialed it back a notch because I asked for my dish not so spicy. He enjoyed it nevertheless.
I had the shrimp choo chee on the server's recommendation: deep-fried shrimp topped with red curry paste, bell peppers, serrano peppers and crispy basil. It was also quite tasty, though for me the very rich, distinct flavor became cloying after a while.
I walked over to the chest-high wall blocking off the food prep area to shoot some pictures of the chef in action. The staff started making a big ruckus and I took a couple of shots before turning to see if they were making "No picture! No picture!" noises or what. They were grinning and laughing. The ruckus was to get the chef to turn around for me.
Way to go, Chef! You're No. 1!

King of Thai Noodle
1635 Park St.
(between Buena Vista Ave & Pacific Ave)
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 522-8200

The early bird gets the dim sum

If you get there right when they open, there's no problem getting a table. Wait an hour, and you'll have to stand there hungry until someone leaves.

We had all the usual fare, plus something new to me, a sweet tofu that looked like custard. The server skims it off the top of a pot in sheets and ladles it into a bowl, and gives you another bowl of sweet palm syrup to put over it. The tofu didn't taste like much, but I liked the texture and the sweetness.

Dinner at Planet Crepes, Alameda, Calif.

Looking through my photos, I realized I had not posted about my last dinner in Alameda a couple of weeks ago, at Planet Crepes. They've been open for a few months, next door to Dragon Rouge.

The slick signage and decor made me think it might be a chain, but I was told no, it is not (but they have aspirations). The place is bright and clean, and the menu is extensive. (If you click on the picture below you can see it large. Sorry for the crappy quality.)

My only quibble was with the blasting large-screen TV on the back wall, with speakers throughout the place. TVs in restaurants are like black holes, sucking in the attention of anyone within eyeshot, and the sound level was such that it was an effort to converse.
The crepes, though, were quite tasty! I ordered the turkey pesto crepe, and it was stuffed full with turkey, jack cheese, avocado and pesto. Which left me stuffed.
But not too stuffed to share a dessert: The Milky Way crepe, filled with vanilla ice cream, bananas, Nutella, whipped cream, nuts and caramel.
My companions opted for the simpler Cosmic Caramel Apple crepe, with vanilla ice cream, cinnamon apple slices, caramel and whipped cream. Also delicious.

The prices are very reasonable, with all crepe dishes under $6 unless you choose a bunch of your own fillings from the extensive list.

If you're in Alameda and want a quick tasty meal, or just a nice dessert, check it out. If you want atmosphere, get your food to go and wander over to nearby Jackson Park to enjoy your meal al fresco.

Planet Crepes
2302 Encinal Ave (just west of Park Street)
Alameda, CA 94501
510-52-CREPE

P.S. The website also notes that crepes are two-for-one if you bring in an Alameda Theater ticket stub, plus there's a happy hour and some group deals.

Angel Island souvenirs

In the middle of San Francisco Bay there's a quiet retreat: Angel Island State Park. The Ellis Island of the West, it was the place where thousands of immigrants, mostly Chinese, were quarantined and processed for admission to Gold Mountain, or sent back home. It also was a naval base, with several batteries of guns placed around it to guard the bay.
You can see the island of Alameda on the lower right, separated from Oakland by a narrow estuary. The Bay Bridge runs from Oakland to SF, and you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, a thin line on the left at the mouth of the bay. The Richmond bridge is to the north.

Ferries run daily to the island from San Francisco, carrying both tourists and commuters on their way to Tiburon and Sausalito. Many people bring bikes to the island or rent them (or Segways!) there. There's a nice road that runs all the way around, about five miles' worth. If I were a jogger living in SF, I'd probably go there once in a while for a pleasant change of scenery.
The kids brought their backpacks with a few toys and books and quietly amused themselves on the trip over, while their mom and dad were fully laden with backpacks and a baby buggy holding tent, bottled water, food and a clever cooler box (cardboard, filled with ice in trash bags and frozen bottles, that could be tossed in the campground bin the next day). The campsites have grills, picnic tables with a lockable food cabinet, trash bins, outdoor water spigots and a pit toilet (reasonably clean as outhouses go, but exceedingly stinky).

We considered asking for spare change when the open-sided tour buses passed us on the road.

The campsite was about two miles from the ferry, mostly uphill. Easy for me, coming from high altitude! The oxygen-rich air meant I wasn't even winded on the climbs. The kids had a meltdown or two on the way but made it without completely falling apart.

From the campsite we had a great view of the Richmond bridge and all the bay traffic. This photo was an accident, but it makes me laugh. ("Honey, I was taking a picture!" "Oops, sorry!")
I didn't take a huge amount of photos (need a bigger memory card!) but a few nice pictures of the trees and scenery are nice souvenirs.

Here's San Francisco and Alcatraz, marred somewhat by a dirty lens, alas.

And some trees:
Despite our proximity to civilization, the only night sounds were foghorns and ship horns and some wind. Oh, and some raccoons that came snuffling around after dark.
If you have a chance, you should try camping there yourself. It's not expensive; you'll just need to plan ahead if you want to go on the weekend, since the sites get booked up fast. Try it!