Wednesday Whistle Wetter: Numero Cinq

Since I've been slacking (heavily) on the frequency of my blog posts, today I will take the time out to feature about 1000 different bars from those for the "food centric" to "dives," and everything in between. However, I will be cheating.

Throughout my culinary explorations and restaurant spelunking, I've loved the convenience and "quick fix" that customer reviewal services such as Yelp, UrbanSpoon, and CitySearch all provide when I'm in an unfamiliar place, or simply can't decide on what I feel like eating for a given meal. However, the problem with many of these services is that they often attract what I'll call, "one sided customers." These people have such a one sided experience, whether it be amazingly great or unbearably terrible, that they take to the internet to spew their uncensored feelings about how you should "run away from," or "immediately visit" an establishment. Not too often do you get the unobjective, bare boned and honest opinion of what to expect when visiting a restaurant or bar.

However, the people you should be looking to read an establishment review from are the professionals. Those who live and breathe food and drink, and who get paid to do it. Local critiques, writers, and foodies that can often be found writing for local magazines and newspapers are the people that you should trust. It only makes sense, right? Who knows the local area and has a more developed palate than a food writer for the San Francisco Chronicle? Exactly - no one.

The Oakland Tribune, East Bay Express, SF Examiner (just to name a very few) all have their own "food" sections with feature articles and professional restaurant reviews, however I've long been dedicated to digging through the San Francisco Chronicle @ SF Gate to get to their "food and drink" segment. Along with the inclusion of restaurants and bars from the entire Bay Area (from Berkeley to San Jose), the SF Chronicle also contains the Top 100 Restaurants list written by famous restaurant critique Michael Bauer - which I wait for every year like Christmas morning.

In recent years, the SF Chronicle has also written up a yearly list (updated every so often) of the Top 100 Bars in the Bay Area. With the drink culture just as prevalent as the food culture here in the Bay Area, it only makes sense, right? Here's the part where I write about 1000 bars at once:

http://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/Top-100-Bay-Area-Bars-Food-centric-3674577.php

Told you I'd cheat. This awesome list in particular is the SF Chronicle's list of Top 100 "Food Centric" bars in the Bay Area, however there are more categorized lists that I had no idea existed. The lists include:

Top 100 Bay Area Bars (general) 
Top 100 Bay Area Bars for Cocktail Masters
Top 100 Bay Area Bars for Beer Mavens
Top 100 Bay Area Bars for Spirit Curators
Top 100 Classic Bay Area Bars
Top 100 Bay Area Wine Bars
Top 100 Bay Area Dive Bars
Top 100 Bay Area Sports Bars
Top 100 Bay Area Tiki Bars (! Right?!) 

Now go out and enjoy, for your drinking pleasure. There's all kinds of bars, with even more drinks to be had and tried out there. If you have the right amount of drinks, who knows, maybe I'll see one of your drunken 1-star or 5-star reviews on Yelp later this weekend.

Cheers!

Bay Area Weather, BBQs, and Bread Salad

For the first time since Summer officially started, I think this past week was maybe the most "summer-esque" weather we've gotten so far here in the Bay Area. Cloudless, wind free, moderately warm California weather that we all take for granted has made its return, while Middle America roasts in triple digit weather and the East tries (but fails) to escape the dreaded humidity. For us Californians, warm weather really translates to less motivation to work and more outdoor fun, however, through the eyes of a food obsessed pit of hunger (my stomach), all summer means is a season of fresh fruit and BBQs.

The Chung house took advantage of the BBQ weather this past weekend as I spent what felt like my life savings at the local Farmers Market, buying pound after pound of fruit. From strawberries to apricots and literally ~3 pounds of cherries, I spent money like I actually had a savings to brag about, all before I even got to vegetables.

With my arms sore from carrying fruit, and my wallet light from...being used, I started talking to a vendor about how awesome and easy BBQ-ing is. We started talking about how anything and everything tastes great after being BBQ-ed, even fruit and vegetables. In a combined pitch at trying to get me to buy his vegetables, as well as a genuine attempt at continuing our conversation, he started telling me about how I should try to make Panzanella, an Italian bread and vegetable salad. Obviously I was intrigued.

Long story short, I arrived home with just as many vegetables as fruits and a determination to make and try Panzanella. Here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients
Good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 large basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1/2 small ficelle, cut into 1-inch thick slices


Directions
Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.

When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.

Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grilled-panzanella-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

This. Recipe. Rules. Not only is it delicious, it's really light as the dressing is made with champagne olive oil (a very unique flavor). And, grilling vegetables brings out a completely new taste as opposed to any other method of cooking.  I learned 2 very important things in this past week through my Panzanella adventures:

1. Bread salad, or panzanella, is something that should be a part of any chef's repertoire - home or professional. It's just too delicious and easy to not be, and can be cooked in any setting at any time. If BBQ-ing is out of the question, you can always broil your vegetables instead. All you need is a BBQ or oven and a knife for your ingredients, and you're more than well on your way to making a delicious vegetable dish. Speaking of which number 2....

2. I will feed my friends, family, and especially children (in the future) panzanella. Especially my children. If they'll be anything like I was as a kid - a stubborn, picky eating, handful - panzanella will be my trick to wiggle vegetables into their mouths. Even the youth can't deny its deliciousness!

Try this recipe. It's cheap and quick, and I wouldn't be surprised if you're enthusiastically writing about it after dinner (like me).

Wednesday Whistle Wetter: #4

Guess we'll have to call this one the "Thursday Whistle Wetter," as I'm a little late for Wednesday. Anyhow, this weeks' drink is equally as intriguing, but then again when have I been opposed to trying new alcohol.

After discovering my love for travel, coupled with the unearthing of my love to drink, my intrigue has extended way beyond food and into the world of alcoholic drinks. Beer, wine, and liquor in many forms of shots, pints, glasses, shooters, and cocktails of all flavors and styles have increased the excitement, sociability, and my knowledge of the "food and drink" world. Having lived in Paris and traveling through most of Western Europe in 2010, I found myself just as excited to try new kinds of drinks as I was to try new kinds of foods. Absinthe, pastis, and arrack wine were just a few that I was able to add to my list of "tried" drinks and brag sheet, most of which are especially hard to find in their most traditional forms in the States.

As a result, you'll be sure to catch my eye if you tout a sign in your restaurant window that advertises the service of any kind of overseas "traditional drink." Really. Try me.

This weeks' whistle wetter puts "soju," center stage. I came across the drink "soju" in looking for a place to eat with a friend who recently visited from out of town. He wanted Korean food, so I put my mind in culinary Sherlock Holmes mode and stumbled across a Korean restaurant/bar called "Tonight Soju Bar."My first reaction: "wtf is soju."

Turns out it's a Korean starch liquor comparable to a hybrid of Japanese sake and vodka, just sweeter. It also turns out to be one of the most popularly consumed liquors in the world; and that my friends is how you make a self proclaimed "foodie" feel like shit. Soju is served in shots, consumed clean (without mixing or chasing). After a bottle split between the two of us, coupled with plates and plates of Korean food, I was able to cross of yet another drink to the list of "tried" drinks. I'm beginning to love these Wednesday posts.

They say that the United States is a melting pot of cultures, where people of all different races, cultures, and beliefs come to prosper. To an extent, that is true, however I realize how lucky I am to live in San Francisco where that statement could not be more accurate. As a result, my eye opening experiences, great food/drink tours, and credit card bill continues to thrive without a foreseeable end.

Cheers!

Future "Festivals," Take Note.

Last week when I was asked by my two friends if I wanted to go to the "Cultivate Festival" in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, my first question was obviously, "what is that?" After I let them tell me that it was a food and music festival created by Chipotle Mexican Grill, meant to celebrate responsibly raised, skillfully prepared, and delightfully enjoyed foods, my only other question was, "can we go early?"

Now, this is the kind of festival I would die to go to every. Single. Weekend. Set up in the middle was the music/concert stage which was surrounded by 2 "main event" stages. The main event stages were equally as popular as the music stage though, probably because the guest talents that were showcased there were some of the hottest names in culinary pop culture right now. Chopped personality and Iron Chef competitor Amanda Freitag did a cooking demonstration, as did Iron Chefs Michael Chiarello & Nate Appleman. The music stage and main stages were surrounded by a plethora of food stations, all sporting their finest sustainable foods and veggies, and informational activity booths were littered about the park grounds as well. However, if you were looking for me during the Festival, chances are you'd find me in the "Tasting Room;" a huge tent that sold tasting cups as well as full glasses of about 25 different kinds of locally brewed craft beers.

The connotation that comes with the umbrella word "festival" these days is an overwhelming music show that has 50 or so artists that spans over the course of a weekend. Now to be clear, I love music festivals like Coachella, Outside Lands, and FYF Fest. However, after going to the Cultivate Festival this past weekend, as well as having experienced full on music festivals such as Coachella in the past, there's 3 solid changes that I'd love to see taken into account for festivals in the future. So if you're on that Coachella planning committee, listen up, bro.

1) A Meaning (or cause): 
Although music festivals pull in an enormous crowd of people willing to pay ungodly amounts of money for admission tickets (all of which are looking to go just to hear music), I think it would be great if future festivals stood for something, or helped to highlight a way of thought or living. For example, the Cultivate Festival tried to bring to light sustainable and locally grown foods and vegetables, as well as the positive economic and wellness benefits that come with buying them. Even a music festival that aimed at highlighting the prosperity of the thriving music culture in L.A. by only inviting musicians whose reputation was built in Southern California is an example of what I mean by "having a cause/meaning." The target audience is much more passionate about the performers, as well as what the festival is attempting to shed more light on. At Cultivate, I just really enjoyed being around so many other people that were just as obsessed and intrigued by food as I was.

2) Hybridity of Talent:
I really, really enjoyed getting to see talent that was not just all musicians at Cultivate. Seeing performances by chefs, hearing lectures by local farmers, and reliving experiences shared by restaurant critics kept each event of the day new, fresh, and exciting. In comparison to a music festival, sometimes you get tired of 8 foot speakers screaming techno in your face, and you just want to step away but continue to enjoy yourself as just as much. For myself, as well as others, I'm sure it was nice to step away from the music stage to see a culinary pop culture icon such as Amanda Freitag whip up a delicious looking rack of ribs while kicking off my dancing shoes for an hour. 

3) TASTING TENTS:

Okay, predictable enough. Derrick wants more tasting tents...everywhere in his life. But seriously, for festivals of any kind, 21 and up obviously, I want to be able to choose from 25 different kinds of beer all day long. However, things might get out of hand if there are tasting tents at EDC or something like that...let me rethink #3 for a bit.

Quit Playing With Your Food

Wednesday Whistle Wetter: Numero Trois

Since last June, 2012 I've slowly transitioned my way on up and out of collegiate life (physically, not mentally), and into the world of a "young professional," bringing with me a more developed palate for enjoying and appreciating "good" beer. Now, before you craft brew snobs and enthusiasts begin attacking me for making that last statement, let me clarify. In no way am I a connoisseur of beer, and I definitely won't be able to tell you what "hints" and "aftertastes" I can pick out after a sip of your uncle's professionally brewed homemade bathtub ale.

I have simply graduated from thinking strictly in terms of finances, i.e. "how many more cans of Bud Light can I get instead of this 6-pack of Lagunitas?" Instead of drinking 9 beers at once, I drink one; with dinner (fancy, right?). As a result, my eyes have been opened, choices are now plentiful, decisions are overwhelming, and my palate has been (slowly) developed. I can tell what I do like, or don't like about certain beers. I have moved my way down the "scale of beer-darkness" from light beers to IPAs. Current preference while staring down a line of taps at the local bar? Probably an amber ale of sorts.

For this week's Whistle Wetter post, I decided to pick a crazy, off the wall beer that I hope to cross off of my "tried" checklist in the near future. While searching for some interesting, unique, and wild craft brews, I stumbled upon this nutty list of the "10 Weirdest Beers," put together on Shortlist.com. They're all so crazy that it's hard to pick out the weirdest one, but if I had to, my vote would probably go with the "Pizza Beer," made with strained pizza juices (like, wringing out actual pizza) then filtered regularly.

Others that made the list:

A blue cheese beer.

A beer deemed "fit for space."

A beer that is 60% ABV, as well as one that's 55% ABV.

A beer made from animal droppings.

A beer served from animal skins.

Check out the entire list right here: http://www.shortlist.com/cool-stuff/the-worlds-10-weirdest-beers
I certainly have a lot of "palate development" to work on before diving into a pint of one of any of these guys. And believe me, you'll be the first to read if I try any of these at all. Cheers!

Wednesday Whistle Wetter: #2

Through my last year of college, and up until this very day I've come to realize that cinnamon whisky has really taken off in terms of popularity. I'm not talking about a slow and steady "take off," similar to a commercial airplane. I'm talking about an epic space shuttle-esque "take off": a full throttle, no looking back, vertically ascending sky rocket. 

In college, leaving the house on my way to the liquor store before a night out on the town sounded something like this: 

"Hey I'm going to the store, what do you guys feel like drinking tonight?"

"Fireball Whisky dude, duh."

Nowadays, we're a little more grown up. A little more sophisticated. Classier, if you will. 

"Hey I'm going up to the bar, you guys want a drink?" 

"Fireball Whisky dude, duh."

For all my friends, colleagues, fellow coworkers, and acquaintances that I have enjoyed drinking a shot of syrupy cinnamon flavor whisky with, this one's for you: 

Dragon's Breath

1/2 oz Firewater® cinnamon schnapps
1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum

Pour in firewater, float bacardi 151 proof rum on top, and ignite.

A little twist on our classic favorite, the Dragon's Breath shot is half cinnamon whisky and half Bacardi 151. It's simple and easy, like a martini if you will, minus the sophistication. If we see Dragon's Breath shots gain traction like regular cinnamon whisky shots did....well, who knows what'll happen. 

Enjoy!