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Leena Eats: The infamous Gary Danko…and has to be rolled home

Leena Eats: The infamous Gary Danko...and has to be rolled home

Gary Danko's: Dinner at an SF institution and wear stretchy pants sort of night

So, word on the street is that Gary Danko is to San Francisco what Charlie Trotter is to Chicago, that is, a haut dining temple, if you will. No jeans allowed, arrive on time, and most important, wear some stretchy pants–but dressy ones, because the food? It just. Don’t. STOP.

Thanks to my husband and the awesome Casey and Nash at AdMob (don’t their names sound like the names of a morning radio show team? Casey and Nash in the A.M.!), I had the pleasure of donning my own dressy stretch pants and checking out Gary Danko for myself.

Get ready for a ridiculous amount of food porn–five- five course meals worth. And if it would make you feel any better, by all means…put on some stretchy pants.

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July 28th, 2010
Posted in Leena Eats, San Francisco | View Comments

Leena Eats: Bay Wolf in Oakland

Leena Eats: Bay Wolf in Oakland

A bottle of Green Flash Brewing Company's Hop Head from San Diego, California. The first of many delicious things at Bay Wolf.

A week after we moved for the second time in six months, my husband and I were both so exhausted, we couldn’t even fathom slapping together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, let alone a proper dinner. It was hard to focus on anything after the month we’d had–finding out that our landlord wanted to sell our apartment after we had moved there from across the country five months earlier, fighting with him to let us stay until the end of our lease, losing, and finding/moving into another apartment.

It was a week night, we were poor from the move, and we felt like zombies, but sometimes, you just need a good meal to get you back on track. I really believe that. I stumbled upon a random restaurant yelp that sounded exactly like what we needed–upscale comfort food in a friendly environment just a few blocks from our new place: Bay Wolf.

Nevermind that I could not say the name without calling it Beowolf.

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July 21st, 2010
Posted in East Bay, Leena Eats, Oakland | View Comments

Leena Eats: Flour + Water in SF Photo Essay

Leena Eats: Flour + Water in SF Photo Essay

Pork charcuterie, I believe it was rillettes, from Flour + Water in SF.

Flour + Water is a modern Italian pasta and pizza place in San Francisco’s Mission district, and since I’ve moved to the Bay area, it’s been recommended to me constantly. I figured it was time to see what all the fuss is about.

If you like food, food or food, I think you might like this post. If you don’t, you probably found this page by searching “big ass hoes”, the most commonly used search term that leads to my blog (no joke). Welcome. I knew my love of swearing would come back to bite me in the ass eventually, but hey, while you’re here, how about some food porn?

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July 14th, 2010
Posted in Leena Eats, San Francisco | View Comments

Leena Eats: Food Trend- Upscale NoCal BBQ

Leena Eats: Food Trend Upscale NoCal BBQ

The Scotch Egg at Wexler's. A lightly poached egg rolled in the burnt, smoked ends of beef short rib, breaded, fried, and served with a homemade hot sauce and a sweet tea gastrique

When it comes to upscale barbecue, there are a lot of different ways a restaurant could go. Some simply serve traditional American barbecue with high quality, sustainable ingredients. Some restaurants apply haute cuisine cooking methods to traditional American barbecue recipes. And others, like Wexler’s, use barbecue in the loosest term possible.

Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of experiencing Wexler’s, a modern American restaurant with barbecue inspirations in San Francisco’s Financial district. What does that mean, exactly? According to head chef Charlie Kleinman (former co-chef at Fish and Farm), this means working with traditional barbecue flavors in new forms, rather than the concept of barbecue as a whole.

More words and food porn after the jump.

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July 7th, 2010
Posted in Leena Eats, San Francisco, barbecue | View Comments

Leena Eats: Chez Spencer (photo essay)

Leena Eats: Chez Spencer (photo essay)

Butter poached lobster with artichoke bisque at Chez Spencer ($25 USD). This was ok...the lobster was a bit chewy, and the flavors a bit muddled.

Chez Spencer is as French as it gets in San Francisco. Pros- I liked their foie. Cons– Seemed to have the exact same menu for two years running.

More food porn after the jump.

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June 30th, 2010
Posted in Leena Eats, San Francisco | View Comments

Leena Eats: Frascati in San Francisco

Leena Eats: Frascati in San Francisco

The duck liver pate at Frascati in San Francisco

Tucked away in the trendy Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco (and right around the corner from a rice pudding shop, no less) is the Mediterranean-style bistro called Frascati, open since 1987. I had the pleasure of dining there a few months back (did I mentioned I moved across the country six months ago? And that I am moving to my second apartment in 6 months this weekend? Okay, good), and I was impressed enough to want to share it with you a few months later.

The basics are: it is a cozy restaurant, friendly, helpful servers (some who like to take photos of you with your own camera), and seriously delicious food. More food porn after the jump.

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June 23rd, 2010
Posted in Leena Eats, San Francisco | View Comments

Leena Eats: Pop Up General Store in East Bay

Leena Eats: Pop Up General Store in East Bay

The Pop Up General Store in the East Bay

Taken straight from their website, “Founded by Christopher Lee and Samin Nosrat, Pop-Up General Store is a group of professional cooks {nearly all of us current or former Chez Panisse cooks} making the foods we love to eat. We Pop-Up every two or three weeks so that you can get your hands on some.”

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June 16th, 2010
Posted in East Bay, Leena Eats | View Comments

Leena Eats: Wood Tavern in Rockridge

Leena Eats: Wood Tavern in Rockridge

The cheese platter with chicken liver pate at Wood Tavern in Oakland.

I used to live near a little strip of shops and restaurants in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland that is freaking A-Dorable. One restaurant in particular, Wood Tavern, an American Brasserie type place, is always packed. Whether it is a Tuesday afternoon or a Saturday evening, there always seem to be lines out the door and happy people eating delicious looking food.

It took a while to get a reservation, but then I was one of those happy people, enjoying the comfortableness that is Wood Tavern. Read the rest of this entry »

June 9th, 2010
Posted in East Bay, Leena Eats, Oakland, Rockridge | View Comments

Leena Eats: Pedrick’s Produce in Dixon, CA

Leena Eats: Pedricks Produce in Dixon, CA

The outside of Pedrick's Produce from the highway.

When you drive through Northern California and you are not super close to San Francisco, you constantly see signs like the ones above, especially as spring and summer start. Tons of locally grown, delicious produce at dirt cheap prices. When you see signs like this:

Leena Eats: Pedricks Produce in Dixon, CA

Mmm, cheap and local strawberries!

it is difficult not to pull a 360 on the highway, taking out a few mini vans in your quest for some delicious, cheap strawberries. I’m not saying it’s right, I’m just saying it happens, people.

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June 2nd, 2010
Posted in California, Food Porn, Leena Eats, Leena Travels | View Comments

Leena Eats: Ici Ice cream in Berkeley

Leena Eats: Ici Ice cream in Berkeley

Long lines, delicious ice cream--the joy that is Ici.

When I moved to the East Bay in late 2009, one of the first shops I noticed nestled in the adorable Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley was Ici ice cream shop. It’s hard NOT to notice Ici, which seems to have a line at least 20 people long at all hours of the day and night.

One day while I was waiting in line, a hippy chick on a bike rode by and screamed, “You know there is Ben and Jerry’s too!” Of course there is, and on days when I don’t feel like waiting in line for really really good ice cream made with slightly more local and less processed ingredients as Ben n Jerry’s, I will happily walk down to Safeway and buy myself a pint. But I happen to feel upscale organic ice cream has a place in this world, damn it. Especially when they put bacon in ice cream form.

More food porn from Ici after the jump.

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May 26th, 2010
Posted in Berkeley, East Bay, Ice cream, Leena Eats | View Comments
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