Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cooking – South San Francisco
I guess for this one I need to change my name to the SOUTH San Francisco Food Dude! (more…)
What to get, and how to order, at Deja Vu Pizza & Pasta
At its core, pizza is three items: cheese, sauce, and dough. Most places in SF do a good job with the cheese and the sauce. After all, we live in California, getting quality cheese isn’t difficult. And, good tomato sauce is pretty easy to find. Even the finest pizzerias in NYC or New Jersey use tomato sauce made from tomatoes that were picked and packed in California’s Central Valley.
Where most joints fail – and where Déjà Vu EXCELS – is in their dough. Déjà Vu’s dough tastes like something you would want to eat, like fresh from the oven breadsticks, and not something you want to leave on your plate. (You know how a lot of people leave the crust behind? I’ve never been that kind of an eater – I’m definitely a founding member of the clean plate club – but I can’t blame folks when it comes to most pizza slices in SF. A lot of them have lousy dough that results in a crappy crust not worth eating.)
Good dough should have a certain chewiness, an inherent elasticity that comes from the gluten in the flour. If your pizza crust is “powdery” and flavorless, it’s just not the way it should be. Arinell’s makes dough like this – no “toothiness”, no flavor, it’s flat and lifeless. MELTED CHEESE can cover a multitude of sins, but if your dough can’t stand up on its own, you’re eating sub-par pizza. But, if you start with good dough, if your foundation has got its own flavor, you’re way ahead of the pack, and Déjà Vu has definitely mastered the art of the dough.
My absolute favorite topping here is their SAUSAGE. It’s hard to put it into words, which is unfortunate given that I’m supposed to be a writer, but, I’ll try. Not only does their sausage have great flavor and spiciness, but it’s got the perfect texture. Don’t get me wrong, I like pepperoni, but if I have a choice between circular sliced meat or meat that is crumbled and hasn’t been put into a sausage casing, I’ll take the ground meat variety every time. I’d rather eat morsels of meat than slices of meat, and if you feel the same way, I would STRONGLY recommend your ordering the sausage at Déjà vu.
What they define as a “slice” is more like 1.5 slices at a normal pizza parlor. (Pizza parlor, right? Who the hell says THAT anymore? Man, you know I’m old skool.) So, while $4.61 sounds like a lot for a slice with one topping, if you figure it’s really like a slice and a half, suddenly, it’s not so bad.
The sausage slice in all its glory. This is what you should order. Vegetarians, try the Deja Vu slice or Pesto Delight.
The other thing you need to know about them, especially if you are in a hurry – like on your lunch break – is that they make your slice to order. I mean they LITERALLY create your slice from scratch, from the raw, stretchy dough. Each SLICE (not pie, but SLICE) starts out as dough and is stretched and topped with sauce, cheese, and whatever you asked for as a topping AFTER YOU ORDER IT. Which is COOL if you’re down with freshness and customization, but is sort of uncool if you’re on a tight schedule. I mean, for me, pizza is typically one of those “I see it behind the glass display case, I want THAT slice right there, they heat it up and I’m eating it within 3 minutes” kind of deals. But that is NOT how it works at Déjà Vu and you should know that going in. Your personalized slice, made from scratch when you order it, is going to take 10-12 minutes to be made, and it’s going to be MOTHERFUCKING HOT when it comes out of the oven.
What is the solution? PHONE AHEAD. Yes, as crazy as it might seem (to anyone from NYC, Northern New Jersey or Connecticut) you can literally call them up and say, “I want to order a SLICE with sausage, and I’ll come by and pick it up in 15 minutes.” That is really the best way to do it here. That way, your slice has a chance to “settle” in a little bit before you bite into it. It’s still fresh from the oven, but it’s not burn the roof of your mouth fresh from the oven, you know what I mean?
In summary: Déjà Vu is not a spontaneous kind of thing. It requires a little bit of planning, like, “We’re on the Bay Bridge, we’ll be driving past their shop in 15 minutes, let’s call ahead and order two slices to pick up, whaddya say, honey?” But it’s worth the effort. These guys are on my top 5 favorite pizza spots in SF. Get the sausage. Let me know what you think. Happy eating!!
PS: I’ve never gotten delivery from them, so I can’t comment on their delivery. I’ve never eaten anything here other than slices of pizza, so I can’t comment on their pasta dishes. But, I make pasta at home, I don’t order it from a pizza place.
Déjà Vu Pizza & Pasta
3227 16th Street (near Guerrero)
San Francisco CA 94103
415.255.1600
http://dejavupizzasf.com/
CatHead’s Barbeuce – what can you get for $20?
Y’all know my mission, my passion is to find you the best bargain food in this over-priced city of SF, right? But, as much as I want to stem the tide of rising prices, there is ONLY so much that I can do. I spread the word about amazing deals, like the $5 banh mi sandwiches at Duc Loi Market that could easily feed two people, but the fact is, everything is getting more expensive. I feel almost fortunate (ALMOST) if I can sit down in a place with actual silverware, and get a complete meal, with a drink, that includes tax and tip for under $20. Which is exactly what you get at CatHead’s Barbecue.
For one Andrew Jackson you can get the $16 combo meal, which comes to $17.40 after tax. I suppose you can either POCKET the $2.60 (if say, you’re visiting from EUROPE!) or you can act like a patriot and toss it into the tip jar for the guys behind the counter.
What do you get for your “$20”? One main entrée (in my case, Brisket … duh!) PLUS two sides (mac’n’cheese and collard greens) PLUS a mini-biscuit (pretty damn mini) PLUS a drink. I opted for the lemonade, which I immediately diluted with more water and got sort of a 2-for-1 deal: two full glasses of lemonade from the one that they gave me. (I reckon you youngsters will probably take it straight; to my taste it was too sweet.)
$16 combo plate, $17.40 after tax. INCLUDES lemonade.
BUT … The best part of the meal isn’t even listed on the menu. They’re secret weapon and the thing that puts the meal over the top is their PICKLES! They include the usual assortment of sliced carrots and cauliflower florets, but then there was this large, root vegetable-looking piece that I couldn’t identify. Was it Jicama? Was it a Turnip? Rutabaga? It had a slightly sweet quality to it, underneath the pickly taste. Whatever it was, it was really good! I needed to know.
I saved one piece for last and after eating everything else, I brought my plate back up to the counter and asked, “Dude, what exactly IS this?”
“PICKLED WATERMELON RIND,” was his reply.
Pickled watermelon rind, a Southern favorite.
Wow. Mind blown. Who’da thunk it? If you gave me 1,000 guesses, I never would’ve picked that. But, damn it was GOOD. Like, put ‘em in a jar and sell ‘em at the counter good. Slightly sweet, put oh-so-pickly, sort of like a pickled slice of apple. Apparently it’s a Southern favorite, although I don’t recall having it during the three years that I lived in Atlanta, but I suppose there’s a lot of folks who will argue that Atlanta isn’t “the real South.”
The other secret weapon in their arsenal is their habanero barbecue sauce. That’s the one in the little squirt bottle. To borrow a quote from Prince, “It might be little, but it’s LOUD!” Don’t be fooled by its size – it packs a PUNCH.
The little bottle is Senor Habanero, and he is HOT!
Look, are these guys the BEST barbecue in SF? I kind of doubt it. But, there’s something very satisfying about the way they do business. You can tell that everyone who works there loves FOOD. There’s a very casual “you come here to EAT, not for the atmosphere” vibe to the place, and I like that. They got the Zeppelin and QotSA cranked up, and I like that, too. And honestly, for $20 for everything, top to bottom, I left feeling satisfied and fulfilled. I ain’t rushing back, but I know I shall return!
Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop & Restaurant (Pt. Reyes Station, CA)
Hi folks! I went a little outside of the immediate San Francisco Zone this time.
I’m writing this as I sit at my table having ordered at The Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop and Restaurant in Point Reyes Station. I am full of anticipation and a little anxiety, to be honest. I have high hopes for this place, that maybe I have finally found the burger I have been looking for: great meat, on great bread, nothing too fancy on top of it to mask the quality of the meat. And to be honest, for $15 for a burger with bacon, cheese, salad on the side, along with a pickle, these guys had BETTER DELIVER. That’s right folks, $15 doesn’t even include the price of the fries. (For an extra $2 you can swap your side salad for fries. So, that’s $17 for burger and fries.)
But, we all know that Marin Sun Farms raises QUALITY meats, so that’s why I’m excited. I swear, if this turns out to be “just another burger,” I’m going to cry.
Before my meal comes, here’s some good things to know: they’re open from 11:30am – 5pm, but that’s it, no dinner service. TUESDAY’s are like Sunday’s up here in Point Reyes – most places are closed. In fact, the famous Station House Café in Point Reyes is closed on Wednesday’s, so be careful if you come up here mid-week, you might be S.O.L.
I ordered the beet salad, the Beef Burger which comes with “super awesome bacon” and “cave aged gruyere.” I’m usually against forcing cheese on a burger, but I’m not going to rock the boat here, as it is my first time. I’ve also ordered a side of french fries that are cooked in PORK LARD, so they are pork-fries, and I’m sure all my vegetarian friends are going to be disgusted and disappointed, but I’m intrigued.
Roasted and marinated beets with arugula, pecans, and Point Reyes Bleu Cheese.
In addition to all the red meat options, they do a fried chicken sandwich, which I gotta admit I’m frickin’ tempted to order. I mean, in a place KNOWN for their meat, how awesome does the fried chicken sandwich have to be in order to hold its own?
Atmosphere-wise, it’s nothing, and that’s fine with me. It’s more of a butcher shop with about 16 tables. No white linen, nothing fancy. You can order beer and wine, they’ve got about six whites and six reds on the menu, and a decent assortment of craft beers in bottles (Anchor, Lagunitas, North Coast, etc.)
OMG, hurry up and bring me my food, dude!!!
Okay. Here it is. Here we go.
Beef Burger with “Super Awesome Bacon and cave-aged Gruyere.” The bacon IS super awesome.
Initial reaction: bummed that there is no pickle, just a few slices of pickle (see image.)
PORK FRIES: Insanely crunchy, insanely flavorful.
Beet Salad: just what I expected, which is good. Roasted, marinated beets that look beautiful, like Jamaican sunsets, with candied pecans, Point Reyes blue cheese and arugula. A nice salad.
Burger, cooked medium as I had asked. Bun was a little dry and overwhelming for the burger, like they could’ve gone smaller, or larger on the meat side. Kind of disappointed at the lack of sliced tomato or onion available on the side. Just the three pickle slices and the salad, that’s it for adornments.
Detail of burger with bacon and cheese
How’s the damn thing taste? The damn thing tastes really good. HIGH QUALITY MEAT, really good, thick, tasty meat. And the secret weapon is the Super Awesome Bacon that they put on top. This might be the best bacon I’ve ever had, seriously. It’s perfect, it’s delicious.
So, I’m a little torn. On the one hand, they need a less starchy, more delicate bun. And the price – $15 – seems just a wee bit high for me. I’d go crazy for $12.50, even $14. $15 seems like, “yo, bitch, for real, where’s my slice of tomato on the side? What’s up with these pickle slices, you can’t afford to give me at least HALF of a pickle?”
Fries cooked in LARD. Crunchy, but potato flavor lost in the pork fat.
Plus, the pickles were on the sweet side, which is a turn off for me. I’m strictly a salt, water, and then something spicy like garlic or hot peppers kind of pickle guy. Save the SWEET for dessert.
OKAY, post-meal reactions: that might be the best bacon I’ve ever eaten. I feel like I’m not done with this place yet. I have a hard time recommending it because it IS pricey, and that was NOT the holy grail of hamburgers. Also, I’m not sure french fries cooked in lard is a good idea. There’s probably a reason why, in a country with 10 million places making fries, hardly any of them are deep frying ‘em in LARD. If it was a good idea, more places would do it. It’s too much, it’s overkill. Yes, they were crunchy, but the lard flavor overpowered the potato flavor, and you could really FEEL the weight of the grease. It’s so rich, so heavy that you want to take a shower afterwards. Cook ‘em in peanut oil, or something light that lets the potato come through. Plus, you’ll make the vegetarians happy.
There are many items on this menu, including burgers made from GOAT and LAMB, so, I will continue to explore Marin Sun Farms. But, my immediate suggestion would be to BUY THE BACON, buy the meat you like, take it home and cook it up yourself. It’s more cost effective, you’ll get a meal that is more what you want. If money is no object in your life, and you don’t mind the bun overpowering your meat, then order here and pay the premium price
Detail of beet salad
It IS a butcher shop, after all :^)
Super Awesome Bacon in its raw state.
MARIN SUN FARMS BUTCHER SHOP & RESTAURANT
10905 Shoreline Highway 1
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Phone: 415-663-1800
I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CALL FIRST. They have very odd hours. They are closed on Tuesday.
Thai House 530 (530 Valencia Street, San Francisco)
Dear Thai House 530:
Sorry that I have been taking you for granted. I realize now that we, the residents of The Mission, are very LUCKY to have you in our neighborhood. You make great-tasting food at reasonable prices in a hip atmosphere (that maybe tries a little TOO HARD, but that’s okay.)
To demonstrate my devotion, I’ve composed a poem:
Thai House 530, don’t ever go away.
Thai House 530, long may you stay.
Thai House 530, your prices can’t be beat.
Thai House 530, damn I like your meat.
I also must apologize for being such a creature of habit; I pretty much order the same items every time I’m with you. But, that’s me, those are my short-comings, not yours. You’ve been carrying your weight in the relationship and I’ve been too afraid to venture forth into new territory.
But, why risk it when I know my old stand-by’s are SO GOOD? Namely, the Tom Yum soup with CHICKEN instead of shrimp ($5.) Thank you for being so accommodating and making that adjustment for me, you’re always such a pleaser. And, Pad See Yew with BEEF ($9.) It’s not lost on me, my sweet Thai House 530, that while OTHER Thai restaurants (ahem, such as King’s Thai on Clement St.) use THINLY SLICED roast beef (almost “sandwich-like” in it’s thickness) as their beef in Pad See Yew, YOU USE ACTUAL bite-sized MORSELS OF STEAK. Yours is wonderful and meaty, chewy and delicious. There’s makes me think someone ran out of steak so they just threw in some sliced roast beef and none of the zombies noticed or complained.
Pad See Yew with Beef. (Rice noodles, Chinese Broccoli, Eggs, and chunks of steak)
My whole meal, with tax and tip came to $18.23, which, in this over-priced town actually counts as a bargain these days. I left completely sated, filled to overflowing with your Love – I mean, your Food. I mean, well, let’s face it, Food is Love. Thai House 530, I Food You!
(If I WAS going to wander, it would probably be with your pricey relative, Lers Ros Thai, just a couple of blocks away. But, damn, is she an EXPENSIVE mistress to maintain!)
Thai House 530
530 Valencia Street (near 16th Street)
San Francisco CA 94110
415.503.1500
Food Dude Radio Interview!
Click above for an extensive interview with The SF Food Dude and David, producer and editor extraordinaire!
Sound Bites is a weekly radio show all about Bay Area food folk. It airs on Pirate Cat Radio (www.piratecatradio.com) every Sunday. This interview was from December, 2009. Give a listen and find out everything you always wanted to know about Food Dude, but were afraid to ask.