BLOGHUNGRY

The Grilled Cheese Truck

On an especially frustrating afternoon of parenting I decided to get some air and bury my troubles in some grilled cheese. Husband and baby in tow, I hauled everyone to the grilled cheese truck for lunch.

The Atmosphere: It's a truck - you stand on the sidewalk and order (see above)

The Food: There are an assortment of grilled cheeses with various mixes of ingredients. We tried the Cheesy Mac and Rib (macaroni and cheese with sharp cheddar, bbq pork, and caramelized onion), the Harvest Melt (roasted butternut squash with sauteed leeks, balsamic and agave syrups), A Turkey Melt (deli turkey, white cheddar, and apple), and the Dessert Melt (roasted banana puree, Nutella and marshmallow). The Cheesy Mac and Rib was the best by far because of the inspired move of adding mac and cheese and pork to a sandwich. However the bread was sad and cheap and the other combos were bland and muddled. I was a little disappointed that a business dedicated to the noble art of grilled cheese wouldn't be more on their game.

Bloghungry Rating: C+

The Grilled Cheese Truck
Find them on Twitter

Ginger Flank Steak & Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

I'm a meat and potatoes man at heart. I love a juicy cut of red meat with rich side dishes. These recipes are cheap, fast, and flavorful ways to throw together an Asian inspired steak house meal.

Ginger Flank Steak 

2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1/4 cup tamari aged soy sauce
2 limes, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, eyeball it
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
2 pounds flank steak

Preheat a grill pan or indoor/outdoor grill to high. Combine ginger, tamari, lime juice, oil and grill seasoning in a large sealable plastic bag. Add meat to marinade and coat evenly. Let stand 10 minutes then grill meat 6 to 7 minutes on each side.  Let meat rest 5 minutes then thinly slice on an angle against the grain.

Wasabi Smashed Potatoes

4 large potatoes, cut into chunks
Salt
1/3 cup cream
2 tablespoons wasabi paste

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, salt the potatoes and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and add them back to the hot pot. Smash the potatoes with a masher to desired consistency with the cream and wasabi. Adjust salt and wasabi to taste.

Dijon, Garlic, & Thyme Mini Burgers

Sometimes I like to envision myself living in the Hamptons with Ina Garten. First, we'd pick Hydrangea and herbs from her garden. Then, we'd spend the day churning ice cream and drinking strong cocktails. Sadly, I will never have her estate or life. I'll have to settle for her sliders recipe.

Dijon, Garlic, & Thyme Mini Burgers
(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

1 pound premium ground beef (80 percent lean and 20 percent fat)
2 teaspoons good Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces grated Gruyere
6 small Brioche buns
2 ounces baby arugula
2 small tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
Ketchup, for serving

Build a charcoal fire, heat a gas grill, or grill pan to medium high.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, taking care not to compress the ingredients. Shape the meat into 6 (2-inch) patties of equal size and thickness.

When the grill is medium-hot, brush the grill grate with oil to keep the sliders from sticking. Place the sliders on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the sliders over with a spatula and cook for another 4 minutes, until medium-rare, or cook longer if you prefer the sliders more well done. For the last 2 minutes of cooking time, place 1/2-ounce Gruyere on the top of each burger and close the grill lid. Remove the sliders to a platter and cover with foil.

Slice the buns in half crosswise and toast the halves cut side down on the grill.

Divide the baby arugula among the 12 bottom buns, top each with a slider, and finish with a slice of tomato and red onion. Cover with the top of the bun and serve hot with ketchup.

Tartine - San Francisco

In general, I was not as blown away by the San Francisco restaurants as I expected to be, but I can usually turn turn my eating woes around with a trip to a good bakery. Tartine is one of those few amazing bakeries that is known more for savory blends of flavors than a child's birthday cake.

The Atmosphere: Sophisticated but cozy. As you enter, you are comforted by rustic French pastries and dark wooden surfaces. You feel as though you are entering a Nancy Meyers film.

The Food: There is a long glass case of tarts, eclairs and other dessert pastries but the real genius is in the savory baked goods. Pay special attention to the gougères, quiches, and Croque Monsieurs

Bloghungry Rating: A

Tartine
600 Guerrero Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 487 2600

Pizzeria Delfina - San Francisco

I'd heard a lot of hype about Pizzeria Delfina from the people of San Francisco. So when we walked by it on our way to the Bi Rite Creamery, we decided to stop for in for lunch.

Food: Fresh, clean, and simple food with a higher quality of ingredients. We tried the special of the day, with a spicy tomato sauce, black pepper, egg, thick shavings of parmesan. The sauce was fresh, spicy, and sweet. The cheese was rich, nutty, and salty. The egg yolk was creamy and the crust was crisp with just the right amount of softness inside. It was one of those pizza experiences that was so fresh that it almost felt light.

Atmosphere: Smallish modern hipster cafe with tables inside and out.

Bloghungry Rating: B+

Pizzeria Defina
3611 18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 437-6800

Mon. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Ghiradelli Square - San Francisco

Want to eat the chocolate you can buy at your local drug store at a touristy location overlooking Alcatraz? At Ghiradelli Square, you can!

Atmosphere: Touristy with a view of the water and Alcatraz. It's really a glorified strip mall with only a couple tiny storefronts that sell candy.

The Food: There are a couple identical ice cream shops that sell Ghiradelli ice cream and drug store chocolate. I had a "salted caramel hot chocolate" which turned out to be a regular powdered hot chocolate served with an individually wrapped square of Ghiradelli chocolate with a caramel filling. It's not what you'd expect from a chocolate maker.

Bloghungry Rating: C-

Ghiradelli Square
900 North Point Street
San Francisco, CA 94109-1180
(415) 775-5500

Frog Hollow Bakery - San Francisco

Looking for beautiful pastries that taste mediocre. Come on down to Frog Hollow at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Food: Beautiful pastries, jams, coffee and tea. Everything looks great but the large portions of fruit in the tarts are wet, cold and bland. I was especially shocked that they managed to make apple, blue cheese, and roasted walnuts in pastry bland. The scones and ham & cheese croissants were fine but everything there looked better than it tasted.

Atmosphere: Walk-up counter in a market storefront with a handful of cafe tables.

Bloghungry Rating: B-

Frog Hollow Farm Market
1 Ferry Building
Space 46
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 445-0990

Bi-Rite Creamery - San Francisco

I am not the biggest fan of chocolate ice cream, but when I heard about Bi-Rite Creamery's "Sam's Sundae" (fresh chocolate ice cream, fresh whipped cream, flakes of sea salt, and citrus olive oil), I had to give it a try. All I can say is that sundae was the single greatest dessert I have ever purchased. The sensation of salty, sweet, cold, and creamy chocolate with a citrusy and floral olive oil, set my tongue atingle. There are no words.

Food: Fresh gourmet ice cream and sundaes.

Atmosphere: Walk-up ice cream counter

Bloghungry Rating: A+

Bi-Rite Creamery
3692 18th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 626-5600

Sunday - Thursday
11am - 10pm
Friday - Saturday
11am - 11pm

Red Door Cafe - San Francisco

I used to rag on french toast by saying it was the soulless man's pancake, but all of that is behind me now. I finally found some french toast with a soul. I ordered the The Red Door Cafe's French Toast Josephine with bananas. The bread had a buttery crisp outside with a rich almost custardy flavor inside. It was covered in berries, powdered sugar, syrup and sliced bananas caramelized in butter. I almost wept with how satisfying it was. They also serve pretty great coffee in drinking bowls, various wraps, and Mexican egg dishes, but it's really all about the french toast.

Food: Mexican-inspired brunch or light lunch eats with an insane french toast.

Atmosphere: Small art student loft. The owner is very friendly, hands-on and eager to please, but there are few tables and limited seating. It's a neighborhood joint where people stop in with their dogs for a cup of coffee to go. They can't accommodate large parties and it's best to get there early to avoid a wait.

Bloghungry Rating: A-

Red Door Cafe
1608 Bush St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 441-1564

Chocri Chocolate Bars

Looking for a last minute Valentine's day gift? Give him/her a gift certificate to create his/her own candy bar. Chocri is a German chocolate company that launched in the US in January 2010. On their website you can customize your own chocolate bar and have it shipped to your house. First, choose a base chocolate (white, dark or milk chocolate). Then, choose 1-6 of your favorite toppings for the bar out of more than 100 options. They hand-make the bars in Germany and ship them to you. You can even name your bars and have messages added to them.

I recently tried 3 chocolate bars (listed below). I liked two of them, but I lost my tits for the third one. The best combo I tried is what I called the "Bloghungry Dark". The chocolate is rich and smooth with buttery salty toffee and sea salt. The roasted almonds, banana flakes, and corn flakes give great texture and flavor. It was my clear favorite.

"Bloghungry Dark": Dark Chocolate with Banana Chips, Roasted Almonds, Cornflakes, Sea Salt and Toffee

"The Cinnamon Girl": Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon, Pecans, Rice Crispies, Bourbon Vanilla, Apple Bits

"Bloghungry White": White Chocolate with Cranberries, Organic Flax Seeds, Walnuts, Bourbon Vanilla and Orange

www.createmychocolate.com
www.facebook.com/chocri
www.twitter.com/chocridotcom