It’s been a few months (and a baby) since I last participated in Iron Cupcake SF (January 2011, as a matter of fact). But with most of the baby weight and ALL of the gestational diabetes gone, I was ready to take on Iron Cupcake by storm. The monthly challenge: candy. Something I have made into an entire food group for the better part of my life! So I got to work creating my dream candy-inspired cupcake. Heaps of food porn and a killer cupcake recipe after the jump.
Leena Eats: A sexy sundae from Humphrey Slocombe in SF
- A thing of simple beauty: the tin roof sundae from Humphrey Slocombe in San Francisco.
During the past two months of my new baby’s life, I have been determined not to lose sight of the activities I loved the most before she arrived, cooking and dining out among them. Cooking has definitely been the more difficult of the two activities (Ever try opening the oven door with a baby strapped in a carrier across your chest? They come a LITTLE too close to actually falling in the oven.).
So I’ve been trying to eat out as much as possible, and one of my little excursions with the baby has been to Humphrey Slocombe, an artisan ice cream shop in SF’s Mission neighborhood. On this trip, I sampled their staple flavor, Secret Breakfast (bourbon and cornflake ice cream), which was surprisingly delicious. But the stand out? The tin roof sundae, which consisted of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, candied peanuts and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt.
The combination of the rich chocolate with the crunchy sweet peanuts and the hit of salt at the end is positively addictive. And if I didn’t have a baby strapped to me, you bet your ass I would have put some hurting on SEVERAL sundaes. The extra 10 pounds slows me down.
~LTG!
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Humphrey Slocombe
2790 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 550-6971
Leena Eats: Her last baked goods at Tartine Bakery!
- One of the last sweet things I ate–coconut cream pie tart at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.
One of my last sweet treats before being diagnosed with gestational diabetes was a trip to Tartine Bakery in San Francisco with a friend. And even though I’m sugar-free for the time being, this was an awesomely sweet way to go.
We started with this coconut cream pie tart, which sounds decadent enough on it’s homemade tart dough and filled with luscious coconut pudding. But the bottom of the tart shell is filled with caramel and topped with a crunchy chocolate shell, and the whole shebang is finished with whipped cream and big old flakes of toasted coconut.
YEAH. I know.
THEN…
- I went for my personal favorite, an almond frangipane croissant.
This was the single most flakiest pastry I have ever–EVER had. Ugh. So damn good, and that’s before I even got to the middle.
- The innards were spread with frangipane (an almond mixture), and topped with flaked almonds.
Ohmagah. The sweet, nutty filling was the perfect surprise for me in the middle, amidst all that flake and buttery goodness. I seriously had flakes of pastry covering me from head to toe, even a bit in my hair. But it was so worth it.
And as soon as I give birth, I plan on making this my first treat back into the world of sugar. Hit up Tartine Bakery if you can!
~LTG!
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Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 487-2600
Leena Eats: Gracias Madre, Her first ever vegan Mexican food in SF!
- The Quesadillas de Calabaza- butternut squash and caramelized onion in tortillas with cashew nacho cheese and pumpkin seed salsa at Gracias Madre.
My first thoughts when my husband asked if I wanted to try a vegan Mexican restaurant were “hell no!” I mean, vegetarian Mexican is one thing, but why would you want to take out the cheese? The cheese is one of the reasons I love Mexican food so damn much.
Plus, it is really hard to find a decent vegan restaurant. You have so few ingredients to work with, it’s understandable, but vegan is not like pizza, where even crappy versions are not that bad. Crappy vegan is crappy, and what’s worse- you go home hungry. Was I ready to risk an entire delicious meal on trying a new cuisine?
Fuck yeah. But only after I located a proper, meat-filled taqueria near the restaurant. You know. Just in case I wanted dessert.
Food porn and my take on dinner after the click!
Leena Eats: The Bay Area Food Guide
The BBQ Scotch Egg at Wexler's in SF.
For the past 14 months, I’ve had the pleasure of living in the Bay area of Northern California. As the finale to the 4 year birthday of Leena Eats This Blog, I thought it would be fun to compile a Bay Area food guide of all the deliciousness I’ve consumed over the past year or so. If you live in the Bay Area, are visiting, or just like to look at some good old fashioned food porn, this is the guide for you.
Happy Eating!
Leena Eats: Woodhouse Fish Company–Crabs you can be proud of!
A whole lotta crab at Woodhouse Fish Company in SF.
Friends were in town and craving seafood, and it was late November–the start of the local crab season, so we headed to Woodhouse Fish Company in San Francisco to get our hands on some (affordable) delicious local crab. Heaps of crab porn after the click. Read the rest of this entry »
Leena Eats: Tropisueno in San Francisco
A trio of salsas started the night off at Tropisueno--mild, hot, and burn your bum off hot flavors.
When a pregnancy craving calls, you don’t ignore–you drop everything else and make it YOUR GOAL to get that food. My mission: Mexican food in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood to catch up with friends. My results: Tropisueno.
Thoughts on the food, service and plenty of food porn after the jump.
Leena Eats: Kitchenette in Dogpatch, SF
The daily menu at Kitchenette.
I love that living in the Bay area means that there is literally a new food surprise around every corner…or in this case, in every loading dock. Meet Kitchenette, a food stand open Monday through Friday at a loading dock in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood.
This place’s menu changes daily, and always features locally sourced, organic, gourmet food that is surprisingly good. Like pork belly and fried oyster sandwiches, chicharones, and The Buster- a sandwich stacked with fried green tomatoes, bacon, peaches, aioli and arugula.
Kicks the crap out of McDonalds if you ask me. More food porn after the jump.
Leena Eats: Artisan Ice Cream Goodness- Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous in SF
Just another day in Dogpatch.
Ah, Dogpatch. An up and coming hood on the southern end of San Francisco, a mix of trendy eateries and factories turned into work spaces. To be honest, I never would have stumbled upon this hood if I didn’t work in it, but I am so glad it happened.
Artisan ice cream is clearly a food trend the Bay area is obsessed with, and frankly, I have no problem with that. From Ici in Berkeley to Humphry Slocombe in the Mission, from Bi-Rite Creamery all the way to the newly opened Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous in Dogpatch, I’ve made it my personal responsibility to try them all.
Come. Drool at my food porn.
Leena Eats: Fleur de Lys, San Francisco, CA (Photo Essay)
I hear if you flash Hubert Keller, you get free foie @ Fleur de Lys in San Francisco.
Ah, Hubert Keller. One fine French chef. Almost a Top Chef Master. A famous chef in northern California, cousin to another famous chef in northern California, Thomas Keller of The French Laundry (ok not really but wouldn’t that be cool and amazingly coincidental?).
Some have called chef Hubert Keller’s restaurant, Fleur de Lys, the most romantic dining room in San Francisco. After dining there, I can honestly say: don’t let this fancy restaurant’s dress code fool you–stretchy pants are a must. Unless you plan on taking someone’s eye out with the bursting button from your pants, that is.
Heaps o food porn after the jump.
Leena Eats: The Mission Food Tour (aka the best damn food tour ya ever been on, fool)
Three friends (one food lover) plus one SF hood plus seven food places equals way too much deliciousness and one slightly sore ankle.
Well folks, you knew it was eventually coming–my first official food tour of San Francisco. The hood in choice? The Mission, the city’s first neighborhood, home to Latin, Indian and Asian cultures, gorgeous historical murals and seriously delicious food. This diverse neighborhood means that one block can be littered with homeless people and abandoned buildings, and the very next could be gentrified into gorgeous buildings filled with independently-run, creative businesses.
If you’re ready, if you think you can handle the gluttony that is a custom-made Leena Eats food tour, then please, by all means, check it out: more food porn and fun photos than you could shake a stick at after the jump.
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.
