srisinger’s Profile
Recent Comments
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
Adam wins!
... Okay, I'm way too late for this conversation. Regardless, I'm making a Fatty Melt this weekend for my wife and me!
Vive le Fatty Melt!
Cook the Book: Roasted Tomatoes and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
This looks delightful! But how can I win Tacos when the Enter Here link is broken?
Cook the Book: 'Beyond the Great Wall'
My favorite foreign food memory was when I was with my university's chamber choir in Poland. I wandered away from the group on a free day and had a full (FULL) meal for $8. Whole spiced apples, borscht, classic kielbasa (better than any I have ever found in the States), and the list went on. My favorite place by far!
See more comments by srisinger »
Recent Posts
srisinger hasn't written a post yet.
Recent Favorites
srisinger hasn't favorited a post yet.
Recent Polls
srisinger hasn't answered any polls yet.
Recent Quizzes
srisinger hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Where to eat in SF?
My wife and I went to SF for our honeymoon (May, 2004) and met a guy on the plane who lived there. He gave us a list of places to go that aren't on the main tourist map, but are local staples.
Mama's on Washington Square has the absolute best breakfast I have ever had in my life. This is the only place we went to more than once (read, three times in a week!)
Yuet Lee Chinese Restaurant, 1300 Stockton St. This looked a little run down, but was known to have five-star chefs visit for their authentic Chinese food. While looking this information up for you, I ran across some fairly recent reviews that weren't so hot, and a new restaurant may have moved into that location, so YMMV.
Shanghai 1930 Restaurant is a mix between upper-class Chinese food and a 1930's jazz joint. It was slightly touristy, but very delicious. (I had the Firecracker Chicken, which was explosive in heat, but delicious. Their signature dish is called “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” which is $88/person, minimum 2 people, minimum 72 hours notice. There's a link to their menu on the website. I just want to see what it looks like!)
Unfortunately, that's all I remember from the list, but I insist you try to get to Mama's at least once. It will definitely be worth the effort. Have a great trip!
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
Adam wins!
... Okay, I'm way too late for this conversation. Regardless, I'm making a Fatty Melt this weekend for my wife and me!
Vive le Fatty Melt!
Cook the Book: Roasted Tomatoes and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
This looks delightful! But how can I win Tacos when the Enter Here link is broken?
Cook the Book: 'Beyond the Great Wall'
My favorite foreign food memory was when I was with my university's chamber choir in Poland. I wandered away from the group on a free day and had a full (FULL) meal for $8. Whole spiced apples, borscht, classic kielbasa (better than any I have ever found in the States), and the list went on. My favorite place by far!
Where to eat in SF?
@foodphilo-- you are right on regarding the Stinking Rose! I first went there in '96 and my husband and we had a tremendous meal. However over the years when we were in town we discovered it was in steady decline.
I was in SF with a friend 3 years ago and she'd somehow heard about it-- probably from somebody who was there in the good old days. So against my better judgment, we went. Terrible food. What is more unforgiveable was the most unfriendly, snooty service ever. Ever. Be sure to hiss for me when you walk by.
Where to eat in SF?
The Peruvian restaurant La Mar at Embarcadero is also fabulous for ceviche, I think there are 5 or 6 kinds - but you can order the ceviche sampler. They were all good!
Where to eat in SF?
I loved Fresca for great Peruvian food. The lobster ceviche was the best ceviche I have ever tried. The lomo saltado is also incredible.
I liked Rose Pistola a lot too.
Where to eat in SF?
So now that my week here is coming to an end, thought I'd share what I actually ate!
R&G lounge- great peking duck, ginger scallion crab, stir fried pea shoots - my favorite
Zuni Cafe - Fantastic food - I had the pork chop, my friends had the flat iron steak and cod.
Tartine Bakery - I had the gougere, croissant and hot chocolate for breakfast. All delicious.
Taylor's Refresher (the one in napa) - Ahi burger, garlic fries and a strawberry shake. Best garlic fries I've had so far.
Yank sing for dim sum - food was excellent, though over-priced. You'll find comparable dim sum in most other cities at half the price (i.e. Boston, Chicago, New york).
Cafe at Chez Panisse - I've never tasted vegetables that were so tasty in my entire life. Food was incredible, same for the desserts.
Drinks at the bar at Aqua - really nice space, tasty cocktails.
Blue bottle coffee - espresso so good it almost made me weep.
Ferry building - farmers market on Sat was amazing. St. benoit yogurt was particularly good. Also liked Acme bread, cabot clothbound cheddar at the cheese store, boccalone had a nice fennel and brown sugar salami. Oh I also had pretty incredible scharffen berger gelato at the gelato place.
Pho at Pho Huynh Hiep III a.k.a. Kevin's Noodle House - soooo good. That's all I can remember for now, thanks again to everyone for all the comments!
Where to eat in SF?
I have to disagree with the person above who suggested Stinking Rose-- I took some friends who were visiting there, and everyone unanimously agreed it was the worse restaurant experience EVER. bad food with expensive prices, and the service was HORRIBLE. i can't even walk past that place without hissing. so i would suggest not going there.
Where to eat in SF?
Oh yes, also try Aziza in the Richmond for awesome Moroccan food.
Where to eat in SF?
+1 for Zazzie. Go there for weekend brunch and prepare for a wait. Definitely try the mimosas.
+1 for Nick's Crispy Tacos. The best deal is Tuesday's -- $2 for all tacos and chips+guac. The 95 cent "Nick's Way" addon is essential.
Check out AA Bakery in Chinatown for Tsa Shao Bao (BBQ Pork Buns) and Dan Ta (Egg Custard Tart).
Shalimar on Polk has great Pakistani food.
If you've never had real mochi, check out Benkyodo in Japantown for freshly made mochi and manju. Closed on Sundays.
Where to eat in SF?
la taqueria is on 25th and mission, and please oh please go there and have a quesadilla and a cantaloupe licuada for me. then go to dianda next door and have one of their swoony pastries.
Where to eat in SF?
Definitely go to:
For overall quality of food, try:
Bi-Rite Creamery, best ice cream ever: http://biritecreamery.com/
Tartine Bakery, cafe and bakery deliciousness: http://www.tartinebakery.com/
Spork, hipster location, seriously awesome food: http://sporksf.com/
For a cheaper but fresh and delicious, more casual meal, try one of the four locations of Chow Restaurant: http://www.chowfoodbar.com/
Also cheap but innovative and delicious is Kasa Indian Eatery in the Castro: http://www.kasaindian.com/
In the Haight, I love Magnolia Pub and Brewery: http://www.magnoliapub.com/
For really fun ambiance and delicious food, go to Foreign Cinema:http://www.foreigncinema.com/
For a great burger, shake and fries (and I mean delish) go to Taylor's Automatic Refresher while you're at the Farmer's Market in Ferry Plaza (a must see): http://taylorsautomaticrefresher.com/
I loved living there, have fun!
Where to eat in SF?
I concur on the Mama's recommendation. Their fresh OJ and french toast at brunch are to die for!
Where to eat in SF?
Welcome to SF! Definitely don't miss my favorite burrito place: Papalote. A-freakin-mazing http://www.papalote-sf.com/
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@ratbuddy: Yeah, I guess the picture here doesn't really show the scale of the bread. It is a bit smaller than a normal piece of sandwich bread—probably about 80 percent of the size. So if you imagine how a normal piece of sandwich bread might overhang a typical patty, on the Fatty Melt, it's the opposite, and the patty overhangs the "bun." I think it's a good ratio, since anything bigger bunwise would give you way too much grilled cheese flavor. Or, I guess, you could always up the size of the patty. ;)
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
Haven't got a camera except the horrible one in my phone, but boy were they good. I didn't realize the very thin bread was also very small, so 1 piece of cheese on each 'bun' was perfect, with another folded in quarters inside the patty. Next time, I need to find a beefier tasting beef. The dominant flavor was 'grilled cheese.' I've never had a fatty melt in general, so maybe that's the way they always taste.
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@ratbuddy: Fucking genius. Pictures? An account of the process/eating?
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
Just invented something I'm about to make for dinner tonight. It's a Fatty Melt, with a Juicy Lucy patty in the middle. I'm calling it the Fat Lucy. You heard it here first.
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@Adam: No man, I don't think you were whiny. They should have shot you an email or something. You'd think they'd be excited to share with you the fact that they're putting a fatty melt on their menu.
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
Meh, I still say they're dirty rotten scoundrels for ripping it off wholesale, and calling it the same thing :P
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@joylissa: Thanks for the sympathy, but I'm afraid I brought this on myself! ;)
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
poor adam :(
everybody chill like a pill...
Vive le Fatty Melt!
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@skizziks: Honestly, I don't know if I was asking for them to credit it. I think I just got bent out of shape when Ratbuddy emailed me and I wanted to vent.
I agree—it would be ridiculous for them to put an asterisk on the menu next to the name and have a footnote at the bottom relating the burger's history and progenitors. Like you said, then when does it stop? I was just being whiny about it.
I suppose when the Fatty Melt takes over the world (and ultimately becomes lowercase because it is so well known and exists as a commonplace item), AHT may go down as a footnote in history along with Mossy Creek, etc. And this very thread may then give future historians something to reference when writing a burger history ebook or cyberbrainwave or whatever they'll use 100 years from now.
I didn't take your comments as a dig on my work here and did feel a little bad about the "I don't care" cop out. But, sure, you all have helped me come down from the ledge, so I'm not as worried about this anymore.
The important thing now is to see the fatty melt spread far and wide.
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@Adam: Oh man, don't be that way. I haven't even compared you to Hitler yet.
Seriously though, your burger evangelism is vital reading--I was totally not kidding about your writing convincing me to make a fatty melt for myself last weekend. I'm just skeptical that it's practical--or even appropriate--for a restaurant to give your blog credit for a menu item, considering the thousands (or millions) of other cases in which restaurants copy someone else's idea without giving explicit credit. I absolutely do not mean that as a dig on your work.
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@skizziks: I don't care anymore. You guys have beaten me down.
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@Adam: No, I'm seriously curious what the proper etiquette is here. It seems fair for Max Burger to give props to you in their menu, but then shouldn't they also be giving equal or greater props to the Mossy Creek Cafe? And why stop there--I'm sure everything on their menu originated in some other kitchen (apart from minor adjustments).
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@ Adam. It was good, but it could have been much better. The burger was overcooked and it suffers from being a pre-made frozen puck. However, Rich (the chef at the Italian club I belong to) did the best he could with the ingredients at hand. The good news is, he said anytime he has fresh ground beef he will use it, or if I want to bring my own in, he'll use that.
Also, since adding it to the secret menu almost two months ago, he has made at least one a week. The name is still up in the air, but, he call's it a Big Woolly Melt. I can pretty much guarantee you that I'm never going to order it that way. Too embarrassing. ;)
One final note. After eating it, I do feel about three seconds of shame & about fifteen minutes of ogeda. But my smile lasts all day long.
Dear AHT: Some Dude in Connecticut Is Ripping You Off
@skizziks: Thanks for the link. You have shown me the light.
@BigWoollyMammoth: AWESOME. I love how lightly toasted the GC component is. Just how I like mine. How was it?
Recent Posts
srisinger hasn't written a post yet.
Recent Favorites
srisinger hasn't favorited a post yet.
Polls
srisinger hasn't answered any polls yet.
Quizzes
srisinger hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
My wife and I went to SF for our honeymoon (May, 2004) and met a guy on the plane who lived there. He gave us a list of places to go that aren't on the main tourist map, but are local staples.
Mama's on Washington Square has the absolute best breakfast I have ever had in my life. This is the only place we went to more than once (read, three times in a week!)
Yuet Lee Chinese Restaurant, 1300 Stockton St. This looked a little run down, but was known to have five-star chefs visit for their authentic Chinese food. While looking this information up for you, I ran across some fairly recent reviews that weren't so hot, and a new restaurant may have moved into that location, so YMMV.
Shanghai 1930 Restaurant is a mix between upper-class Chinese food and a 1930's jazz joint. It was slightly touristy, but very delicious. (I had the Firecracker Chicken, which was explosive in heat, but delicious. Their signature dish is called “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” which is $88/person, minimum 2 people, minimum 72 hours notice. There's a link to their menu on the website. I just want to see what it looks like!)
Unfortunately, that's all I remember from the list, but I insist you try to get to Mama's at least once. It will definitely be worth the effort. Have a great trip!