Gourmet Specialty Food Show Mentally Filling

The city of San Francisco is alive and well with foodies from around the globe this week as the Specialty Food Show got into full swing, Sunday, January 21, 2006. After attending the show for over a decade, this blogger can honestly say that the food market is abundant with new items. Cheeses are the thing. And those are the waters and teas.

One of the show highlights come from Napa Valley, California. Napa Valley Spas Products is promoting her grape seed tea with the excitement of a full jolt of caffeine. And, for good reason. Whether a green, passion, or lemon tea aficionado, the Spa Teas are the in thing right now. Especially since 30% of the blend is ground grape seeds.

Pebble Beach Spa proudly sports the tea and from the looks of those on the links, something is working.

On another tea leaf note, the individual pyramid mesh containers, replacing the tradition bag, are also the "in" marketing theme this year if I am reading the leaves correctly. The trend is definitely not only in the flavor, but in the presentation. Tea has for centuries been a ceremonial situation, we are now defining a way to keep the ceremony simple, but elegant.

Another big swig on the beverage scene is O Beverages. The light and refreshing bevs are slightly infused with fruit oils, sans sugar, adding a touch of flavor and an aroma that is not only pleasantly noticeable but has some body.

Unlike the other water drinks that hold bragging rights to Vitamins, but are highly sweet, O Beverages do not offer the Kool-Aid styled colors of some drinks, but rather remaining crystal clear but aromatic and flavorful.

If you happen to love cheeses, this is the show for your not only your palate, but or you traveling taste buds. Cheeses from around the world are the being highlighted at every turn and corner, and the booths where the cheeses are being presented are the busiest.

And, whenever you find cheese, you will find crackers. The expanded cracker selection this year has become very noticeable. But the highlight of the show has to be the packaging and presentation coup of the season.

The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, has joined talents and forces with Stonewall Kitchen of Maine and has launched a presently pleasing to the eye and the palate product line of bakery mixes that are quick, easy, and as close to home made as one can find at seven o'clock when your tummies yelling coconut cupcakes.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend the show, don't worry. Tomorrow, we will be bringing you more highlights of the products available and will also be giving a run down of where they will be available.

In the meantime, I have got to go to the chocolate section to sample some of the Raspberry Truffle from Joseph Schmidt.

What's Up with Eddie Wang and La Canada Flintridge Country Club?

La Canada Flintridge Country Club has become the bastion of golfing civilization. Nestled just outside of Los Angeles it has been one of the hot spots to Tee-Up. So what's going on there? Are they setting a good example for those families that belong? Log on next Tuesday to find out.

Jackson Fillmore should be no more

One of the major inconveniences of living at the crown of Pacific Heights would be having to eat at the Jackson Fillmore Trattoria. It is of course in close proximity to many of the glorious homes that make the area known throughout the world. Too bad the food in the worn, rundown, eatery doesn't compare to the sheds that conceal the trash of most of these elaborate homes.

On a recent Saturday night visit, my wife suggested we grab a quick bowl of pasta at this once, well run neighborhood Italian storefront restaurant. I had never been because the lack of ambiance was noticeable when looking in the window. But, we had spent a good part of the day in The City and we wanted to indulge in some good food, not great food, before heading back to Sonoma county.

When we showed up at 5:15p.m. the Trattoria wasn't opened yet, and it was still in somewhat of a state of disarray. The host was nice and told us we wouldn't need a reservation and that they opened at 5:30. At 5:45 when we came back we sat at the county and the experience began.

The bar behind the counter was worn and tattered, laden with a combo of filth, and clutter. The lights were dim, not in a romantic way, but in a way to throw off a dinge rather than a soft glow. Within the restaurant biz there is an old saying- "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean". Nobody at Jackson Fillmore ever heard those words spoken. The coffee grinder, circa 1975 Safeway, was as dirty as they come. The wall next to it was disgustingly caked with spatters from various grinding cycles.. The bartender made a variety of salads in front of our eyes, which explains in part why he is one of the few without a show on the Food Network. While continuously touching his face, and his hair, and bottles of wine, and pens, and guest checks, he never once washed his hands before grabbing heads of Romaine, or Raddichio, tearing them apart to toss into a salad.

Not wanting to experience any part of the bartender's bodily residue in my food, we opted for an appetizer of Calamari and two entrees of pasta. I chose the Gnocchi with cheese and smoked chicken and my wife decided on the Ravioli.

The Calamari when delivered was a tone of brownish gray. It had supposedly been seasoned with pepper but did not have any other flavor. It's eye appeal resembled something on E.R. and it's flavor was equally as bad.

However, I would have gladly had a double portion of Squid circles and tentacles, which were abundant, rather than have to have fought through the offer sodium laden dish of Gnocchi's rendition of Macaroni and Cheese. The cheese which was layered on top of the gnocchi and then melted under a broiler was as thick and as flavorful as any white topping at Dominoe's. And, the smoked chicken obviously had made it through the kitchen without losing much more than a toe, for the meat in the dish was so miniscule that thankfully it added nothing to the palate or the eye.

The accompanying Ravioli was a rendition of pasta strips folded over and pinched around a filling of cheese and squash. The oil on the plate, which resembled something that I will discuss in a moment, was stomach turning.

Now, granted, the restaurant business is tough, especially in a competitive market like The City's. But in order to succeed, every restaurant must have either great ambiance, great food, cleanliness, great service, a combination of all the above, or just be convenient. Well, the latter holds true for this restaurant. It has to be the convenience factor. And that however brings us to another problem.

It wasn't until I went through the kitchen to get to the bathroom that the real picture was painted. As I stood in the hall by an open door that overlooked a pitch black alley- a perfect runway for mice and other rodent, I noticed the grease seeping from the other side of the ceiling, down the wall and almost dripping onto the floor. Looking around the kitchen, which I stood almost in the middle of, was a combination of spattered , tattered wallboard and containers of cooking ingredients on the floor. The place was a maid's nightmare and it had only opened 30 minutes before. It would have been a reasonable excuse if I saw what I saw at 10:30, after a busy Saturday night. But to let customers in a kitchen that looked like this one is almost culinary suicide.

I spoke with Timothy Ing about the problems at the eatery and he inspected the restaurant in August of this year, found violations and wnet back a week l;ater and many of those violations were corrected. But that isn't the problem.Currently the Health Department is seven inspectors short. That is a problem.

Has the city of San Francisco finally hit its maximum capacity for restaurants and other type eateries? Has the Health Department, which was bulging at its manpower seams finally gotten so busy that they cannot even answer their phones?

One comforting thought that everyone subliminally focuses on, is that the health department, the food inspection police, if you will, have the public's best interest at stake. They are the people who go into the dark, dungenous basements, and in the corner of the smelly coolers, and underneath the slim soaked bars and look to see what they find. And, in many instances they don't find anything other than what they should. But, if they are too busy to answer their phones, and kitchens of restaurants look like the one at Jackson Fillmore Trattoria, who is really out there watching?

That is more than a half baked question.


A typical health inspector used to cover and inspect 175 restaurants. Now, the number is up to 500. It is an insurmountable task. An impossibility. The city needs more health inspectors. And, they need them now. In the meantime, meander down the hill. It may be inconvenient but the grass is greener, and the food is certainly better at almost any place you could find.

Be Well.

No Star at this Sonoma County Starbucks

Anyone who knows me realizes that I drink anywhere from three to five containers of Starbucks' Black Venti Iced Tea daily. On bad days, and good days, I usually increase that amount by a few. On Sunday I had to attend an olive harvest event in Sonoma County, California and was in a bit of rush to get to my destination on time. Harvesting olives for a major Olive Oil producer in trade for a fabulous lunch for over 70 people is not something you want to be late for. Every bucket counts.

I decided that I would stop into the Starbucks store on Sonoma Highway a get two iced teas because I was in for a long day. With five employees behind the counter, the team at Starbucks was handling the rush of coffee consumers very well. Let me interject here that the Howard's company has some of the most efficient, polite, customer service oriented associates in the industry. It is very seldom that someone in their organization is not totally focused on customer service.

After standing in a line for about 30 seconds, I was asked by an associate if they could get a drink started for me. I ordered my tea. The associate grabbed two clear plastic, venti containers, and wrote my order- Black tea, no water, no sugar, no shaking, on the side of the cup. She then proceeded to ask five people behind me if they wanted to order. On each cup she wrote their orders and systematically placed the cups inside of mine. By the time she got to the end of the line, she had about five drink orders stacked in her hand. She positioned the hot drink cups near the Barrista's and proceeded to make my two iced teas. Strangely, she did not put covers on the cups. Instead she handed them to one of the two Barristas working the espresso machine.

After waiting about ten seconds I asked if the Barrista could lid the containers and give me my Iced Teas. She answered "No." I couldn't get my drinks until everyone else did. I attempted to explain to her that my drinks were already made, and that in the cycle of drink life, they were getting diluted. She cared not.

When I asked for the manager's name, Mary Helen Billings told me she was the manager. When I once again asked for my drinks she said I had to wait my turn. I explained that I was out of turn because other cups, now in front of mine were actually behind me she didn't care.

I finally couldn't wait any longer and asked for my money back. Which I got, along with the card with the District Manager's name on it, but not before I was screamed at and pointed to with a rapidly waving finger.

Gary Lustig, District Manager for Starbucks called me back immediately on Sunday afternoon. A true professional, Lustig apologized profusely. I assured him that Billings was out of line but was probably cracking under the pressure of a busy store. She needs a customer service course, and also should cut down on the dobios which she apparently had been drinking all morning.

Calculating my trips to Starbucks to be over 3000 in the past three years, one bad experience is really a phenomenal record.

It's time for a Venti Black Tea, no water, no sugar, no shaking. And top alleviate any further aggrevation, I've brought my own lid.

Oakville Grocery open is San Francisco

Oakville Grocery, that famous, tasty, tiny gourmet grocery store, perched just off the pavement of Highway 29 in Oakville, California for more than 100 years, serving as the gateway to Napa Valley wine country, recently opened its doors in another historic building, San Francisco's Del Monte Cannery. For the residents and visitors of San Francisco the store will once again prove to be a gateway to great things gourmet. The new location and design, which has married and merged the feel of the old and quaint with the robustness metal and modern offers customers a comfort from vine country blended with a San Francisco air.

A welcomed neighbor, according to those residents of Russian Hill who quickly came down to peruse the prepared food cases and purchase products from the floor to ceiling shelves, the store was quickly welcomed with open arms by the locals.
"It is so wonderful to have you in the city" said Mrs. Judith Bain. " I love the Napa location and now will not have to wait to get there to order my favorite cheeses and gift baskets for the holidays."

The 4000 square foot store, opened to sunny skies and almost 10,000 people- most were participating in the bridge to bridge race that was held on the opening morning. It was quit a site to see that many people coming towards you as the door opened, said one stock boy who was relieved that the crowd ran by.

Oakville has long been the anchor of the Oakville community. A pioneer on the road to lushness. But with the opening in San Francisco- there are other stores in Healdsburg, on the square and Palo Alto in the Stanford Shoppping Center- is by far one of the company's warmest locations.

Larger than the tiny gem that sits directly in front of the Opus Once Vineyard, the Del Monte Cannery location shouts food. The closest the city has come in emulating a New York City Zabar's, Oakville has twelve feet of prepared foods, a selection of cheeses that would make the population of Point Reyes give a standing o, and a grab and go counter filled with salads, sandwiches, pre-washed fruit and of course piazza fresh from the open hearth oven.

But this Oakville, unlike its cousins in the communities to the north and south, offers room to roam and browse at the tremendous selection of purchasable product that doesn't have to be eaten by days end. The still hard to find anywhere else jams and chutneys. Salsa's and sauces are available, but this Oakville has a variety of gifts and baskets for gift baskets that you will not find in the other locations.

And, of course- flagship stores- as all stores in San Francisco have become known - have to have something different than other locations in a group. The wine tasting bar Oakville offers is the perfect place to go after a long walk down the hill. The other day as I passed through the eatery, I noticed four women who had just finished shopping on Polk St. sitting down with a bottle of wine and four glasses, discussing the purchases they made at Brown Dirt Cowboy. If that isn't cosmopolitan, what is?

If you have not had the time to browse the newest Oakville Grocery, stop in - you'll like what you see. A well known Napa valley resident was shopping in the store last week. When asked what she was doing in the store she comically said, "We love it. It gets us down to the city."

Sonoma's La Salette's Star Rises

When in Sonoma, La Salette is a welcome find for food, drink and atmosphere. The somewhat secluded eatery, snuggled amongst the shops and fountains down a distinct courtyard, has an inviting outdoor patio, a comfortable bar counter overlooking the chefs who create pleasing plates in front of a wood burning oven, and a menu that isn't to be found in other area restaurants.

Although Portuguese restaurants are not common in Northern California, if at all in Sonoma Valley, La Salette has raised the bar for food in this rapidly growing community. Having enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner at the cozy culinary cafe, the impressions left were tastefully delightful.

Breakfast is a casual event ordered from a chalk board. But don't let that fool you into thinking that the tastes soon gracing your palate is anything on the order of fast food. An array of crepes- spanning the sweet and savory tastebud, will momentarily make you wonder whether to enjoy Blueberries with Farmer's Cheese wrapped in the see-through blanket that snuggles the berries and dairy together, or opt for the scrambled egg and bacon crepe that will somehow feel mentally hardier. Whatever your choice- both were sensuous- you can compliment your selection with a freshly made doughnut, so light that you don't even realize you are eating dough at all. Quince paste, Farmer's Cheese, and a freshly baked roll proved the perfect breakfast for my wife. Although we had already ordered the crepes, in retrospect European was the way to go.

Lunch was a different story. The roasted butternut squash soup with a dollop of Chevre in the center of the bowl. Again served with a warmed roll was perfect. The selections at lunch are delightful and all of the p[plates coming out of the kitchen appeared to be artfully prepared and presented.

dinner was a delight. The MOZAMBIQUE PRAWNS, pan roasted in Piri- Piri, with coconut rice and tomato-peanut sauce was a tasteful experience.

As a child I remember my grandfather serving Salted Cod, Baccala, during the holidays. Everyone of my cousins ran like hell at the site of the dish on the table. However, the child in me has left in some respects. BACALHAU, a baked casserole of salt cod, potatoes, onions and olives, served with olive oil was an experience which made me sorry I ever ran on those Christmas Eve night. I didn't know what I was missing. However, I will return to experience this dish again. The Cod was flavorful but not overpowering as one would suspect, and the olive oil was the perfect compliment to the saltiness.


The PORK TENDERLOIN stuffed with olives, figs and almonds, with roasted potatoes and citrus sauce is a picture on a plate. This work of art takes composition in front of the lucky diners who sit at the counter and have the opportunity to watch the chef perform magic. Pulling items out of the wood burning stove, such as the Leg of Lamb or Petaluma Duck, makes one long for a return visit before the night ends. Plus, the oven does a remarkable job of taking the Autumn chill out of the air.



LaSalette is located at 452 First street East, across from the Sonoma Plaza. They are open Tuesday through Sunday. For more information call 707-938-1927. Reservations are suggested.