"Off the Grid" at Civic Center: Food Truck Sightings

Sightings have been reported at the Civic Center Plaza every Friday at lunchtime. Food truck sightings, that is.

They are parked in front of City Hall like aliens on trucks that just landed bearing street food offerings for SF foodies.  They tease you with promises of ethnic food adventures--brought to you right in your own backyard!  These food truck vendors are  "Off the Grid"  participants--a foodie event in which a collection of different street food trucks get together at a certain park or street  in SF to sell their goodies from different cultures.

They have locations all over the San Francisco Bay area but every Friday they are at the Civic Center Plaza. Different foodtrucks rotate every Friday.

So far I have spotted:

Curry Up Now (Indian)

Chairman Bao (Chinese)

Liba (Mediterranean)

Ebbett's Good to Go (Cuban, Vietnamese, Mexican Sandwiches)

CUPKATES: "First Cupcake Truck in the Bay Area"

CupKates

It's been few weeks since I've been spotting food trucks at the Civic Center Plaza every Friday from 11 am to 2:30 pm.  I still do not have any desire to get my lunch from any of them.  I am pretty aware of my own personal reservations: long lines, more expensive, not as convenient to eat, etc. 

However,  there's one that managed to penetrate my defenses--the cupcakes at Cupkates.  The Cupkate truck has partially turned me into a Pavlovian foodie. I see the truck, my mind starts imagining pastel icing on fluffy little cakes and I start to drool.  Even for $3 per little cupcake, it is almost worth it. 

My very first cupcake buy at Cupkate was the  Salted Caramel:  A moist chocolate cake topped with caramel buttercream and sprinkled with flaked sea salt. As described, the cake was moist and the seasalt added a nice texture of this pastry.  This is truly a sweet-savory experience.

I would eat half a dozen of these sweet little darlings in heartbeat but $3 per little cupcake is a bit steep. Not so pocketbook friendly but at least my waistline won't suffer! Cupkates offer many other decadent flavors but I am happy to stick with Salted Caramel, or maybe I will try Red Velvet next time.

Cupkates, just like almost every mobile food truck,  has been spotted both in the East Bay and various locations in San Francisco. Just check their website for their next location.


http://www.cupkatesbakery.com/

SEOUL ON WHEELS: Korean meets Mexican Burrito
Lunch Time: September 17, 2010 @ 11:15 AM

Seoul on Wheel Food Truck

Since "Off the Grid" first came to Civic Center on September 3, 2010, nothing really caught my fancy.  And to be fair, I am a new seafood-tarian so my options are quite limited. So, just to jump on the food truck bandwagon I tried "Seoul on Wheels."  I wanted to try a Tofu Korito ($6): Tofu Burrito with salsa, rice, cheese and crema.  Unfortunately, any tofu dishes need to be called in before 10 am.

I settled for Kimchee Rice ($5). What I got was a big blob of messy red rice heavily mixed in with kimchi sauce with a little kimchi on the side and steamed broccoli.  It was not a pretty sight!The rice was just too mushy and oily. I definitely had better kimchi rice in the past.

Kimchee Rice ($5)

FOODIE GIRL'S RATING: 2.5 Greasy food. Friendly service.

Having been born and raised in the Philippines, street foods are nothing exotic for me although it is a new food craze in the Bay Area. Food stands are surreal part of the Manila landscape as much as the colorful and loud jeepneys on the streets. A child in Manila will never escape the lure of eating a skewer of fishballs or drinking "sago" sold on food carts no matter how health-conscious their parents were.

However, the popularity of street food has steadily risen during the last 3 years in the Bay Area since the sightings of the Tamele Lady during after hours on Mission and ever-reliable Mexican taco trucks.

I know I only tried one food truck from "Off the Grid." And it might not be fair to say "Been there,done that" as far as food trucks are concerned. Let me just put it this way--I am glad the food street craze has caught on here in the Bay Area.  I am happy for the small business owners to have a roving venue to sell their ware (which is the real philosophy behind street food--to give the family members in poor countries chance to  contribute to the family fund by selling their  homecooked food right in front of their house, or peddle their wares on the streets.) However, after having great street food in Manila, Bangkok and Singapore; and I like the comfort of four walls while eating my meals,   I will probably not spend my lunch time at "Off the Grid."

Lunch spot under the trees (porta potties included)

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Marnee Thai: Small Space, Big Flavors.

Girl-bonding Dinner: September 6, 2010 at 6:45 PM








It is such a struggle for hard-working professional gals to find a couple of hours at the end of the day to share a meal with one another. However, my girlfriends and I have made a commitment that no matter what, we will find time for each other.

That special time might not be as frequent as we like but every couple of months, one reminds the other that "we're on for another catching up!"

And my girlfriend, Rebecca and I finally made it after one cancellation (me) and confusing the date of our dinner (probably me again). Finally we agreed on the day and this time, Rebecca chose the dinner venue after watching "Marnee Thai" on "Check, Please! Bay Area."

I got there 15 minutes early because I was stressing over parking. Parking in the Sunset is a nightmare but at 6:25 PM, I found plenty of parking inside Golden Gate Park and Lincoln. I just decided to go straight to Marnee Thai for our 6:45 PM dinner reservation. The staff seated me right away.






Marnee Thai is teeny-tiny. The dining area was cramped. The place was equally loud that despite the packed seatings, Rebecca and I were able to catch up. (I heard from a couple of friends that Marnee Thai on Irving is much bigger and nicer.)

She was right on the dot and arrived at exactly 6:45 PM but I went ahead and ordered a starter before she got to the restaurant. The servers kept on coming to the table to see if I was okay. I did not feel pressured but appreciated their attention. They were very nice but I just decided to order hoping the Rebecca will like the food. I opted for Prawn Salad with chili sauce, lemongrass, mint and cilantro. This is when Rebecca walked in, tried it and she liked it.  The flavors of this salad was good which are typically sweet and made savory by the fish sauce. However, the prawns were not plump enough.

We also shared the Pad Kee Mow: Stir-fried flat noodles with basil, mint, chilis and tomatoes with beef. The beef was on the sweet side.  However, the sweetness of this dish did not turn me off unlike most Thai-American dishes.  The beef was very well-seasoned and flavorful.

Pad Kee Mow


Rebecca and I wanted Sticky Rice with Mango for dessert but they were out of mango. Oh, well.... next time! Which I would not have a problem driving back to Sunset for a next round of great Thai food and great girl-bonding dinner with Rebecca.

Dinner was short and sweet. Rebecca and I wanted stay longer and linger. However, the long lines of diners waiting for a table made us feel guilty for not giving up our space. The staff never pressured us but we decided to just have a girl-bonding "part 2" which is hopefully sooner than two months!

Tab was $23 including a hot Thai tea for me and Iced Thai Tea for Rebecca before tip.

FOODIE GIRL'S RATINGS: 4 Thai Food packed with big flavors.
Service:      5  No-pressure, accomodating and genuinely friendly.
Decor:        4   Beautiful  artwork for Thailand
Ambiance:  3  Loud and lively. Do not expect privacy.
Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Fog Harbor Fish House: Locals' Perspective

Saturday Date Night: September 4, 2010 @ 6PM

After sailing on the San Francisco Explorer Bay Cruise, Enrique and I were famished. Being already at Fisherman's Wharf and already stuck with a $28 parking fee, we said, "What the heck, let's just have dinner here."

Now, Enrique and I just cannnot get enough playing tourist in our own San Francisco Bay Area playground. However, as locals, we are not so crazy eating "touristy" foods.  So, grudgingly, we decided to dine at Fog Harbor Fish House which we found through Opentable.

Outdoor Waiting Area

Fog Harbor Fish House is an old school restaurant that retains not only the formal decor of bygone San Francisco, but the values of treating the customers well. The servers were dressed "formally" in white shirts and black pants, and very efficient.

Eating at Fog Harbor will ensure you a great waterfront dining and spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay. And we were rewarded with a table right by the water.

View from our table

We ordered half a dozen oysters a starters. The oysters on half-shell were well-chilled but small. 

I ordered a top-shelf Margarita but I was given a regular one (reflected on the bill.) It was so disappointingly weak.

Margarita

Enrique had no complaints with his Fried Combo Platter which came with hand-breaded fish, calamari, shrimp, french fries and cole slaw.

Fried Combo Platter

I opted for the Seared “RARE” Ahi Tuna with a Sesame Seed Crust and Chili Ponzu Sauce. It was tasty but heavy-handed on the soy sauce. The saltiness overpowered everything else on the plate. The tuna was indeed rare but not "melt in your mouth."

Seared Ahi Tuna with Ponzu Sauce

Overall, our dinner was "okay."   Not spectacular but the amazing view and the attentive service made up for it. Not to mention that the fresh sourdough bread that made in-house was very delicious and served while still warm.

All of the above minus the "okay" dishes completes the old-school "touristy" San Francisco experience. Not bad at all.

Tab: $83 including tax and 20% tip.

FOODIE GIRL'S RATINGS:  3 Stars for fresh but "okay" seafood
View:         5    Great San Francisco Bay View
Service:    5    Professional and efficient

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

 

Saturday Date Night on the SF Bay Explorer Cruise

Saturday Date: September 4, 2010 @ 3:30 PM

Armed with 1/2 off Groupons for the  San Francisco Explorer Bay Cruise,  Enrique and I headed to Pier 43 1/2 last Saturday for a date night that's "a little different" from our usual dinner-movie Saturday nights.

It is fair to say that we were a couple of brave souls to go to Fisherman's Wharf during the Labor Day Weekend. Not only it was a long holiday weekend but the sun also decided to "vacay" in San Francisco for a few days (although it played "peek-a-boo" during our cruise but that's San Francisco for you!)

Fisherman's Wharf was packed with tourist actions. It was almost elbow to elbow and we literally got the last parking space avalable! We were happy to pay "only" $28. If you live/work in San Francisco, you totally get what I mean. (Last year I paid $38 for 3 hours of parking at the Wharf!!!!)

We boarded our ferry at exactly 3:30 PM. It helped that I reserved our space few days ago. The boat has 3 levels, spacious with plenty of room to roam around.

It has a concession stand where you can get food and drinks, and/or sweatshirt if you get too cold and forgot yours in the car. (Just like Enrique.)

We hangout on the third level and just enjoyed the view.  It was our second time crusing on the bay. Last year we went to visit Alcatraz. What was cool about the SF Bay Explorer Cruise was we were able to sail around the whole island of Alcatraz, and see the sides that you can only view by sailing around it.

For an hour and a half, we also cruised by Treasure Island Lighthouse, Yerba Buena Island, AT&T Ballpark etc and finishing off by the Ferry Building. We also saw the "new" Bay Bridge under construction.



Ferry Building




New Bay Bridge Construction



The narration was nonstop for 90 minutes. Although the history and story of each landmark we were cruising by were interesting, for the the most part they narration on the loud speaker was just distracting and annoying at the very least.  The billion dollar views, however, were priceless.

The coolest thing for me was sailing under the Bay Bridge.  It was just so amazing to sail by and under this bridge that I drive on everyday to go to work!

When Enrique and I got cold, we grabbed a cup of hot chocolate that we shared while enjoying the saltwater on our face and the fresh ocean wind. Now that's romantic!

San Francisco Bay Explorer Cruise
Pier 43 1/2
San Francisco, CA
$36 per person

Miette = Macarons!

I ate my lunch standing up today all within 5 minutes on my way to my meeting.
At around 3 PM, I realized I still have a full hour of lunch to use as I wish. And I need a "picker-upper." A little afternoon treat to cheer me up.

I decided to go to the Ferry Building and take a stroll until I find the "perfect little treat."

I passed by the mortadella sandwich at Boccalone. Nope, I wanted something sweet although it was tempting to have a second lunch.  I passed by Recchuiti but the salted caramels did not get me excited, or the gelatos at Ciao Bella. The Ferry Building had so much to offer to hungry foodies but I just could not find anything until......I spotted "Miette"!  Sugar-pink and pretty as a cookie house. The colorful pastries were cute as  buttons. Even without tasting anything, the mere sight of this cheerful little bakeshop is enough to put a secret smile to a "kid at heart."

I went to look at the pastries but with much hesitation. Previous experiences had left me disappointed like a little kid whose candy (or cookie) has been taken away from her. Why? Because I've had not so appetizing cookies from this bakeshop--dry, hard and not worth the goblin's gold that they charge for each sweet morsel.

I went ahead and decided on 3 macarons: Rose, Raspberry and Vanilla.

These pastel French cookies set me back $1.75 each. BUT this time, they were worth the pretty price tag. They were delicious and true to the flavors as advertised. The raspberry had enough tang, the rose had a hint of nice rosey flavor that was not overpowering. Even the vanilla was not very sweet.  They were good. And the most important thing, they were real macarons. How could I tell?  Because they have "feet." A macaron is not a macaron if it does not have "feet."

These pretty sweets did the trick. I went back to the office with my 3 macarons stashed in this cute pink Miette paperbag that the staff did not hesitate to give me upon request:

I will get my macarons from Miette in a heartbeat. I am not so sure if I can say the same thing about their other goodies.

(This review is dedicated to BEKS who might bake the next perfect macarons in the Bay Area. Check out her blog on her macaron-baking adventures: http://www.oobeksoo.blogspot.com/)

FOODIE GIRL'S RATING: 3.5 Good macarons but disappointingly dry cookies

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Anchor and Hope: "Angels on Horseback"

Girl-bonding Lunch Date with Heather: September 3, 2010 @ 12:30 PM

Do not underestimate the power of girlfriendship. Mix it up with good food and you will feel like "SuperGirl" -- ready to tackle any relationship and/or work issues, or annoying inconviences that life dishes out your way.

My beautiful "foodie buddy" Heather and I had another fantastic lunch at Anchor and Hope.  Those two short but very enjoyable hours of eating and talking are so full of girl-wisdom that they are better than hours on the therapist's couch.

Anchor and Hope is located in an alley in the FiDi. At a glance it is easy to brush it off as just another old warehouse in San Francisco.  It has a weathered look on the outside.

 Inside is a bustling restaurant with high ceilings, conspicuous big pipes from the original architecture and thick nautical ropes hanging from the ceiling.

We were seated just right by the entrance to the very busy open kitchen. I felt a little cramped but it was fun to watched the choreographed actions of the cooks, servers and behind the scene staff.

Since it's a work day I had to forgo imbibing.Water, however, was plentiful in the brown jug left on our table.

We had "Angels on Horseback" for starters. They were bacon-wrapped oysters served on half-shell nestled on a green salad. Even for a not a big bacon fan like me, it was fantastic! The crispiness of the bacon complimented the tender oyster meat. The flavors were great together! And the creative presentation was really appreciated.

"Angels on Horseback" (Bacon-wrapped oysters)

Heather asked for bread and we were given a whole Acme baguette in brown paper bag, as if it was just purchased from the store. Bread was complimentary.

Complimentary Acme Baguette

Heather and I shared an Heirloom Tomato Salad-- a mound of organic greens with  tomatoes, croutons and Burrata. A very simple salad but the ingredients were noticeably fresh and the tomatoes were sweet. Very refreshing.

Heirloon Tomato Salad with Burrata

We also shared the Ahi Tuna Melt with Fontina Cheese and Oven Dried Tomatoes. We were expecting a seared ahi tuna type sandwich but we got a traditional tuna salad instead. We were not disappointed because it was actually quite tasty.

Ahi Tuna Melt with Fontina Cheese

Service was friendly and professional. However, we requested for no cheese on the sandwich but it still came with cheese. I decided to take a chance since I am allergic to dairy but thank God I did not get sick this time. 

It was a very enjoyable lunch. Tab was $50 including tax and 18% tip. ($25 per person.) This has been our cheapest girl-bonding lunch ever. I think it was because we shared everything. We were comfortably full and satisfied with our meal.

Until our next "foodie lunch," Heather!

FOODIE GIRL'S RATING: 4 Stars
Food:       4        Fresh ingredients but very tasty.
Service:    3.5     Friendly, professional but our server disappeared after we got our food.
Decor:      4.5    Unique and fun place for lunch.
Value:       $$$   Average prices for dishes are $13 to $24 each for lunch.

Recommend:  "Angel on Horseback." Any salad for their freshness.

Key:
0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)