"Where-To-Wednesday" Adventures: September 2013

Moving here from LA, where hour commutes to *insert anywhere you need to be* were par for the course, I had no idea just how much of my life I was wasting in my car traveling from one side of LA to the other, until I arrived in San Francisco. Sure, those ‘learn Italian’ tapes sounded like a great idea when I bought them, but an hour of reciting phrases I would never use: “Martha makes bread” (silly Martha, why doesn’t she just buy it at Whole Foods like the rest of us?) while simultaneously uselessly yelling at cars at a standstill in front of me, only served to make me look like a crazy person in traffic and resulted in the incurred knowledge of the sole word: andiamo! 7x7. Who knew how sweet those three little letters would sound for my commute and yet how much culture, activity, eating, drinking…just life in general, such a small radius could hold? For seven dollars and ten minutes, a magical ride known as ‘the taxi’ (and later the Uber + two dollars and a snazzy ride) would drop me off at my destination within this small big city and for the first time in my life, I was *gasp* early. Who knew I had it in me? This 7x7 radius held everything I needed and although San Francisco is easily one of the largest cities of this country…this small circumference of land gave it the small town feel that brings out the charm and friendliness of each neighborhood: your coffee barista has your order ready as soon as you walk in…with your name on it, your local cashier at the grocery store spots you when you’re a short a buck, your dry cleaner smiles and reaches for your clothes as you walk in the door… And as a result – we root for our local neighbors. Five dollars for a latte? When it’s pre-made with my name on it, I say okay. Ever the San Francisco neighbor, our latest new Where-To-Wednesday destination: ‘Radius’ took this idea to heart – sourcing all of their food and wine from within a 100 mile radius. What a concept. Radius is making friends with the neighbors AND delicious food. You go, Radius…you go. Ironically and…well, completely unrelated to the premise of the restaurant naming convention, the waiters are all French and the cuisine has a French flair to it. What a twist. Perhaps a ….french twist?? It’s time to stop, isn’t it. I can already feel the French scowl my way. Okay…I’m wrapping up. At this Where To Wednesday adventure at Radius, planned by Becky, which myself, Chelsea, Jenny and Lindsey attended on August 7th – we enjoyed this locally sourced, French inspired, California cuisine. Yep…that’s a mouthful. And we had it all.

Ambiance 8: At first, I was a little taken aback. I mean sure, sometimes our restaurant selections are a bit on the casual side. But when I saw people were placing their orders (mostly for coffee) with the cashier up front and only then, taking a cue from the ‘please seat yourself’ sign, sitting down at little tables scattered amongst the linoleum-tiled restaurant…I ran. ‘I ran so far away. I just ran. I ran all night and day’. Okay…I didn’t actually run away. I mean, come on, I was STARVING…how could I possibly have the energy to run…and ‘far away’ at that? Keep dreaming. (And for the record, neither did Flock of Seagulls. They’re in a house of mirrors for crying out loud…how does anyone REALLY run in a house of mirrors without a death wish? Get real, Flock of Seagulls. And choose your girlfriends a little more carefully before you take them to a carnival). But anyways, yes, that’s what I felt like doing. Instead, I kept turning around and around in a little circular dance by myself in the middle of the restaurant looking for…help. Finding none and seeing as though my crazy antics were falling on blind eyes here, I walked back outside, and stumbled upon…wait for it, wait for it…the REAL restaurant. Yes, tricky tricky. Neighboring restaurants – both under the Radius umbrella – one being the café, and one being the sit-down restaurant. As soon as I walked into the next door restaurant, I knew I had found home. Low lighting and candles illuminated the restaurant casting a soft glow, while the elongated bar in the front and graffiti-framed artwork told you to stop short of relaxing too much, because this place was about to get kicked up a notch. It seamlessly meshes modern with rustic and spits out a lively atmosphere that you’ll be glad you stopped in for…even if it did take you two tries.

Wine 9: With a similar premise as the food, the wine is sourced from a radius no greater than 50 miles. Looking at the wine list I’m reminded how damn lucky we are to live in such a close vicinity to amazing wines! With only one bottle over a hundred dollars and most resting comfortably in the forty-ish range, the list was just begging for us to dig in…and so, we did. We started with the Tres Sabores Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma – smooth with hints of honey and chamomile it was slightly sweet without the tartness that Sauvignon Blancs can sometimes bring. Great starter and we probably should have stuck with what worked, but…we moved on to the Elizabeth Rose Chardonnay which was slightly oaky with a bit more fruit than is typical for a chardonnay. When your biggest problem of the night is drinking the wine that was almost as good as you expected, you know you should shut your mouth and sip on. Things could be worse. And soon enough though…it was time for the main event: Red. We kicked it off with Dashe Cellars Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley – velvety smooth with hints of peppery spice and oak. So good, we stuck with the Dashe for the rest of the night. In retrospect we probably spent a little too much time with Dashe….but hey, we’re really just getting to know our neighbors. And to quote the wise words of the leader in my day (and by ‘my day’ I do mean kindergarten) - Mr. Rodgers, himself – “would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?” (Trick question, Dashe – you already ARE. I win).

Food 9.5: So… locally sourced, French inspired, California cuisine. What does it all mean? Rest easy and leave your translation dictionary at home. You’ve got this.

- Heirloom Salad: A perfect start to the meal. Fresh and delicious with a perfect consistency of succulent watermelon mixed with light, sesame crisp and topped with sweet tomatoes.

- Flat Bread: Easing into the meal, this one was a bit heartier. The warm flatbread was topped with oyster mushrooms, dry jack, arugula and a hint of chili flake to give it kick. Now we’re getting into the good stuff.

- Hommage a San Francisco: Well..the French do know how to butter us up. (For the record, actual ‘butter’ works well too, Mon Frere. Right Paula? It was too soon, wasn’t it….) The heirloom salad was light and juicy and if there was ever a salad-off…this one would take the cake. (I mean, not literally, because well – cake always wins. Those are just the rules. But…you get it). The Hommage a San Francisco was a very unique dish with a truly unique combination of flavors. This little gem salad was topped with pine nuts and foraged herbs and flowers (I know this sounds extremely hippy but just imagine the most aromatic spices that didn’t overpower the dish, dancing in your mouth amongst the greens…truly delicious. And yes…I do realize that sentence reads exactly the opposite of how I imagined when I started writing it). And to top it off, green goddess dressing was drizzled at the very bottom of the dish, and was bursting with flavors of chives, anchovy, tarragon, lemon juice, and pepper. Truly a dish that pays homage to San Francisco.

- Trout: Moist (I know…some people can’t deal with that word but here…you must) and delicious, the trout just about melted in your mouth. Slightly salted on the outside, it held a light crisp to the bite before giving way to the tender meat inside.

- Broccolini: Roasted with crushed red pepper and topped with garlic chips…you’ll never want to pass over veggies again. Seconds!

- Pork Chop: Tender, juicy, generously thick pieces of pork chop were arranged atop a bed of butterbeans, oyster mushrooms, and bacon white chocolate gastrique. This dish is bursting with peaks of flavor in every bite, as the gastrique marinates the pork chop in its savory sauce, bringing you back for another bite!

- Potato Gnocchi: Fresh and light, each piece of gnocchi held a slight crisp before caving in to the soft potato. Immersed in a bed of fresh peas, confit mushroom and pancetta…this one is not to miss.

- Fried Chicken: If chicken and a donut had a baby...this would be it. Imagine juicy chicken coated in sweet crumbs that melt in your mouth leaving the sweet taste of honey behind. Borderline a dessert....just spectacular!

Dessert: Oh yes we did....

- Lemon Curd Tart: Light, tart Italian meringue sitting amongst of whisk of chocolate sauce with delicate, toasted marshmellow clouds atop. Candied almonds to the side added the perfect crunch addition to this dish to complete it's perfection.

- Mint & Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta: topped with strawberry and rhubarb compote, the delicate mint panna canna was balanced with the tart of the rhubarb, and topped with honey brioche croutons it gave the dish the crunchy kick it needed.

- Vanilla & Olive Oil Milkshake: I know some people would shudder and shake their heads at this ("olive oil in a dessert??") I know...BUT...get over that simple little fact and slurp up a taste of heaven. So savory and smooth, and accompanied with delicious dark chocolate shortbreads perfect for dipping, you can't go wrong.

- Dark Chocolate Cake: chocolate cake laid upon salted caramel (if you're not already salivating...get ready), topped with a white chocolate granache (that resembled a light marshmellow layer) and finally sprinkled with cocoa nibs. Delicious!

Service 10: That's right, 10 - for 3 reasons. 1) the service was great. Our waiter was extremely helpful, patient and friendly. 2) He was French. I don't know why I feel like that's a reason for a higher score but...it just does. I think we felt important with that accent. And as René Descartes once said "I think...therefore I am." So, there you go, thanks to Franz, we ARE important. (Note: I do NOT know his name was Franz. But I mean, it SHOULD be so...let's go with that). 3) We liked the little chocolate shortbread cookies that accompanied the milkshake SO much, that we asked how it was made. And instead of humoring us with nonsense such as "a little flour, dark chocolate, milk..." which I would have expected, he actually excused himself and appeared ten minutes later with THE ACTUAL RECIPE. Oui! That’s right, we sure MUST be important. Now granted the recipe is chalk full of gram measurements which we'll need to dig out our old grade school conversion charts for, but hey...it's a small price to pay for chocolate.

Price 7: French waiters serving you locally sourced food with a French flair. Price: close to $100 each. Reality: it's cheaper than going to France. It's all about perspective, people. Do you really need a refill? Your glass looks half-full to me! See how easy that was?? (Truth: this applies to any drink sans wine. Let's be real here).

Noise Level 6: We discuss all of our ratings at each restaurant, and when 'noise level' came up, I said: "They call it energetic on open table. I think it actually means "'loud.'" Response from the other side of the table: "It's loud in here, what did you say?" Exactly.

All About the Area: Well...it's not France. Soma is pocketed...with portions that are populated/fun/safe and portions that are vacant/sketchy/unsafe. Folsom itself in this vicinity is home to several bars/restaurants close by...but come 6th street, I would recommend halting quickly. Know where you're going and what areas are unsafe (i.e. ALL of 6th). So bring your street smarts, be aware and stop texting on your phone and looking down. Unless you're reading your latest dose of where-to-wednesday. Then..as you were*.

*Kidding...seriously people, be aware of your surroundings. Read the blog at home. But I mean, as SOON as you get home. No lagging. Franz will not stand for that.

Overall Grade: 8.25

MERCI BEAUCOUP!